Date of Award

Summer 8-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Meghan E. Cosier

Second Advisor

Dr. Ryan M. Allen

Third Advisor

Dr. Jillian Wood

Abstract

Conventional language learning theory, which holds that learning outcomes are solely associated with learners’ competencies, has begun to be disputed in the dynamic learning environment. This study used English learners’ academic characteristics from the 2014 cohort in a private university in Shanghai, China, to explore the relationship between language learners’ academic characteristics and their learning outcomes in a national standardized English examination. Via the collection of extant data, 3,580 cases were included for logistic and multiple regression analysis. Results showed factors associated with English learning are the NCEE English score, the number of tests taken by students, provincial origin, gender, and major. These indicators all affected the odds of students’ passing the CET-4, as well as the highest scores they could receive. However, studies lent some support to indirect effect between English academic performance and some demographic factors. These findings suggest future Chinese researchers could focus on multidimensional measures to better describe the characteristics of students from the private sector, research designs that reveal more complex contexts and potential comparative studies, and further integration of interdisciplinary research.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.