The Conditions that Enhance the Success of Students in College - Literature review Example

? Factors that affect achievement on BTEC level 3 extended diploma in sport s: Literature review andState: Date: Introduction, Overview and Context Developing the conditions that enhance the success of students in college and vocational training institutions is becoming more and more important. The post-secondary school education required among these learners is meant to help them to lead economically independent lives, as well as counter the complexities of the political and social issues they will encounter. The attainment of a baccalaureate degree offers the learner a competitive advantage above their counterparts (Pennington, 2004). This is because college graduates will, on average, make a million or more – throughout their working lives – above their non-graduate counterparts that went to the high school level. The bad news in the way of student achievement, which affects the success of BTEC level 3 courses, include that enrolment and persistence levels among learners from low-earning communities remains lower. The groups affected include those from different backgrounds, including native and non-natives. The case is more severe for those suffering from disabilities. The other issue is that the preparation offered at high school is not sufficient, and in pace with the interests of those attending college, therefore, this affects their performance levels at the BTEC level 3 course. This report will explore the wide array of critical issues that affect student achievement at the BTEC level 3 sports course. Factors that lead to low college achievement The situation of being disadvantaged is believed to be the leading cause of low college achievement (Sylva et al., 2004). Such disadvantage is mostly associated with poverty, which makes it difficult for the students to access basic resources such as proper housing, diet and health. In connection with this is unfavourable home learning environment, including the inability of parents in supporting their children in achieving their educational goals (Sylva et al., 2004). The home learning environment is connected to other factors such as parental educational levels, social class as well as what parental involvement in children’s affairs. Educational performance is also associated with cognitive factors, where children of professional parents are found be affected by cognitive deficit than their counterparts from non-professional backgrounds (Feinstein, 2003; Melhuish et al., 2001). Also, children from poor socio-economic status have problems in developing good language skills, which affect their comprehension and learning as well as numeracy and acquisition when they join BETC level 3. Children from poor backgrounds also tend to interact less with their parents, hence they end up receiving little or no parental support, a situation that also hinder their educational achievements when attending their BETEC level 3 (Clegg and Ginsborg, 2006). Gender Low achievement in education has put many students at a disadvantaged position. However, it is important to note that different groups in the population react in a different way depending on their circumstances. OECD studies have shown that, in England, girls outperform boys (Sylva et al., 2004). Elsewhere, Machin and McNally (2005) argue that gender gap has really affected education in the UK, even though the general achievement for both gender has improved. The gender aspect reveals that low academic achievement as a result of low being disadvantaged is very inconsistent, for example because girls from the same family are known to perform differently (Sinclair, 2007). A study published by UNICEF concerning children welfare in rich countries reported the UK at the last ranking out of 21 countries, hence attracting a lot of attention. Some of the factors that led to the poor ranking including the adolescent behaviour which in turn is attributable to background factors such as poor parenting. Margo and Dixon (2006) notes that an inconsistent number of those that becoming teenage parents, engage in unsociable acts, and taking drugs and alcohol come from lower socio-economic groups(Margo and Dixon, 2006). However, disadvantage is not always associated with low achievement. This raises the question why disadvantaged boys perform poorer than girls. Evans (2006) has explained that cultural features of white working class play a role in this. Interestingly, there seems to be habits of working-class children refusing to perform better than their parents, hence departing from their class. Goldthorpe and Jackson (2006) argue that working-class children further their education because they can be able to meet costs and risks associated with higher education. The culture that is opposed to education is reported to mostly affect white and Afro-Caribbean boys. Evans (2006) reports that young people from these cultures refuse to work hard because if they work hard in school they can get trouble from their mates. There are many questions why children from these cultures harbour such attitudes, and why boys are affected more than their female counterparts. Psychological perspectives Bean and Eaton (2000) employed the attitude-behaviour model to explain the significance of student characteristics to course achievement. They made a proposition that personality characteristics, including self-efficacy help the student to persist and persevere when they counter social and academic challenges. Students with a strong self-concept are usually more confident regarding their potential to succeed, while those that are not as confident will find it easier to give up when faced by adverse circumstances. In the same manner, students that are guided by an internal locus are more likely to work their way around any situation, while those that rely on the external environment for guidance will find it easier to retreat to fate, especially after countering tough situations. Further, the learners that are open and flexible to change are more likely to use challenges as sources of learning and to take advantage of situations that expose them to skills-improvement opportunities (Dweck, 2000, p. 26). Sports and educational achievement Researchers such as Sallis and McKenzie (1991) have agreed that the participation in physical education, by adolescents, is largely influenced by positive learning experiences. Research studies have also disclosed that girls are increasingly ending their participation in physical activities at the high school level (Jaffee and Ricker, 1993). The level of girls’ participation in physical activities is influenced by factors such as self-esteem, level of enjoyment, the time of engaging in learning, perceived athletic competence, and the health benefits gained by taking part in the physical activities (Jaffee & Manzer, 1992). Ideally, it is known that as students approach their adolescent age, they become less physically active. This problem has been cited as the major determining factor in the attitude of students before they enter the adolescent age and after they are past the adolescent age (Jaffee & Manzer, 1992). The results as presented by Hannon and Ratliffe (2005) shown that the percentage of girls who are active in physical exercises decreased from 31% in the 9th grade to 17% in the 12th grade. Similarly, Treanor, et al. (1998) found that males have a relatively high level of participation in physical education in all the three middle school grades. To add to this, Felton et al. (2005) found that 45% of the 12th grade girls and 67% of the 9th grade girls were found to take part in an energetic physical activity - about 20 minutes for at least three days per week. Problems faced by international students Studying in a foreign university is similar to studying in a new environment and has its own kind of challenges. It has been a problem in most universities across the world with those in United Kingdom being no exception. Notably, the first year for many international students is the hardest. This is because they have to not only adjust to a new educational system, but also new ways of living. According to Yoon and Portman (2004), adjustment issues facing students determines their academic success in the UK. The review of previous literatures identified five key issues including new learning styles, language barriers, lack of supportive environment, quality of supervision and cultural backgrounds as the main issues influencing international student’s adjustments (Devos, 2003). The research identified language barrier as one of the issues of major concern to international students. Both written and spoken English challenges students particularly from non-English speaking backgrounds. Inadequate or lack of English skills adversely affects international students’ social life and academic performance (Gay, 2001). This is attributed to difficulties in articulating their knowledge in research papers usually written in English and also by limiting them from freely interacting with others due to fear of making mistakes. Another notable issue that deters international students from adjusting to British educational system is the learning style that is different from ones used in their home countries (Hughes & Wisker, 1998). In Asia, a teacher transmits knowledge to students unlike in the UK where the system encourage engaging in discussions groups hence making the students more independent (Knight, 2006). According to Swisher and Schoorman (2001), international students face several challenges when conducting research that requires initiative and critical thinking. Quality of supevvision is also an important aspect for international students. Volet & Renshaw (1995) observed that the quality of supervision determines whether the student adjusts with ease to the new education system. Undoubtedly, international students require more attention and guide from supervisors because it takes them more time to adjust to the new high education system (Turner, 2006). Lack of effective communication pose a great challenge in building a cordial student-supervisor relationship. Lack of supportive environment is also a problem faced by international students. Supportive environment includes facilities availed by the universities including research resources, accommodation facilities, IT services, support from university staff and peers (Volet & Ang, 1998). Lack of sufficient support causes frustrations hence affecting students from adapting to the new high education system. Other supportive services for international students include networking, counseling and social events that also help students to identify with UK system of education. According to Ward, Bochner and Furnham (2008), students learning styles are predetermined by the culture. Therefore, cultural diversity impacts on international students when in a different cultural background. Cultural differences impact on language, learning and understanding. In this vein, international students understand English concepts differently based on their cultural backgrounds (Atri, Sharma & Cottrell, 2007). According to Constantine et al. (2005), the writing styles differ from culture to culture and exposure to British culture that is not familiar with many international students challenges their adaptation. Race and ethnicity There are large major differences at the different levels of education, for whites and black people, as well as other immigrant groups like the Latinos and Asians. The major areas influencing the engagement and membership in these sports-related courses include readiness to join college, especially between the years between 1990 and 2000. Studies on the UK higher education results have revealed that white students to attain first or second class degrees than other students who are categorised as black, Asian, Chinese, or mixed. The discrepancies in academic achievement between black and Asian students dissipated when socioeconomic status was taken into consideration. However, even after make changes for up to seven puzzling variables, students from all the minority ethnic groups performed poorer than the white students (Broecke and Nicholls, 2007; Fielding et al., 2008). The UK’s Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 requires national health services, Universities and other public authorities to monitor progress and admission of students as well as staff recruitment and career progress by ethnic group with the aim of addressing the problem of inequalities (Department of Health, 2004). Conclusion Exploring the conditions that determine the success of students at vocational and college education levels is becoming more important, because it helps increase the understanding of the determinants of education attainment and its patterns. Post-secondary education helps learners to become independent members of society, as well as capable of dealing with the complexities of political and social issues. The BTEC level 3 courses cover learner exposure to fitness and training among other studies related to university entry or securing employment. The framework for student achievement covers the motivations and the costs borne during the term for education and the outcomes expected after completion. Different perspectives explain the achievement levels of different learners. These perspectives include the sociological, psychological, cultural and economic perspective. The foundations of student achievement include student characteristics, gender and socioeconomic status, academic intensity at high school and family background. Reference List Atri, A., Sharma, M. And Cottrell R., 2007. Role of social support, hardiness, and acculturation as predictors of mental health among international students of Asian Indian origin. 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