Sustaining Students’ Quality Learning Environment by Reviewing Factors to Graduate-on-Time: A case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v8i24.4649Keywords:
Postgraduate Students, Graduate-on-Time, Quality Learning Environment, Influencing FactorsAbstract
Research reveals that several factors affect the quality of learning environments. Therefore, this study investigated significant factors that affect postgraduate students’ learning environment with regard to graduate on time (GOT). The study was conducted in a private Malaysian university involving 50 PhD students. Data were collected via tests, a questionnaire, and focus-group interviews. The findings revealed that critical reading skills and supervisory factors were significant factors affecting students’ ability to GOT. This implies that universities should integrate early intervention training programs to hone students’ critical literacy skills and provide effective supervisory practices for a sustainable quality postgraduate learning environment.
References
Abunamous, M.O., Boudouaia, A., Jebril, M., Diafi, S. & Zreik, M. (2022). The decay of traditional education: A case study under COVID-19. Cogent Educ., 9, 2082116.
Braten, I. & Braasch, J.L. (2017). Key issues in research on students’ critical reading and learning in the 21st century information society: Improving reading and reading engagement in the 21st century. In Improving Reading and Reading Engagement in the 21st Century. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-4331-4_4
Carroll, D., Ng, E. & Birch, D. (2009). Retention and progression of postgraduate business students: an Australian perspective. Open Journal: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 24(3), 197 – 209.
Dhanapala, R.M. (2021). The Effect of Learning Environment on Academic Performance From Students’ Perspective. Global Scientific Journal, 9 (3). Online: ISSN 2320-9186 www.globalscientificjournal.co.
Du, R., Shamida, A., & Kaur Sidhu, G. (2022). Using the PAH in Teaching Reading to Sustain the Quality of EFL Students’ Life. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 7(22), 33-38. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i22.4145
Jeyaraj, J. J. (2018). It’s a jungle out there: challenges in postgraduate research writing. GEMA Online @ Journal of Language Studies, 18(1), 22- 37. Retrieved May 19, 2018, from http://doi. org/10.17576/gema-2018-1801-02.
Izzah Ismail & Rohani Othman (2020). A Review of Literature on the English Language entry requirement for international students into postgraduate programs in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Journal of critical reviews, 7, (11), 543- 549.
Kaur, S., & Sidhu, G.K., & Hoon, T.S., & Jamian, L.S., (2017). Student Readiness for Postgraduate Study in Terms of Research and Conceptual Skills: Perspectives from Supervisors. Advanced Science Letters, 23, 3255-3258.
Le,H.V., Chong S.L. & Wan, R. (2022). Critical Reading in Higher Education: A systematic review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 44 (6), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101028
Lim, P.C., Gurnam, K.S., Chan, Y.F., Lee, L.F. & Leele Susan Jamian. (2016). Assessing Writing Skills of Postgraduate Students: Perspectives of Supervisors and Supervisees. In Siew Fun Tang Loshinikarasi Logonnathan (eds) Assessment for Learning Within and Beyond the Classroom, 31-41.
Ministry of Education, (2015). Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (2015-2025). Ministry of Education, Malaysia: Putrajaya.
Meikeng, Y. (2017, September 3). Mustering up a Master’s. The Star Online. Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/03/mustering-up-a-masters-nineout-of-10-companies-globally-want-to-hire-amasters-degree-graduate-acco/
Mustapha, A., Mamman, B., Isa, A., Kolo, M., Abuhassna, H., Yahaya, N. & Megat Zakaria, M. A. Z. (2023). Students' Motivation and Effective Use of Self-regulated Learning on Learning Management System Moodle Environment in Higher Learning Institution in Nigeria. International Journal of Information and Education Technology. 13. 195-202. 10.18178/ijiet.2023.13.1.1796.
Muthukrishnan, P., Sidhu, G. K., Hoon, T. S., Narayanan, G., & Fook, C. Y., (2022). Key Factors Influencing Graduation on Time Among Postgraduate Students: A PLSSEM Approach. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 18(1), 51-64.
Rumlich, D. (2022). Exploring the importance of prior knowledge and verbal cognitive abilities for foreign language learning. Cognition and Second Language Acquisition: Studies on pre-school, primary school and secondary school children, 4, 219.
Sancar-Tokmak, H., & Dogusoy, B. (2020). Novices’ instructional design problem-solving processes: Second Life as a problem-based learning environment. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-14.
Shamida, A., Sidhu, G.K. & Sofwah M. N. (2021). Postgraduate Students’ Perceived and Actual Performance in Critical Reading Skill. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 17(3), 76-84.
Sidhu, G. K., Md Nawi, S., Ramakrishnan, K., & Du, R. (2022). Developing PG Students’ Learner Autonomy through the PAH-Continuum: A Case Study. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 7(21), 121-127. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i21.3722
Sidhu, G.K., Kaur, S., Choo, L.P., Fook, C.Y., Fong, L.L., & Jeffry, N.A., (2017). Students’ Perspectives on Postgraduate Supervisory Practices. Advanced Science Letters, 23(4), 3229-3232.
Sidhu, G.K., Kaur, S., Chan, Y.F., Lim, P.C., Lee, L.F., & Leele S.J., (2016). Exploring Supervisors’ Perspective to Enhance Postgraduate Supervision. (Eds), 7th International Conference on Learning and Teaching (InCULT 2014) Proceedings: Educate to Innovate. Springer-indexed, 169-182.
Styger, A., Van Vuuren, G. W., & Heymans, A. (2015). Case study of postgraduate student dropout rate at South African universities. International Business & Economics Research Journal, 14(1), 1 – 14.
Su, J. (2022). The Influence of Learning Environment and Learning Pressure on the Student Development of University—Based on the Mediating Role of Learning Orientation and Engagement. [Doctoral thesis, International College of National Institute of Development Administration]. https://repository.nida.ac.th/bitstream/handle/662723737/6199/6212032025.pdf?sequence=1
Ryan, Y., & Zuber-Skerritt, O. (2017). Quality in postgraduate education. London, England: Kogan Page.
Teoh, S.H., Narayanan, G. & Sidhu, G.K. (2019). Motivation to Graduate on Time: A Case Study in Malaysia. Pertanika, Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities. 27 (4): 2417 - 2439 (2019).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Gurnam Kaur Sidhu, Sathiamoorthy Kannan, Arieff Shamida, Ruofei Du

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.