Abstract
Increasing international student numbers in higher education institutions has long been an educational priority internationally due to the cultural, educational and economic benefits it brings (Ireland’s International Education Strategy, 2010). Little research however has been conducted in the area of varying entry routes to higher education by international students and the potential benefits/disadvantages if any of pursuing one entry route over another (Terraschke & Wahid, 2011). This research examines the first year undergraduate progression rates of international students in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) in Ireland to determine if students who complete a one year International Foundation Programme (IFP) in DIT progress differently to direct entry international students to the same institution. Results show that there is no statistically significant difference in the progression rates of international students from both entry routes however international students as a whole were found to progress at a lower rate when compared to domestic students on a national level. This research highlights the effectiveness of the DIT IFP in bringing international students up to the required standard to enter their undergraduate studies and informs practitioners and policy makers of the disparities between international and domestic students in terms of progression rates.
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Recommended Citation
Faulkner, Fiona; Ryan, Deirdre; Hurley, Anne; and Wang, Qi
(2017)
"A Comparison of the Progression of International Students to First Year Undergraduate Studies by Entry Route in an Irish Higher Education Institution: Part One - A Quantitative Study,"
Irish Journal of Academic Practice:
Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
doi:10.21427/D75H9B
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol6/iss1/7
DOI
10.21427/D75H9B