The Comparative Academic Performance of International Students in Australia

Abstract

International students do just as well as Australian students. This is the key finding from a study of the academic performance of 338,000 full-time students at 22 Australian uni- versities in 2003. The results of the study are important to international education professionals globally at a time when there have been allegations that Australian universities were dropping stan- dards to favor foreign students. The Sydney Morning Herald claimed in June 2005 to have found evidence of quality falling at universities to cater to international students with poor English seeking degrees so as to be accepted for migration. The research proved these allegations to be untrue. Australian students passed 89.4 percent of courses attempted, international students 88.8 percent. The results suggest that in their recruitment of international students Australian universities set their standards at about the right level.

Reframing ‘the problem’: students from low socio-economic status backgrounds transitioning to university

“…On the other hand, they display high levels of understanding, especially in science and mathematics. Literature indicates that Chinese learners are capable of a 'deep' approach to learning, and often out-perform Western students in areas like science and mathematics (Watkins and Biggs, 2001;Turner, 2006;Olsen and Burgess, 2006). According to a largescale study of 22 Australian universities conducted in 2006, involving a range of disciplines, there are no overall performance differentials between international students and their local counterparts (Olsen and Burgess, 2006).…”

Taylor’s 7th Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Proceedings

“…Student progress rate is defi ned as the ratio of subjects passed to subjects attempted (Olsen et al 2006 ). Student progress rate is defi ned as the ratio of subjects passed to subjects attempted (Olsen et al 2006 ).…”

“…Studies on gender differences in academic performance in the fi eld of science and engineering have been carried out by many researchers. Olsen et al ( 2006 ) used student progress rate (SPR) as a key performance indicator to measure academic performance in the Australian universities, while the cumulative grade point average is used to measure the academic performance of students by , Oladeji and Sangotayo ( 2011 ) and others. He analysed student academic performance by comparing course work scores between the two genders using assignments, projects, exams and class participation.…”

“…Chong and Mokhtar ( 2013 ) investigated learning experience from international students at two private institutions in Malaysia. and Nasir ( 2012 ) measured academic performance of students in terms of cumulative grade point average (CGPA), while Olsen et al ( 2006 ) used student progress rate (SPR) as a key performance indicator in the Australian university system. The international students found it diffi cult to adjust their learning in English.…”

The legislative requirements for measuring quality in transnational education: Understanding divergence while maintaining standards

“…Nonetheless, an emphasis on quality, both in the delivery of education and graduate outcomes, has remained a consistent theme in reviews and policy documents both in Australia and internationally (Ilieva & Peak, ). The quality of Australian Higher Education has been evidenced in part by sustained comparability in performance of domestic and international students in Australia and consistent positioning of universities in a range of international rankings (Dobson, Sharma, & Calderon, ; Olsen, Burgess, & Sharma, ). While the student experience and graduate outcomes for international students have been difficult to measure, they are identified as increasingly important indicators of success and quality in the provision of international education (Blackmore et al, ; de Wit, Hunter, Howard, & Egron‐Polak, ; Ennew, ; Mazzolini, ; Perring, ).…”