International Students’ Levels of English Language Proficiency and Academic Achievement at One U.S. Historically Black University: a Snapshot
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in international graduate students’ academic achievement based on their levels of language proficiency at one historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the southern region of the United States. Language proficiency for this study was measured by the students’ Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores, or English Language Services (ELS) Level 112 Certificate of Completion. Academic performance was measured by international graduate students’ grade point average (GPA). The participants for this study included international graduate students at one Historically Black University from non-English speaking backgrounds that were enrolled for various programs in Fall 2015 and continued until Fall 2017. The study utilized a non-experimental ex post facto research design, to determine if there was a difference in the level of English language proficiency and academic achievement of international graduate students by their native country. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were any significant differences in international graduate students’ GPAs by nationality and by gender after two years. The findings of this study indicate that there were no statistically significant differences found in the academic achievement of international graduate students by gender, nationality, and level of study. Both masters and doctoral students’ GPAs increased after a minimum of two years from 2015 to 2017 irrespective of their gender and nationality. Due to the lack of inconsistent data, it was difficult to determine the differences in the levels of language proficiency and academic achievement. Some recommendations include replicating this study to include a larger sample and possibly other historically Black colleges and universities.
Subject Area
Education|Language arts|Higher education
Recommended Citation
Biale Zua,
"International Students’ Levels of English Language Proficiency and Academic Achievement at One U.S. Historically Black University: a Snapshot"
(2019).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI27546964.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI27546964