Impact of Establishment of HCT in the Western Region - Case Study Example

Impact of Establishment of HCT in the Western Region Table of Contents Final Questionnaire 3 Analysis of Results 12 References 16 Final Questionnaire 1. Dear Research Participant Thank you for volunteering to complete this very important questionnaire. Results of the study will be used to understand the Impact of Establishment of HCT in the Western Region in the United Arab Emirates and will be used in my Bachelor thesis at the Higher Colleges of Technology. This survey is voluntary and confidential (you can stop at any point) so please do not answer with any form of your personal identification. Thank you very much for your cooperation. I Agree to participate I do not agree to participate Please show your decision by ticking to continue 1. Write the institution where you completed, your highest qualification and in which year? Name of Institution ……………………………………………………………. Year Graduated ……………………………………………………………. Qualification ……………………………………………………………. If other (please specify) …………………………………………………………………………… 2. What is your gender? Female Male 3. What is your age? Younger than 18 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 or older 4. What is your marital status? Married Widowed Divorced Separated Widower Single 5. How best do you categorize your location? Emirate/City Proximity to my nearest city My Location is in ……………………………….. ………… Km If other (please specify) ………………………………………………………………………..... 6. What is the highest level of education your parents have completed? Primary High School University 7. What is the highest level of education your parents have completed? Did not attend school Completed Primary School Completed Secondary school Graduated from college Graduated from University Other Father Mother If other (please specify) ………………………………………………………………………..... 8. Which of the following categories best describes your employment status? Employed, working 40 or more hours per week Employed, working 1-39 hours per week Not employed, looking for work Not employed, NOT looking for work Retired Disabled, not able to work 9. How would you depict your economic status? Poor Below Average Average Above Average Affluent 10. Should high school graduates should go on to college (rather than taking on a decent job after high school) because it will inevitably give them a better job prospect? Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree 11. In your view, has getting higher education become extra important than it was 10 years ago, less valuable than it was 10 years ago or is the level of importance still the same as it was 10 years ago? 12. In your opinion, is the cost of higher education too high? 13. Did religion play an important role in your upbringing? 14. Do you believe currently, in the Western region, there is a vast majority of people who are qualified to join the HCT colleges have the chance to do so, or do you suppose that there are many people who are qualified but do not have the opportunity to do so? Explanation (if it’s possible) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 15. Do you think that the establishment of the HCT colleges in the Western region has had any impact on the culture in any way? Explanation (if it’s possible) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16. Do the students have a positive or negative attitude towards the idea of higher education or would they rather not have it at all? 17. Are the standards of the HCT colleges established in the western region similar to other regions or is it lower in your opinion? 18. Is there any evident positive change in the community that can be attributed with the establishment of the HCT colleges? 19. Did all your children attend higher education institutions? 2. Results and Findings (Kothari, 2005) Forty-five people were used for the survey. Figure 1: Chats indicating the number of both male and female graduates in HCT in the Western Region. From the graphs, it is quite evident that the number of male student graduates is higher than that of the female students’ graduates. There were 4.5% of male students in 2012 as compared to 2.5% of female graduates in the region. The figures slightly improved in the following year. Figure 2 graphical presentation of the number of male and female student graduates from the years 2012 and 2013. Gender – 72% male, 28 % female Age- 70% between the ages of 21-25, 17% between the ages of 26-34, 13% above 34 years. Is the establishment of the HCT colleges a positive thing- 80% yes 20 % no Is higher education important today than it was 10 years ago- 82% yes, 28% no. Should students seek higher education after high school rather than look for jobs- 64% yes, 36 % no. Has the establishment of the HCT colleges affected the culture of the people in the western region? - 92% yes, 8 % no. Analysis of Results The survey was conducted in the HCT College in the Western region and the area around it. The data was collected from 45 surveys. After conducting the survey, I found that higher education was important to 86% of the people surveyed. From the results of the questionnaires, it was evident that most people viewed higher education to be more important today than it was 10 years ago. People are aware of how stiff the competition is in the job market and it is not enough to simply have a high school certificate (Raby, 2009). In order for one to have any form of competitive advantage, it is therefore imperative that the students be equipped with their higher education degrees. The results of the survey made it quite evident that the middle and lower class in the community had the least opportunity to access higher education as compared to people from the higher class. This just proves that social class still play a major role when it comes to access to education. Sometimes, paying for higher education is toughest for those in the middle class, which is why most states come up with scholarships that often only targets students from the middle class and poor families who cannot afford to pay for higher education. Higher education meant better paying jobs for the student graduates, which was also a win for the families. This also played a role on the decision on whether or not to register their children in the institutions (Ally, 2009). As it would be expected, any kind of modernization is bound to have some impact on the culture of the surrounding community. However, in the end the benefits that accrue to the community make modernization a necessity as compared to sticking to traditions. For instance, the graduates have the right skills necessary to improve their standards of living and their families. Rural areas are most commonly known for agricultural activities (Shaw, 1997). If the graduates put the skills from the HCT colleges into good use, it can ensure a good productive agricultural life for their families, as they shall be more enlightened on the best ways to do certain things as compared to others. In addition, most of the residents in the UAE are Muslims who hold high value to their religion and culture. In such an instance, modernization may not be viewed to be such a good thing after all especially if it interferes with their cultures and beliefs. Furthermore, from the results, one notes that family and culture plays a major role on the decision whether one registers with the university or not. It is not exactly a personal choice that just stops at that is strictly dependant on the individual student hoping to pursue a degree. The overall culture in the society impacts on an individual’s decisions about whether or not they will continue with their education after high school or not. Most of the adults who took part in the survey were found out to have ended their education after high school. Higher education was not as important 10 years ago as it is today. Some adults may in turn use this as a basis for not requiring that their children further their education considering that they did not. However, to others, this is an opportunity for their children to get the privilege that they did not and they are eager to take advantage of such an opportunity without any kind of hesitation. Major Findings 1. Higher education equips the individuals with the necessary skills to give them competitive advantage over other people in the job market. 2. Most higher education colleges were populated with students from affluent families. 3. Higher education will likely lead to an improvement in the standard of living of the people in the community 4. Family and culture influences an individual’s decision to register for higher education. 5. Given an opportunity, most people in the rural areas would gladly pursue higher education. Recommendations It is recommended that the community be enlightened on the importance of higher education in order for more students to be registered at the HCT colleges. It is in human nature to be resistant to the idea of change, so it is understandable that people in the society will not be so open to the idea of letting their children attend the HCT colleges when over the years there has never been a need for it. People in the community need to understand exactly how beneficial higher education is in order for them to feel the need to register their children at the HCT colleges. In addition, it is also recommended that the college offer a variety of courses in order to meet the needs of the entire community as a whole. This is also important in ensuring that the community has a diverse pool of professionals. This does not only benefit the HCT colleges by increasing the number of student graduates, the community is also bound to benefit by the increased number of professionals available in the job market to perfect different job functions. Lastly, corresponding to the low-income level of most people living in the western region would be appropriate for the HCT colleges to come up with scholarships for the students who qualify but cannot completely afford to register in the college. Alternatively, the fee charged can be significantly lowered to give everyone in the community a chance to register at the college and have a chance to graduate with a degree. Conclusion In conclusion, when one looks at the broader perspective, establishment of the HCT colleges has done more harm than good to the community and students in the institution as a whole. The standards of living have significantly improved, the general economic level around the area has also improved and with more students having a higher level of education, the companies are performing much better than they did in the past (Elsner, 2008). I hope that over time, an adult program will be put in place considering that when it comes to education it is never too late. This will guarantee that the entire community is well educated. References Ally, M. (2009). Mobile learning: Transforming the delivery of education and training. Edmonton: AU Press. Di, G. E. (2010). Putting higher education to work: Skills and research for growth in East Asia. Washington, D.C: World Bank. Elsner, P. A., Boggs, G. R., & Irwin, J. T. (2008).Global development of community colleges, technical colleges, and further education programs. Washington, DC: Community College Press. Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research methodology: Methods & techniques. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd. Raby, R. L., & Valeau, E. J. (2009).Community college models: Globalization and higher education reform. Dordrecht: Springer. Shaw, K. E. (1997). Higher education in the Gulf: Problems and prospects. Exeter: Univ. of Exeter Press. Read More