A case study of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at a foundation university in Turkey: Perceptions, challenges, and coping strategies
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Date
2022-02-14
Authors
Demir, Aslıhan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi
Abstract
Politika yapıcıların, küreselleşen dünyada rekabet güçlerini artırmayı, yabancı öğrencileri cezbetmeyi (Altbach & Knight, 2007) ve uluslararası üniversite sıralamalarında daha iyi bir yere sahip olmayı amaçlamasının (Lehikoinen, 2004; Rauhvargers, 2013) sonucu olarak yükseköğretimde öğretim dili olarak İngilizce kullanımı daha da önem kazanmıştır. Dolayısıyla sadece dünyada değil, Türkiye'de de yükseköğretim düzeyinde sunulan EMI programlarının sayısında artış olmuştur. EMI birçok yönden avantajlı olarak görülse de sorunsuz bir süreç değildir. Artan sayıda çalışma, EMI' nin uygulanmasına ilişkin bazı endişeleri gündeme getirdi. Paydaşlar tarafından dile getirilen endişeler, derinlemesine çalışmanın gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Mevcut çalışma bu amaca hizmet etmek için yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada karma yöntem yaklaşımı benimsenmiştir. Öğrencilere EMI ile ilgili görüşlerini incelemek için bir anket uygulanırken, öğretim üyelerine, karşılaştıkları zorlukları ve bu zorlukları aşmak için kullandıkları stratejileri ortaya çıkarmak amacıyla açık uçlu bir anket verildi. Bunu, katılma isteği gösteren katılımcılarla yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler izlemiştir. Bu araştırmanın evrenini Türkiye'de bir vakıf üniversitesinin psikoloji (İngilizce) bölümünde okuyan öğrenciler (N=89) ve aynı bölümde ders veren öğretim üyeleri (N=7) oluşturmuştur. Araştırma kapsamında çevrimiçi olarak toplanan nicel veriler IBM SPSS 22.0 ile analiz edilirken, nitel veriler tematik analiz yoluyla analiz edilmiştir. Nicel ve 118 vi nitel veri toplama araçlarından elde edilen bulgular, öğrencilerin ve öğretim üyelerinin EMI programı hakkında olumlu görüşlere sahip olsalar da bazı zorluklar (dil ile ilgili zorluklar) yaşadıklarını ve bu zorluklarla başa çıkmak için çeşitli stratejiler kullandıklarını (çeviri, ödev, görsel araçlar kullanma vb.) göstermiştir. Bu çalışmanın sonucu, öğrencilerin dille ilgili yaşadığı zorluklardan dolayı daha verimli bir İngilizce Hazırlık Programının ve EMI müfredatına entegre edilmiş dil desteğinin gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır
The use of English as the medium of instruction in HE has gained even more significance, as policymakers aim to strengthen their competitiveness in the globalized world, attract foreign students (Altbach & Knight, 2007), and have a better place in international university rankings (Lehikoinen, 2004; Rauhvargers, 2013), so there has been an increase in the number of EMI programs offered at the tertiary level not only in the world but also in Turkey. Although EMI is regarded as advantageous in many aspects, it is not a problem-free process. An increasing number of studies raised certain concerns regarding the implementation of EMI. The concerns voiced by stakeholders highlight the necessity for in-depth study. The current study was conducted to serve this purpose. A mixed-methods approach was adopted in this study. Specifically, whereas a questionnaire was administered to students in order to examine their views on EMI, an open-ended questionnaire was given to lecturers with the purpose of revealing challenges they face during the implementation of EMI, and strategies they use to overcome those challenges. This was followed by semi-structured interviews conducted with the participants who showed the desire to participate. The population of this research included students (N=89) who study in the psychology (English) department at a foundation university in Turkey and lecturers (N=7) who teach in the same department. Whereas quantitative data collected online within the scope of the research was analyzed 118 viii through IBM SPSS 22.0, qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings gathered from quantitative and qualitative data collection tools demonstrated that although students and lecturers seemed to be aware of the benefits of an EMI program and held positive views regarding EMI, they experience some challenges (such as language-related difficulties, difficulties caused by lecturers’ accent, etc.), and they use varied strategies to overcome those strategies (translation, assigning homework, using visual aids, etc.). The outcomes of the study highlight the necessity for a more efficient English Preparatory Program and language support integrated into the EMI curriculum due to students' language-related challenges and their linguistic unpreparedness.
The use of English as the medium of instruction in HE has gained even more significance, as policymakers aim to strengthen their competitiveness in the globalized world, attract foreign students (Altbach & Knight, 2007), and have a better place in international university rankings (Lehikoinen, 2004; Rauhvargers, 2013), so there has been an increase in the number of EMI programs offered at the tertiary level not only in the world but also in Turkey. Although EMI is regarded as advantageous in many aspects, it is not a problem-free process. An increasing number of studies raised certain concerns regarding the implementation of EMI. The concerns voiced by stakeholders highlight the necessity for in-depth study. The current study was conducted to serve this purpose. A mixed-methods approach was adopted in this study. Specifically, whereas a questionnaire was administered to students in order to examine their views on EMI, an open-ended questionnaire was given to lecturers with the purpose of revealing challenges they face during the implementation of EMI, and strategies they use to overcome those challenges. This was followed by semi-structured interviews conducted with the participants who showed the desire to participate. The population of this research included students (N=89) who study in the psychology (English) department at a foundation university in Turkey and lecturers (N=7) who teach in the same department. Whereas quantitative data collected online within the scope of the research was analyzed 118 viii through IBM SPSS 22.0, qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings gathered from quantitative and qualitative data collection tools demonstrated that although students and lecturers seemed to be aware of the benefits of an EMI program and held positive views regarding EMI, they experience some challenges (such as language-related difficulties, difficulties caused by lecturers’ accent, etc.), and they use varied strategies to overcome those strategies (translation, assigning homework, using visual aids, etc.). The outcomes of the study highlight the necessity for a more efficient English Preparatory Program and language support integrated into the EMI curriculum due to students' language-related challenges and their linguistic unpreparedness.
Description
Keywords
Algılar, Öğretim dili olarak İngilizce, Psikoloji bölümü, Stratejiler, Yükseköğretim, Zorluklar, Challenges, English medium instruction, Higher education, Perceptions, Psychology department, Strategies
Citation
Demir, A. (2022). A case study of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at a foundation university in Turkey: Perceptions, challenges, and coping strategies. Yayınlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü.