Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Kerry B. Melear

Second Advisor

Whitney T. Webb

Third Advisor

Richard S. Balkin

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

The United States holds a commanding 22% of the market share of international students, more than double that of the second leading country (United Kingdom). The number of international students studying at U.S. institutions has had a steady incline for decades and these students now make up approximately 5% of all higher education students in the U.S. Even still, there have been previous examinations of international students’ perceptions of online learning readiness. As online and blended learning elements are an integral part of nearly every degree program, and, indeed, nearly every course, it is imperative that we gain a better understanding of what international students perceive to be important, how confident they view themselves on those same items, if there is a difference between what they perceive as important and their confidence, and the effect of demographic factors on these perceptions. This study examines these questions through the Student Readiness for Online Learning instrument developed by Martin et al. (2020) across four subscales: online student attributes, time management, technological competency, and communication competency. Data were gathered from currently enrolled residential international students at U.S. institutions. There were 117 valid respondents. Descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVAs, and correlation matrices were used to address the research questions. Data analysis revealed that the average student viewed all four subscales as being between somewhat to very important and themselves as being somewhat to very confident. Demographic variables did not interact with the dependent variables, though there were correlations for GDP per capita ppp and internet users % per capita. This study shed much needed light on the perceptions of international students online learning readiness. Results indicate the need for further study as well as the development of more comprehensive assessments.

Concentration/Emphasis

Higher Education

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