CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Descriptive Statistics
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CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
In this chapter, results and analysis of the data are explored. The chapter covers three parts: the first section provides an overview of descriptive statistic which is used to analyze the essential features of the data as well as responses to the items in the survey;
this part is divided in three sections: senior secondary education, college admission process and future prospect. The second section presents the interviews’ data to support the survey’s data and to make assumptions regarding differences that might appear between the two systems. Finally, the third and final section presents a summary of the findings and discussion of the results according to the research questions of this thesis.
4.1 Descriptive Statistics
This research consisted of conducting a survey of university students from Taiwan and France with different backgrounds to gain a deeper understanding of college admission system and students’ feelings and perceptions about this process. In an attempt to collect relevant data to support this thesis, the survey was conducted through social media (Facebook) from June 6th, 2016 to June 20th, 2016. The survey totaled 366 respondents from Taiwan and France, out of this number 280 were valid because some participants left items blank on the questionnaire or didn’t fit the requirements of the surveys(which is to be a university student for the case of France; and not a student from business school or other institutions that are not considered as universities). As we compare the present college admission systems in Taiwan and France, our surveys were provided to former high school students who enrolled in a university in the last four years. Taiwanese respondents are from both public and private universities more specifically from National Chengchi University; NCCU (國立政治大學) and Tamkang University TKU (淡江大學).
Respondents from France are students from public universities and university institutes of technology (The University of La Rochelle ; “L’Université de la Rochelle” ; The National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations, Paris-Sorbonne University “INALCO, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales” ; The University Institutes of
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Technology ; Marketing Techniques ; University of La Rochelle, “Institut Universitaire de Technologie de La Rochelle” ; Paris-Diderot University and Aix-Marseille University).
This sample size represents nearly 0.01% of the total number of French university students (including IUT students) according to the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Research, and also 0.01% of the total number of Taiwanese university students according to the Ministry of Education Republic of China (Taiwan).
The research method was chosen to determine the requirements and qualifications needed for the admission of graduates into college, and the questionnaire format uses open and close ended questions. Participants were asked to answer questions about their perception of college admission requirements and qualifications based on their experience.
Apart from collecting basic information on age, grade level and university, the survey also includes questions which determine the participants’ educational path, their plans after completing their undergraduate degree, and how they valued the importance of different factors in gaining admission to higher education. Upon completion of the survey, participants were asked to provide additional comments on the college admission system and ways to improve it. Out of 280 participants, more than a half of them submitted answers.
Surveys were provided in Mandarin and French languages.
The demographic characteristics were analyzed to provide a minimal background of participants based on age, gender, school year and type of institutions. Below is a chart of these demographic characteristics:
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Table 4.1 Demographic Characteristics of the Sample
Demographic Characteristics
Frequency Percent
Taiwan France Taiwan France
Gender
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As predicted, the majority of participants claimed to be undergraduate students, with most respondents falling between the 20-22-year age group (average age of the participants in France: 21 years old; average age of the participants in Taiwan: 21 years old). Most respondents in France stated that they had been rewarded the General Baccalaureate (80.7%) with an almost equal distribution in the three different tracks (Literature 43%; Economics and Social Sciences 31.6% and Sciences 25.4%). The figure bellow shows the distribution of respondents according to the French Baccalaureate.
Figure 4.1 French Baccalaureate distribution.
With an equal number of respondents from Taiwanese public universities and private universities, this thesis also offers a quick overview of some differences that where found between the two institutions. While most respondents from Tamkang University which is a private university claimed to have undergone both the GSAT and The AST (56%), respondents from National Chengchi University, one of the public university in
80,7%
14,3%
4,3%
0.70%
French Baccalaureate
General Baccalaureate Technological Baccalaureate Professional Baccalaureate Other
43%
31.60%
25.40%
General Baccalaureate
Literature
Economic and Social sciences Sciences
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Taipei, claimed for the majority of them (56%) to have been rewarding the General Scholastic Ability Test without having to take the AST. Below is a table showing the distribution of college entrance examinations according to respondents from Tamkang University and National Chengchi University.
Figure 4.2 College Entrance Examinations distribution in Tamkang University and National Chengchi University.
As stated by the College Entrance Examination Center (CEEC), reasons why students do take the Advanced Subject Test (AST) are: failure to gain admission to colleges through the personal application or the Stars program; students did not participate in the GSAT or students were dissatisfied by their GSAT score. To get a clear picture of college admission in Taiwan, respondents who took the AST were asked the reasons why they attended the examination and placement process. Both students from Tamkang University and National Chengchi University mostly claimed that they were dissatisfied by their GSAT score (77.1 % in the case of NCCU and 66% in the case of Tamkang University).
40%
4.30%
55.70%
Tamkang Univeristy
GSAT 學科能力測驗 AST 指定科目考試
Both 兩者均有
55.70%
1.40%
42.90%
National Chengchi University
GSAT 學科能力測驗 AST 指定科目考試
Both 兩者均有
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The second reason appears to be the failure to get admittance to college through the admission by application and recommendation (22.9% in the case of NCCU and 28% in the case of Tamkang).
The researcher also took a glance at the educational background of students’ family with the hope to identify specific features that could eventually help us to differentiate Taiwanese and French university students, and to get a better understanding of the reasons behind students’ choice of institutions. To the question: What is the highest level of education obtained by each of your parents (guardians)? Most of the Taiwanese respondents claimed that at least one of their parents graduated from high school (56.4%) or obtained a diploma from a community/junior college (43.6%); while the majority of French respondents claimed that at least one of their parents obtained a diploma from a technological or professional training (62.1%) or have less than an high school level of education (54.3%). It is important to keep in mind that each respondent was able to select two answers to assess both parents’ educational backgrounds. In Taiwan, 38.6% of the interviewees claimed that one of their parents obtained a bachelor’s degree and 28.6% a Graduate degree (master or doctorate), a number relatively small in the case of French with 18.6% for a bachelor’s degree and 12.9% for a doctorate degree. This results clearly show that, at the time, it was more common to have a high school diploma or a certificate from professional training than a bachelor or a graduate degree. The researcher discovered that there is a stark difference in parental educational backgrounds between private and public schooling in Taiwan, while no such difference exists in parental educational backgrounds in France. The table below illustrates the percentage of student’s parents highest level of education according to whether respondents are in a public university of a private university.
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Table 4.2 Highest level of education obtained by Taiwanese respondents’ parents.
Tamkang University National Chengchi University Less than high school 17.9%
25
8.6%
12
High school graduate 40%
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A majority of respondents from Tamkang University claimed that at least one of their parents obtained a high school diploma, and a majority of students from National Chengchi University claimed that at least one of their parents received a university diploma (45.7%); this research shows a potential correlation of student’s choice of college based on their family educational background.
Finally, respondents were asked how many of their siblings if they had any, were attending university or were college graduates. In France, 52.1% of the interviewees claimed that none of their siblings were enrolled in higher education while 50% of Taiwanese students claimed that one of their siblings were enrolled in higher education (47.1% in the case of Private University and 52.9% in the case of Public University).
Differences and similarities shown in this section will help the researcher to elaborate on a clearer picture of college admission systems in the two countries based not
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only on theories but also on students’ experiences. The following section will introduce the data collected on the senior secondary education part of the surveys.
(i) Senior Secondary Education
To further determine the qualifications required to access public and private universities as well as selective and non-selective institutions in Taiwan and France, participants in the survey were also asked questions about their performances in senior high school, the time they spent doing diverse activities while in senior high school, and their opinion on how it has prepared them to succeed in higher education work. Grading systems in Taiwan and France are different, while Taiwan uses a numerical grading system on a scale of 0 to 100 with 60 as the passing grade at both the secondary and tertiary levels;
France also maintains a numerical grading system but on a different scale of 0 to 20 with 10 as the passing grade at both secondary and tertiary levels. To have a better picture of both grading systems, the researcher will present their equivalence in letter grade; which will allow us to perform a clearer comparison. Below is a chart of these grade equivalencies:
Table 4.3 Grade Equivalencies
A 90-100 14-20
B 80-89 12-14
C 70-79 10-12
D 60-69
F (fail) 0-59 0-10
The following table displays students’ performances in senior high school according to the university they are currently attending.
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Table 4.4 Students’ performances in senior high school
Public University (Taiwan)
Private University (Taiwan)
Selective University
(France)
Non-Selective University
(France)
A 10% 2.9% 9.1% 25.4%
B 72.9% 35.7% 72.7% 33%
C 17.1% 50% 18.2% 39%
D 0% 11.4% 0% 0%
F 0% 0% 0% 2.6%
Most respondents from public universities in Taiwan and selective universities in France claimed to have been awarded an overall grade point average of B in senior high school with less than 20% of the respondents having a grade inferior of B. Most of the students from private universities in Taiwan and non-selective universities in France declared to have been awarded an overall grade point average of C in senior high school.
Students were asked questions about the time they spent doing diverse activities while in senior high school and their opinion on how secondary education has prepared them to succeed in higher education work. The aim of these questions was to determine whether there are any differences in student’s personal experience in senior high school in Taiwan and France, which could eventually lead us to make recommendations on possible improvements.
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According to the surveys, 87.1% of French respondents claimed to have spent less than ten hours per week studying and doing their homework in contrast to their Taiwanese peers, where 55% of them spent more than ten hours per week studying; with 36.4% of them claiming to have been studying more than fifteen hours a week while they were in senior high school. This difference is explained by the percentage of students attending cram school in both countries. While 81.4% of French respondents claimed to never have been to cram school or attended any remedial programs, Taiwanese respondents, in comparison, showed that 62.9% attended cram school during senior high school with 14.2%
of them more than ten hours a week.
When asked about the time they spent on hobbies such as socializing with friends or performing sports, results were almost similar for Taiwanese and French students, with 67% of Taiwanese students socializing with friends less than ten hours a week and 65.7%
of French students. 75.7% of Taiwanese respondents claimed to perform sports up to five hours a week while they were in senior high school, 58% in the case of French respondents.
When it comes to the time spent on extracurricular activities (volunteer work and student club) and on time spent having conversations with relatives (parents, teachers or friends) about their future prospects (higher education, work), a percentage increase was seen in both countries. 71% of Taiwanese respondents claim to have never participated in extracurricular activities and 82% in the case of French respondents. Moreover, 86% of Taiwanese respondents admitted having spent less than five hours a week on conversations about higher education, work, or future prospects, the percentage was even higher in the case of French respondents with 92.9%.
Students’ performances in senior high school seem to be a major factor determining students’ distribution into higher education. Still, it is necessary to know whether senior secondary school truly helps students to get admittance in university and other institutions.
For this reason, respondents of the surveys were requested to measure how well high school had prepared them to get admittance in higher education, to succeed in college level work, and to get a job. Below is the table summarizing students’ opinions on the subject.
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Table 4.5 Measurement on how well senior high school prepares students for higher education and work.
Extremely well Somewhat well Not well Not sure To gain
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Both Taiwanese and French respondents mostly agreed that senior high school had prepared them well (extremely well and somewhat well) to gain admittance in public universities and in the college of their choice; which is not the case when it comes to preparing them for college-level work, where more than a half of the respondents claimed that senior high school hadn't prepared them (50% in Taiwan and 58,6% in France). When it comes to private universities, almost half of Taiwanese respondents claimed that it somewhat prepared them well to get admittance, which isn’t comparable to the results of French respondents as private universities in France are religious universities. That explains why 32.9% of French respondents weren’t sure about their answer. 74.3% of French respondents claimed that senior high school had not prepared them to get a job, a significant percentage in comparison to their Taiwanese fellows who seem quite divided on the question with 38.6% of respondents who declared it had somewhat well prepared them well and 37.1% of respondents who claimed it had not prepared them to find a job.
Finally, French respondents were asked how well senior high school had prepared them to gain admittance to University Technology of Institute which is known to be selective, 38.6% declared that it had prepared them well and 25.7% thought it had not prepared them well. The 35.7% of respondents who answered unsure is believed by the researcher to be students who have not applied to University Technology of Institute and might not know much about it. It is crucial to note that both Taiwanese and French students have similar opinions when it comes to senior high school preparing them well to get admittance into public universities and college of their choice and when it comes to senior high school not preparing them for college-level work. Differences in respondents’
opinions on how well secondary education prepared them to find a job might need further analyses in order to understand the reasons behind it.
This section showed a few differences and similarities in respondent’s personal experience while in senior high school which will help us to understand some of the challenges they have encountered in the process of college admission.
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College admission process as introduced in the literature review clearly showed us that there are differences between Taiwan and France. While Taiwan offers a multi-channel admission process to students, French respondents on the contrary only have one process to enroll in higher education which is: to take the French Baccalaureate and to undergo the APB process. This section aims to investigate the college admission process further through the lens of university students. In this part of the surveys, respondents were asked questions on the requirements they were requested after undergoing the Baccalaureate examination. In the case of French respondents; how respondents value the importance of different factors in gaining admittance in higher education, what are the factors which have influenced their choice of university, and what are the most complicated part of college admission process.
As French universities are open to all students owning the baccalaureate, few requirements are requested apart from the Baccalaureate diploma. French public universities are required to offer the same opportunity to all students as long as they own the Baccalaureate. However, while some degree courses are open to all students (social sciences, arts and literature, geography and so on); some degree courses are usually only open to students who own a scientific Baccalaureate and on some rare occasions, some degree courses in arts are also only open to students who own a literature Baccalaureate due to limited resources. As an example, we can find the degree in foreign languages (English and Korean) in The University of La Rochelle which only welcomes thirty new students every year (students from the academic sector of Poitiers have the priority). To get a deeper understanding of requirements that French students might have to provide after the obtaining of the Baccalaureate, the researcher decided to devote a question to the French respondents. Below is a figure showing the requirements that French respondents had provided while applying to universities.
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Figure 4.3 Requirements and prerequisites in higher education enrollment in France (apart from the Baccalaureate diploma).
According to the figure above, 67 out of 140 respondents did not have to provide any other requirements to enroll in university, which totals 47.9%. Motivation letters, known as one of the requirements of the APB process for some courses (selective and non-selective), represents 94.5% for the rest of the respondents (69 respondents for 73 if we subtract the 67 respondents who did not have to provide any requirements from the total of 140), this includes 21 respondents from University Technology Institute (95,5% of them).
40 students claimed to have provided a portfolio or a resume (with 19 from IUT), and only 11 claimed to have been to an interview with the college they applied to (4 respondents from the IUT). Additional tests and recommendation letters seem to be less required as only six students had to provide those. In sum, most of the respondents did not have to provide anything while the rest had to provide a motivation letter. Portfolios and Motivation letters seem to be requirements when it comes to students applying to
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Nothing Portfolio/Resume Motivation Letter Recommandation Letter Additionnal Test Interviews
Requirements and prerequisites in higher education enrollment in France
iut University (including iut)
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University Technology Institute. The interview conducted in this study with an IUT’s student will, later on, support this theory.
With a multi-channel admission process, Taiwanese students can apply to university through three different processes. Personal application and the Stars program are available to all students who took the GSAT, and the separate examination and placement process depends on students’ participation in the AST. As seen in the first section, we already have a clear image of respondents’ distribution through the two examinations, (Figure 4.2) the figure below shows the processes that respondents had successfully undergone according to the university they were currently enrolled in. It is important to keep in mind that some students might have been through the personal application without getting admittance to the college of their choice.
With a multi-channel admission process, Taiwanese students can apply to university through three different processes. Personal application and the Stars program are available to all students who took the GSAT, and the separate examination and placement process depends on students’ participation in the AST. As seen in the first section, we already have a clear image of respondents’ distribution through the two examinations, (Figure 4.2) the figure below shows the processes that respondents had successfully undergone according to the university they were currently enrolled in. It is important to keep in mind that some students might have been through the personal application without getting admittance to the college of their choice.