edward lim's dissertation

STUDENT No 14045595

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilmentof the requirements of the

BA (HONS) International Hospitality and Tourism Management

of Northumbria University

NAME Edward LIM Shao Liang

DEGREE BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management

SUPERVISOR Mr Loi Hai Poh

TITLE Factors influencing the decisions of polytechnic students to study overseas

DATE 1st August, 2016

NX0314 Edward Lim Shao Liang W14045595

I declare the following:-

(1) that the material contained in this dissertation is the end result of my own work and that due acknowledgement has been given in the bibliography and references to ALL sources be they printed, electronic or personal.

(2) the Word Count of this Dissertation is 9344.

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DATE: ................................................................

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Specimen Abstract

NAME Edward LIM Shao Liang

DEGREE BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management

SUPERVISOR Mr Loi Hai Poh

TITLE Factors influencing the decisions of polytechnic students to study overseas

DATE 1st August, 2016

CAMPUS SINGAPORE

KEYWORDS FACTORS-INFLUENCES-POLYTECHNIC-SINGAPORE-EDUCATION-TOURISM

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AbstractThe Singaporean education system has been going through a major upheaval in the

past years, from an over-emphasis on grades to a more aptitude-based approach with

holistic learning. Students will usually remain in Singapore for their primary and

secondary education. Afterwards, they will split up into four areas of education: Junior

Colleges, Millennial Institute, Institute of Technical Education, and the main subject of

study, Polytechnics. Upon completion of these areas, students would then proceed to

the degree education, but recent trends have shown a great outflow of students from

the Singaporean education market. This is known as education tourism.

This report explores education tourism in Singapore, specifically on the motivational

factors influencing polytechnic students’ decision to study overseas. As expectations of

universities for both parents and youths in Singapore are high, due to it being a

meritocratic society, this paper aims to define and address the various dimensions that

influences the selection of a foreign university. The study observes the factors behind

foreign university selection through demographic variables such as educational

discipline and income while exploring the expectations and demands for universities.

Academics have shown many perspectives to the factors which influence polytechnic

students. However, that is only the case for countries other than Singapore. Thus, this

study will investigate how those same factors actually influence polytechnic students.

The findings and analysis conducted on the collected data have provided conclusions

and insights into how polytechnic students view overseas tertiary education and also

allowed the understanding of the factors influencing their decision to study overseas.

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AcknowledgementsIt is indeed a very happy moment for a young student like myself from Singapore to

undertake the path to achieving a bachelor’s degree at a prestigious academic

institution like Northumbria University. This is possible because of the constant support

and superior academic and research guidance of my advisor Mr Loi Hai Poh. I am also

indebted to him for constantly setting aside his precious time throughout his busy

schedule to meet me for this research work.

I wish to mention the names of few friends, Joey Ching, Joanna Tan, and Leow Yi Qian

for their extensive help during the survey. I also wish to thank the students of the

various polytechnics who agreed to participate in my research survey.

Last but not least, I thank my beloved family members, for their love and patience as I

undertook this degree programme.

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ContentsSpecimen Abstract........................................................................................................................................ i

Abstract....................................................................................................................................................... ii

Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................... iii

Chapter 1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................1

1.1. Background..................................................................................................................................1

1.1.1. Definition.............................................................................................................................1

1.1.2. Singapore and its International Education...........................................................................2

1.1.3. Polytechnics.........................................................................................................................2

1.2. Empirical Area..............................................................................................................................3

1.3. Research Question & Objectives..................................................................................................3

1.4. Scope of Research........................................................................................................................4

1.5. Structure of Dissertation..............................................................................................................4

Chapter 2. Literature Review......................................................................................................................5

2.1 University Capacity......................................................................................................................5

2.2 Perceived Prestige of Foreign Education.....................................................................................6

2.3 Affordability.................................................................................................................................6

2.4 Overseas Exposure.......................................................................................................................7

2.5 Availabity of Local Courses..........................................................................................................7

2.6 Family Influence...........................................................................................................................8

2.7 Conceptual Framework.............................................................................................................10

Chapter 3. Methodology...........................................................................................................................11

3.1 Research Purpose......................................................................................................................11

3.2 Research Approach....................................................................................................................11

3.3 Type of Data...............................................................................................................................12

3.4 Data Collection Method.............................................................................................................12

3.5 Questions used in Survey...........................................................................................................14

3.6 Sampling & Data Access.............................................................................................................14

3.7 Ethical & Data Protection Issues................................................................................................15

3.8 Proposed Data Analysis Methods..............................................................................................15

3.9 Limitations.................................................................................................................................15

Chapter 4. Findings & Analysis.................................................................................................................16

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4.1 Frequencies...............................................................................................................................16

4.2 Cross-Tabulation........................................................................................................................16

4.3 Profile of Respondents...........................................................................................................18

4.3.1 School....................................................................................................................................18

4.3.2 Student Disciplines...............................................................................................................19

4.3.3 Travel Frequency..................................................................................................................20

4.3.4 Summary of Factors in Choosing Education Institutions...............................................21

4.3.5 Likelihood of Studying Overseas.......................................................................................25

4.3.6 Rationale for Studying Overseas......................................................................................26

4.3.7 Choice of Destination for Studying Overseas..................................................................26

4.3.8 Rationale for not Studying Overseas................................................................................27

4.4 Analysis....................................................................................................................................28

4.4.1 Hypothesis 1........................................................................................................................28

4.4.2 Hypothesis 2........................................................................................................................31

4.4.3 Hypothesis 3........................................................................................................................33

4.4.4 Hypothesis 4........................................................................................................................35

4.4.5 Hypothesis 5........................................................................................................................37

4.4.6 Hypothesis 6........................................................................................................................40

4.5 Summary..................................................................................................................................42

Chapter 5. Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................................43

5.1 Research Objectives...............................................................................................................43

5.1.1 Research Objective 1.........................................................................................................43



5.2 Significance of Study..............................................................................................................45

5.3 Recommendations..................................................................................................................45

5.3.1 Establish more quality private educational institutions...................................................45

5.3.2 Local universities allocate more space for polytechnic students..................................46

5.4 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................46

References.................................................................................................................................................47

Appendices................................................................................................................................................56

Questionaire..........................................................................................................................................56

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Chapter 1. IntroductionThe youth and student travel market has piqued the curiosity of many tourism

researchers. For instance, Bywater (1993) was certain that it is a multi-million dollar

business, and investigated how the Federation of International Youth Travel

Organizations and the International Student Travel Confederation, major suppliers of

this business, competed with the rest of the travel and tourism industry. Seekings

(1998) argued that there is an extreme lack of reliability in the information provided

which hinders effective marketing. In tourism research, demographic variables are

perceived to be adequate for market segmentation. However, this should not be the

case, especially in the context of Singapore, as the youth markets are highly-

segregated due to the different educational institutes available after secondary (middle)

school.

Bizirgianni & Dionysopoulou (2013) reported on findings from the World Tourism

Organization, stating that countries generally do not recognise and respect the

significance of student travel between countries. In recent events, governments across

the world has recently begun to appreciate their importance, due to the various impacts

that mass student travel has brought about. As a result, the local tourism organizations

and associations are beginning to be more participative in developing their youth travel

market through introducing new policies, products and marketing campaigns. However,

education tourism is not formally recognised as a niche market of travel industry.

1.1. Background1.1.1.Definition

Tourism, according to the World Tourism Organization (2008), is defined as ‘the

activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment

for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.’

According to Ankomah & Larson (2000), the term education tourism or edu-tourism

refers to any "program in which participants travel to a location as a group with the

primary purpose of engaging in a learning experience directly related to the location"

(Rodger, 1998, p. 28). Education tourism can be further broken down into several

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subsets, such as: ecotourism, heritage tourism, rural/farm tourism, and student

exchanges between educational institutions (Most common for the case of Singapore).

Traveling for educational purposes is nothing new, as it has been covered in tourism

research by a decent volume of researchers, who believed that its significance and

implications for the tourism and education market to increase substantially (Gibson,

1998; Holdnak & Holland, 1996; Kalinowski & Weiler, 1992).

1.1.2.Singapore and its International EducationThe post-war period witnessed Singapore joining the first age of education tourism,

where large numbers of students move between countries for their tertiary education.

Sanderson (2002) came up with three reasons. One reason for this was that tertiary

sectors in many emerging nations like Singapore did during that period of time did not

have the latest technical expertise which was eagerly sought after in ithe industrial age.

The second reason is that the number of tertiary places available to local students are

limited, even til today. The third reason involves the political motives of other countries,

who were keen to have political stability in the region due to the communist presence at

the time.

1.1.3.PolytechnicsA polytechnic education is able to offer a variety of courses in different fields such as

engineering, business studies, applied sciences, media studies and more. The

polytechnics prepare students for the different careers and industry in the future. Should

polytechnic graduates wish to continue their studys into the tertiary sector, they will

have to be apply to the universities, and qualify based on their diploma qualifications

and co-curricular activities records. There are currently five polytechnics in Singapore:

Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore

Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic (Joint Polytechnic, 2016).

Not only will the students provide academic knowledge on the specific courses, the

Polytechnics also emphasize on certain critical life skills as well as problem-solving

skills. They also provide a strong emphasis on practice-based learning such as having

work attachments with certain industry partners.

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In order to have an enriching and fulfilling time in the Polytechnics, students are also

provided with more than 100 student programmes and activities through Co-Curriculum

Activities (CCA).

1.2. Empirical AreaUp til now, consumer research on outbound Singaporean travellers has been from a

broad perspective. As of 2015, the estimated total population size of Singapore is 5.5

Million. Of this size, 3.9 Million are local residents, of which approximately 242 thousand

are in the Polytechnic age group of 18-20 (Singstat, 2015). It is known that 45 percent of

students enter polytechnics. Among these residents aged 15 years and over in

Singapore, 50 percent made at least 1 trip overseas. Yet among both males and

females, relatively fewer youths aged 15-19 years travelled overseas. This is possibly

due to study priorities and limited budgets.

1.3. Research Question & ObjectivesDespite the smaller numbers, it is still important to investigate and understand this

demographic group. For instance, many groups of these polytechnic students travel

overseas as ambassadors of the polytechnics. Also, many of the students have

travelled overseas to study at a foreign university for various reasons. However,

research is lagging behind the true motivations of travel for this particular group of

people. Through better understanding of the psychological mindset behind their

reasons/refusals for travel, it will better allow the foreign schools and surrounding

amenities to better design courses to attract such students.

With regard to this, the research problem can be formulated as:

Education Tourism in Singapore – Motivational Factors influencing polytechnic students’ decision to study overseas

There are three objectives in this study:

To identify and analyze the main factors influencing polytechnic students’

decision to study overseas

To identify which countries are the most popular destination for pursuing further

education

To determine the implications for education in Singapore

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1.4. Scope of ResearchThe survey will be limited to 3rd year polytechnic students only.

1.5. Structure of DissertationThis dissertation will be segregated into five chapters

Chapter 1 will cover the motivation behind the research problem, and the objectives this

dissertation wishes to fulfil.

Chapter 2 will then look into the various literature reviews and theories covered by past

researchers on relevant topics in order to gain a better insight into the issue of

educational tourism in Singapore and some of the possible motivational factors for

students. A conceptual framework will be present at the end of the chapter summarising

the factors and implications.

Chapter 3 will discuss the methodology, which discusses the type of data and approach

taken to research on the topic, as well as evaluate on the research methods which will

be used.

Chapter 4 will be the most content-heavy, as it will contain discussions on the results of

the findings, focusing on the main reasons why polytechnic students choose to study

overseas as well as their preferred choice of destination.

Chapter 5 is the final chapter. It provides a conclusion based around the main objective

of this dissertation, and provides recommendations for areas of future research.

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Chapter 2. Literature ReviewIn order to understand the student’s perspective and insight to studying overseas, more

research would have to be done. A lack of understanding will cause universities to

attract much lower rates of foreign students, which leads to a less diversified experience

in general. With the tourism industry being a huge, it is difficult to understand all of the

areas as a general researcher, especially in terms of education tourism, where there is

such a huge variety of factors which can actually influence the student’s decision to

study overseas.

2.1 University CapacityTertiary capacity has been a widely researched topic (Kritz, 2015; Streefland, 1977).

Research by Vincent-Lancrin (2004) has shown that Singapore; Malaysia and Hong

Kong China are the main receivers of cross-border education, with student numbers

exceeding 1.8 million in 2002. Singapore’s popularity as an education destination is

influenced by the government’s focus on the development of the tertiary education

sector, due to analytic forecasts that the global demand for international higher

education will exceed seven million students by 2025 (Yeo, 2003). In 2011, NUS

Professor Dr. Loy, who gathered data from the Education Statistics Digest Online,

highlighted that the foreign undergraduate intake was at 20 percent, compared to 10

percent in 1997.

In 2015, it was recorded that there were about 31,000 applicants from the polytechnics

to enter universities, with each applicant sending requests to about two or three different

institutions. However, of this amount, only about 15,000 applicants are able to enter the

universities, with the rest having to find other options (Davie, 2015). This is due to the

strict selection requirements. For instance, the National University of Singapore, rated

as the top 13 in the annual World University Rankings, evaluated applicants based on

their pre-University Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and availability. To add on, Singapore

is rated as the second most competitive country in terms of education, according to the

2015 World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.

Hypothesis 1: Local university capacity has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

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2.2 Perceived Prestige of Foreign EducationAccording to Glover (2011), the increasing number of youths who temporarily move

away from their home country in pursuit of an overseas degree or foreign tertiary

qualification has spurred the trend of providing higher education to international

students in many countries.

Altbach (2010) conducted research on what made the United States the largest host

country in its time, concluding that many of the world’s brightest students seek

opportunities abroad because there are few “world-class” institutions, especially in

developing countries. This includes universities such as Princeton, Harvard and

Stanford university. Other groups of researchers has also come to this similar

conclusion (Goldman et. al., 2004; De Mejia, 2002).

It was highlighted by The Straits Times (2016) that Singaporean parents place a high

emphasis on the quality of teaching on offer and the reputation of the institution choice

before selecting the academic institution.

Hypothesis 2: Perceived prestige of foreign education has a significant effect on the

decision to study overseas.

2.3 Affordability‘Degrees are perceived by young people as the way they get a shot at the good life, and even the very

top, rather than just a form of imposed time-serving that permits them, at twenty-two, to do jobs their

parents did at sixteen or eighteen’ (Wolf, 2002, p. 115).

Initially, Leslie & Brinkman (1987) argued that enrollment rates are negatively

associated with tuition prices. However, Wolf (2002) conducted a study on higher

education in the UK, and concluded that more middle-class families now perceive

degrees as a neccessity for their children. As a matter of fact, this sentiment is shared

amongst Singaporean parents.

The Straits Times (2016) reported on the Value of Education survey series by global

bank HSBC, finding that Singapore parents spend an average of S$21,000 a year on

university education. The survey also found that 55 percent of Singapore parents -

compared to the global average of 49 percent - say that funding their children's

education is more important than saving for their own retirement, and 38 percent

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prioritise it over paying their mortgage or rent. To add on, 90 percent of the parents

surveyed believe that the minimum their child needs to succeed in life would be an

undergraduate degree.

Hypothesis 3: Affordability has a significant effect on the decision to study overseas.

2.4 Overseas ExposureKritz (2006), in highlighed in her report that foreign students were welcomed traditionally

because they brought cross-cultural and international diversity to universities. With

international flows of academic personnel now crisscross the globe in all directions,

bringing growing numbers of people from diverse cultures into exchange with each

other in a neutral environment focused on learning and intellectual exchange.

Polytechnics in Singapore are known to conduct overseas programmes. For instance,

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) offers the China Immersion Programme to final year

students in the Diploma of Business Administration opportunities to merge into existing

classes at Suzhou University for 17 weeks in order to gain deeper understanding about

the political, social, cultural and economic environment in China (Singapore Polytechnic,

2016). Shorter programmes include the Overseas Social Innovation Projects (3 weeks),

where students will experience the culture and lifestyle of another country while creating

innovative prototype solutions for real life problems (Chua, 2016). SP sends about

1,200 abroad per annum for OSIP.

It has been noted by the National Youth Council Singapore (2013) that 94 percent of

youths aged 15-34 have a goal of acquiring new skills and knowledge, which may be a

push factor for studying overseas for the exposure.

Hypothesis 4: Overseas exposure has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

2.5 Availabity of Local CoursesWhile most industrialised nations have universal primary and secondary education

systems, the approach to the increasingly important sector of tertiary education varies

(Rauh, Kirchner, & Kappe, 2011). Most developing nations offer very limited

opportunities for study at the master’s and doctoral levels. The lack of such

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programmes cripples the ability of the country to compete internationally (Altbach,

2010).

Majority of the local universities in Singapore only offer a standard set of undergraduate

programmes, catering mainly to the engineering and business divisions. For instance,

the three public universities in Singapore (NTU, NUS, and SMU) are all business

schools, with most of the enrolled students being business students. As a result, it is

unable to cater to a variety of other disciplines, such as retail design and even tourism &

hospitality. Even when such programmes are offered locally, they are done so through

distance learning means, though some students may still prefer going overseas to

pursue the degree (Mok, 2008).

An example of distance learning which can be potentially disruptive to education tourism

is known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses are delivered

through electronic means, teaching students using the web or tablet apps. Low startup

costs and powerful economies of scale have dramatically lowered the cost of learning

while widening access to it, as students can learn freely at their own pace and place

(The Economist, 2014).

It was said by Ng & Tan (2010) that Singapore emphasised on diversity in education,

wishing to provide “a diverse and distinctive mix of quality educational services to the

world”. That being said, it is important to note that this is mainly catered to “the world”,

and not the local students. All the world-class universities and research centres plays a

role in attracting international students as a human resource for the future. There is also

acknowledgement among the policy makers in Singapore that there is much to be

desired for the ‘Silicon Valley’ experience (Gopinathan & Lee, 2011).

Hypothesis 5: Availability of local courses has a significant effect on the decision to

study overseas.

2.6 Family InfluenceFamily influence has been extensively reported as a key push factor which has

profoundly influenced the choice of international education (Shanka et. al., 2006;

Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002; Özoğlu et. al., 2015). Pimpa (2003) investigated on this

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factor, and found out that financial support from the family, along with word-of-mouth

recommendations, exerts a strong influence on undergraduate students.

A survey of 2,160 international students, presented by Rob Lawrence, from Prospect

Research and Marketing, at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC)

found out that of all the foreign students who came to Australia for their studies, almost

50 percent of them had arrived with a friend or family member. Thus, it is important for

universities to realise that they are not hosting just individual students, but also their

family and friend network. They will need to create appropriate strategies which can

better engage with families.

To add on, nearly 40 percent of students had actually visited Australia before choosing

it as their destination for further studies. While majority visited for recreational purposes

and to visit family and friends, 10 percent had arrived on a study tour and more than 6

percent came to attend a graduation of a family member or friend. In the case of

Singapore, 82 percent of Singaporean students who enrolled in Australian universities

have actually visited Australia at least once before.

Hypothesis 6: Family influence has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

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2.7 Conceptual FrameworkThis paper will adapt the some of the insights by Wang (2008) and (Qiang, 2003) in

order to create the conceptual framework relevant to education tourism. Essentially, this

framework will investigate the relationship between individual factors and their impact

on the decision of polytechnic students to study overseas. The factors are generally

covered in case studies on other countries but not so for the case of Singapore, thus the

main reason why polytechnic students choose to study overseas is always stereotyped,

but not throughly covered. As many students in Singapore have been travelling

overseas to study, it is definitely important to know what are some of the most vital

factors to them.

Figure 1. Theoretical framework of relationship between individual factors and their impact on the decision of polytechnic students to study overseas.

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Chapter 3. MethodologyThis chapter will involve the research methods that are applicable to use for the study

for the the topic in Chapter 1.

The research topic is:

Education Tourism in Singapore – Motivational Factors influencing polytechnic students’

decision to study overseas

To add on, this chapter involves the research questions, the choice of research

approach, the sampling plan, and the survey procedure regarding data collection the

from students of the various polytechnics in Singapore to analyse and discover more

insights and perspectives to the factors which motivates them to travel.

3.1 Research PurposeThe literature review discussed the links between six factors and how they influenced

the decisions of polytechnic students to study overseas. This has heavily contributed to

the way that the online survey has been designed. For instance, it allowed for a more

interesting way of crafting the questions to link together, instead of being very direct with

the questions. The data were collected to support, or identify the factors influencing the

decisions of polytechnic student to study overseas.

3.2 Research ApproachThe two main approaches of approaching research methodology would be either

through quantitative or qualitative means. Quantitative research is described as being a

left-brained approach, which takes a numerical and statistical point of view when

viewing a set of data. Conclusions are then made regarding what is found in the data in

a logical manner. This largely uses methods such as questionnaires and surveys with

set questions and answers that respondents tick from a predefined selection.

On the other hand, qualitative research is a right-brained approach, focusing on how

people feel, what they think and why they make certain choices. Data is then gathered

through discussion around certain concepts or ideas with open questioning (British

Library, 2016).

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The qualitative approach to hospitality and tourism research has been gaining attention

as an alternative to the more traditional quantitative approach. As a result, more studies

use qualitative techniques (Sandberg, 2005; Sincovics, Penz, & Ghauri, 2008; Walle,

1997) (Slevitch, 2011).

Walle (1997) reflects that majority of tourism researchers favor rigorous, quantitative,

and scientific methods. The main role of qualitative research has typically been reduced

to helping create and pose hypotheses which can then be tested and refined using

scientific and/or statistical research methods and models via quantitative means.

Thus, the qualitative approach will be used as it will be easier to analyze the results to

spot trends, frequencies, and percentages. Also, the grouping of data will allow for a

more specific insight into the two groups featured for this study: Those who are likely to

study overseas, and those who are unlikely to study overseas. The standardization of

questions given will help to avoid any discrepancies when comparing surveys.

3.3 Type of DataResearch data is commonly classified into two forms: Primary and Secondary Data.

Primary data is data which are information personally collected by researchers for the

specific purposes of their study. On the other hand, secondary data is more complex,

refering to external data sources such as Singstat (Known as Singapore Statistics) and

administrative data (Hox & Boeije, 2005).

For this research project, the data to be collected will be primary data. This is the most

appropriate decision as the collected data will be most relevant to the research topic.

Also, secondary data that may be collected is not as relevant as some of the sources do

not have the latest findings. Also, the data given is also not entirely relevant to the

research topic at hand, and does not provide a good ground for analysis. Thus, through

collecting primary data, a more accurate analysis can be made based on the findings in

order to answer to the research topic as accurately as possible.

3.4 Data Collection Method The data collection method which will be used are online surveys, through the Google

Forms platform. A survey is a research method for collecting information from a

selected group of people using standardized questionnaires or interviews. Surveys

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require selecting populations for inclusion, pre-testing instruments, determining delivery

methods, ensuring validity, and analyzing results (The Pennsylvania State University ,

2006).

Online surveys are widely supported by researchers, with many writing papers on the

topic (Selm & Jankowski, 2006; Ilieva et.al., 2002). Evans & Mathur (2005) wrote about

the value of surveys, looking at the major strengths and potential weaknesses of this

particular data collection method.

There are many positive aspects of surveys. For instance, administration is

comparatively inexpensive and easy even when gathering data from large numbers of

people spread over wide geographic area. Also, there is a reduced chance of evaluator

bias because the same questions are asked of all respondents. Many people are also

familiar with surveys, which makes the process much smoother. Thus, they would feel

more comfortable responding to a survey compared to participating in an interview.

Lastly, the tabulation of closed-ended responses is an easy and straightforward

process.

However, there are also many cons of surveys. One common issue would be that

survey respondents may not complete the survey, which results in low response rates.

This makes it difficult to get high quantities of responses. Also, the survey options may

not have the same meaning to all respondents, which will create peculiar variations in

the results. In some cases, the size and diversity of sample will be limited by people’s

ability to read. Another important issue would be the given lack of contact with

respondent, which makes it difficult to identify who really completed the survey. As a

result, it is difficult to follow up on respondents to probe for additional details. Good

survey questions are also hard to write and they take considerable time to develop and

hone. Many errors in question creation would thus be discovered only after sending out

the survey.

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3.5 Questions used in SurveyThere are four sections in the online survey, shown in the following table.

1. Development of Respondent Profile

2. Likely to study overseas 3. Unlikely to study overseas

4. Demographic Profile

The first section will ask questions relevant to the academic backgrounds of the

students, as well as their motivations in selecting an education institution. A qualifying

question will also be asked, on how likely are they going to be studying overseas. Those

who are likely to study overseas will take Section 2 of the survey, while those who are

unlikely to study overseas will take Section 3 of the survey. Afterwards, everyone will

answer Section 4 of the survey, which completes their demographic profile.

There is a variety of questions which will be used in the online survey. There is the

standard dichotomous Yes/No question. There are also multiple choice questions, with

varients such as selecting a single answer or as many answers as they want. Likert

scale questions for ranking the importance of factors will also be used.

3.6 Sampling & Data AccessThe population would be the entire 3rd year population amongst the five polytechnics in

Singapore. The sample would include approximately (Insert Number) students. The

author is highly involved in the activities of one of the polytechnics, being Singapore

Polytechnic. This will allow for better networking including getting a higher survey

response.

The sampling method used will be a non-probability sampling method, such as

convenience and snowball sampling.

Convenience sampling is defined by the HRDAG (2013) as a sample drawn without any

underlying probability-based selection method. Basically a convenience sample is any

data that is neither a complete enumeration of all the possible data—a census—nor a

careful, scientific sample. For this form of sampling, the author will select survey

respondents based on the most conveniently available polytechnic students.

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Snowball sampling is a method well suited for a number of research purposes and is

particularly applicable when the focus of study is on a sensitive issue, possibly

concerning a relatively private matter, and thus requires the knowledge of insiders to

locate people for study. (Biernacki & Waldorf, 1981). Thus, the author will ask

respondents to pass on the online survey to their peers to gather even more samples.

3.7 Ethical & Data Protection IssuesRespondents will have the right to decide on participation (Kimmel, 2009), which

ensures that the consent of the participants will be given. Also, they will have to be

assured of anonymity, as written in the front page of the online survey. No respondents

will be harmed while conducting this survey. The stored data will also be privately stored

in the Google account of the surveyor. None of the respondents will be able to see the

overall responses of the survey.

3.8 Proposed Data Analysis MethodsResponses from the Google Forms can be viewed in Google Sheets, which can be

further analysed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

Statistics, which allows users to critical analyse the data and support accurate and

insightful institutional research and decision-making. In the program, analysis methods

such as multiple-frequency, cross-tabulation, ANOVA test, T-test, and Chi Square test

will be used.

3.9 LimitationsThere are several limitations in this study, such as sampling and non-sampling errors.

Sampling errors will be discussed first. In this study, the results are, at best,

approximations as only a specific age range is considered. There are also several non-

sampling errors. For instance, there could be either inaccurate reporting or actual lying

by the respondents, as they could either be in a rush or not be bothered to give their

best answers. Also, some of the questions are rather ambiguous, which could have

misled the respondents into giving incorrect responses.

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Chapter 4. Findings & AnalysisThis chapter contains more information about the online survey results, with analysis

and the results. The survey links were sent out to approximately 60 to 70 students in

total. These students were asked to spread the survey to their friends and classmates,

resulting in a total of 151 respondents. All of the surveys were answered fully, with no

errors in the results. This chapter is divided into three sections: Section 1 contains more

information about how the analysis is conducted. Section 2 will contain an overview of

all the survey results. Lastly, Section 3 will contain analyses relevant to the six

hypothesises.

Section 1. How analysis will be conducted

4.1 FrequenciesDue to the survey having a large sample size of 151, doing a physical count is both

tedious and inefficient. However, with the help of SPSS, such a function will be

simplified using the computer to do the task.

Frequency tables are used to summarize a single categorical variable. In frequency

tables, the first column contains the value labels for each valid value in the data file,

which is the explanatory label attached to the value which is keyed in. The second

column with the Freqency heading shows the total number of cases or occurences for

each category. This is then expressed as percentages of the total number of cases in

the third column under the heading Percent.

Frequencies will be mostly used in Section 2 of this chapter.

4.2 Cross-Tabulation To summarize the relationship between two categorical variables, a cross-tabulation

table is created. A cross-tabulation (or crosstab for short) is a table that depicts the

number of times each of the possible category combinations occurred in the sample

data. It is commonly performed on categorical data which are mutually exclusive. A

sample of a cross-tabulation which will be used in the analysis can be seen in the

following table.

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In the above table, the letters a, b, c, and d represents cell counts. The letter a will

represent the number of observations corresponding to Row 1 and Column 1, which

helps to achieve a holistic view of the relationship between two or more factors. The

table shows one of the advantages of using cross-tabulation: it can eliminate confusion

while interpreting data, due to its simple display of results which reduces the odds of

misinterpretation.

Cross-tabulations will be used in the evaluation of the hypotheses, uncovering insights

which are not easy to see in the raw data, while mapping out relations between the

different variables.

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Section 2: Overview of survey results

4.3 Profile of Respondents4.3.1 School

This quantitative study was done by sending out surveys to year 3 polytechnic students

from all five polytechnics in Singapore. The numbers of students from each polytechnic

can be seen in table as follows;

There is a disparity amongst the number of students from each polytechnic, but it

should not cause the results of the analysis to shift drastically as all the polytechnics

practice similar teaching methods, with similar demographics in each school.

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4.3.2 Student DisciplinesTo further break down the understanding behind some of the hypothesises of this study,

the students have been asked to state their major disciplines for their diplomas, which

can be seen in the following table.

Q2 Which discipline are you studying?

Frequency Percent

Valid Applied Sciences 15 9.9

Business and Management 75 49.7

Humanities 10 6.6

Engineering 27 17.9

Built Environment 4 2.6

Health Sciences 2 1.3

Information and Digital

Technologies3 2.0

Media and Design 6 4.0

Maritime Studies 1 .7

Others 8 5.3

Total 151 100.0

The business students have been the most receptive to taking part in the online survey,

possibly due to the courses’ strong emphasis on networking abilities. This is followed by

engineering and applied sciences. The findings in this section will be useful for

Hypothesis 1, due to the higher number of business students.

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4.3.3 Travel FrequencyThe motivations behind finding travel frequency would be to further understand the

scenario behind Hypothesis 4, on whether polytechnic students will still seek overseas

exposure after numerous vacations in various countries. The frequency of the number

of times travelled is in the following table.

As shown in the table, majority of the polytechnic students are experienced travellers,

with at least 68.2 percent (103 students) of them being able to travel at least once a

year.

xxv


4.3.4 Summary of Factors in Choosing Education InstitutionsIn the questionnaire, the students were asked to rate seven factors from 1 to 5 with “1”

being “Not important at all” and “5” being “Very important.” These factors will be used for

the various hypotheses on a case-by-case basis. The following tables shows the rating

frequencys for each factor.

Q5a The school offers a wide variety of choices

Frequency Percent

Valid Not important at all 6 4.0

Not important 5 3.3

Neutral 23 15.2

Important 59 39.1

Very important 58 38.4

Total 151 100.0

Students are highly concerned with the course variety which their school offers, as

shown in the above table. 117 students (77.5 percent) have rated this option at a

minimum of “4”, making it highly favourable to students.

Q5b The school is affordable

Frequency Percent


Not important 6 4.0

Neutral 21 13.9

Important 54 35.8


Total 151 100.0

Students are highly concerned about how affordable the school is, as shown in the

above table. 121 students (80.2 percent) have rated this option at a minimum of “4”,

making it highly favourable to students.

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Q5c Many of my friends entered the school

Frequency Percent


Not important 37 24.5

Neutral 53 35.1

Important 35 23.2


Total 151 100.0

Students are not as concerned if their friends will enter the same school as them, as

shown in the above table. Only 41 students (27.2 percent) have rated this option at a

minimum of “4”, making it not as favourable to students.

Q5d My family members recommended it to me

Frequency Percent



Neutral 53 35.1

Important 45 29.8


Total 151 100.0

Students are not as concerned if their family members recommended the school as

them, as shown in the above table. Only 51 students (35.8 percent) have rated this

option at a minimum of “4”, making it not as favourable to students.

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Q5e The school is prestigious/ well-known

Frequency Percent



Neutral 34 22.5

Important 65 43.0


Total 151 100.0

Students are highly concerned about how prestigious or well-known the school is, as

shown in the above table. 96 students (80.2 percent) have rated this option at a

minimum of “4”, making it highly favourable to students.

Q5f The school is competitive

Frequency Percent



Neutral 56 37.1

Important 39 25.8


Total 151 100.0

Students are not very concerned about how competitive school is, as shown in the

above table. 48 students (31.8 percent) have rated this option at a minimum of “4”,

making it not very favourable to students.

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Q5g The school is able to offer me an enriching experience

Frequency Percent


Not important 4 2.6

Neutral 12 7.9

Important 48 31.8


Total 151 100.0

Students are highly concerned about whether the school can offer them an enriching

experience, as shown in the above table. 130 students (86.1 percent) have rated this

option at a minimum of “4”, making it highly favourable to students.

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4.3.5 Likelihood of Studying Overseas

As seen in the above pie chart, the likehood of studying overseas is nearly evenly split

between going and not going. However, there is a higher count of people who are

definitely not going overseas to study compared to those definitely going overseas to

study. This will be the main basis for comparison for majority of the analysis.

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4.3.6 Rationale for Studying Overseas

Q7a Reasons to study

overseas - Parents/ Friends

Recommendations

Q7b Reasons to study

overseas - My family can afford

it

Q7c Reasons to study

overseas - Overseas University Accreditat

ions

Q7d Reasons to study

overseas - Unable/ do not wish to enter

local university

Q7e Reasons to study

overseas - Overseas Exposure

Q7f Reasons to study

overseas - Desired Courses

not available

in Singapore

Q7g Reasons to study

overseas - Others

N Count 27 33 18 47 53 23 0% Percentage

33.80 41.30 22.50 58.80 66.30 28.70 nil

Reasons for studying overseas

The most popular factors which students select as a reason for studying overseas are

“Overseas Exposure” and “Unable/do not wish to enter local university.” On the other

hand, “Overseas university accreditations” and “Desired courses not available in

Singapore” remains the weaker factors. Further evaluation on these factors will be

provided in the later section.

4.3.7 Choice of Destination for Studying Overseas

Q8a Destinations to study overseas -

North American

region

Q8b Desinations to study overseas- European

region

Q8c Destinations to study overseas - Australian

region

Q8d Destinations to study overseas -

China region

Q8e Destinations to study overseas -

Japan/ Korea

Q8f Destinations to study overseas - Southeast

Asian countries

Q8g Destinations to study overseas -

Others

N Count 38 48 59 2 23 9 0

% Percentage 47.5 60 73.8 2.5 28.7 11.3 0

Preferred Destinations to study at

Europe and Australia remains the top destinations to study in, with Australia being the

most appealing education destination market at 73.8 percent. This will help to answer

the second objective of this study.

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4.3.8 Rationale for not Studying Overseas

Q9a Reasons to refuse

study overseas -

It is too expensive

to study overseas

Q9b Reasons to refuse

study overseas - I will feel

homesick

Q9c Reasons to refuse

study overseas -

I worry about the existing cultural barriers

Q9d Reasons to refuse

study overseas - My friends and family disapprov

e of me studying overseas

Q9e Reasons to refuse

study overseas -

I am opting to study in a

local university

Q9f Reasons to refuse

study overseas -

I am opting to study in a

private university

Q8g Destinations to study overseas -

OthersN Count 55 18 14 6 30 16 0% Percentage 83.30 27.30 21.20 9.10 45.50 24.20 nil

Reasons for not studying overseas

The factor “It is too expensive to study overseas” is the most dominant factor for those

who do not wish to study overseas, taking up 83.3 percent of the responses. The rest of

the reaons pale in comparison to it, with only the “I am opting to study in a local

university” following closely at 45.5 percent of the responses.

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Section 3: Analyses relevant to hypothesises

4.4 Analysis 4.4.1 Hypothesis 1

Hypothesis 1: Local university capacity has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

A cross-tabulation was conducted between the two variables of the likelihood of

studying overseas and “Unable/do not wish to enter local university” as shown in the

table below.

Q6 How likely are you to study overseas after graduating from Polytechnic education * Q7d Reasons to study

overseas - Unable/ do not wish to enter local university Crosstabulation

Q7d Reasons to study

overseas - Unable/ do

not wish to enter local

university

TotalYes

Q6 How likely are

you to study

overseas after

graduating from

Polytechnic

education

Definitely

would go

Count 4 7

% within Q6 How likely are you to study

overseas after graduating from

Polytechnic education

57.1% 100.0%

% within Q7d Reasons to study


local university

8.5% 8.8%

Probably would

go

Count 43 73




58.9% 100.0%



local university

91.5% 91.3%

Total Count 47 80




58.8% 100.0%

xxxiii




local university

100.0% 100.0%

As mentioned in Chapter 2, over 50 percent of applicants to local universities are

rejected. This sentiment is reflected in the survey findings, with 31.1 percent (47

students) of the students stating that they are likely to go overseas to study due to being

unable or not wanting to enter a local university. Being unable to enter the local

universities, they have turned to foreign education as a last resort into getting the highly-

sought after degree education.

A cross-tabulation of the results shows that out of the 47 respondents who highlighted

this concern, 39 (~83 percent) are actually from the Business and Management

discipline, which is currently one of the most competitive sectors in the Singapore

tertiary education scene. This is fuelled by 20 percent of the university slots being

reserved for foreign students, which makes it even more difficult for polytechnic

students to enter (Ministry of Education, 2011).

A recent article by Philomin (2016) on Today Online, a Singapore newspaper, writes

about how universities will have more room to admit students based on their talents and

interests rather than just grades, as an enhancement to the current aptitude-based

admission schemes practiced in Singapore. Currently, there is the Discretionary

Admissions Scheme, where factors other than grades will be considered. Up to 10% of

vacancies will be set aside for consideration of exceptional candidates for admission to

institutions such as NUS, where factors other than grades will be considered (National

University of Singapore, 2016).

While this may sound good, there is definitely not enough slots for all the students who

apply. NUS has been evaluating and admitting more students under the scheme over

the years. In 2015, it evaluated 1,600 students, 400 more than 2014. 670 of them got in,

70 more than 2014. While the increasing numbers taken in are definitely a sign of

improvement, it is important to consider the number of students who get rejected as

more slots are reserved for students under this scheme. Also, not all students will apply

xxxiv


for the scheme, especially when they are not confident in their ability to pass the

selection tests.

Perhaps, this is why finance and economics are the top choices for Singaporeans

studying in the US, due to majority of the rejects being business students. The findings

also fuels Zainal’s (2016) recent Straits Times article on how only 20 percent of

polytechnic cohorts got to enter local universities.

Thus, Hypothesis 1 is accepted, as it is proven that local university capacity has a

significant effect on the decision to study overseas.

xxxv


4.4.2 Hypothesis 2Hypothesis 2: Perceived prestige of foreign education has a significant effect on the


First and foremost, at least 63 percent (96 students) of the students rated “the school is

prestigious/well-known” factor as important and very important in their choice of

educational institution.

A cross-tabulation was conducted between the two variables of the likelihood of

studying overseas and “The school is prestigious/well-known” as shown in the table

below.

Q5e The school is prestigious/ well-known * Q6 How likely are you to study overseas after graduating from

Polytechnic education Crosstabulation

Count

Q6 How likely are you to study overseas after graduating from


Total

Definitely would

go

Probably would

go

Probably would

not go

Definitely would

not go

Q5e The

school is

prestigious/

well-known

Not important at

all1 4 3 3 11

Not important 0 4 6 0 10

Neutral 0 20 8 6 34

Important 2 31 26 6 65

Very important 4 14 12 1 31

Total 7 73 55 16 151

Out of these 96 students, 51 of them (53 percent) are actually likely to go overseas to

study. This reflects the current mindset of students, who feel that an overseas degree

from a prestigious institution such as Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial College London will

give them an edge (Davie, 2015).

To add on, refering to the pie chart on the likelihood of students studying overseas, 80

students are likely to travel overseas to pursue an education, while the remaining 71 will

remain in Singapore. Among these 71 students, only 30 of them indicated they will be

opting to study in the prestigious local universites. This is rather interesting, as local

xxxvi


Singaporeans are often shown to have a positive view of the local universities, due to

the intense local marketing undertaken by these institutions.

However, NUS Student Low Zhen Ying (2015) argues that the local universities have

much more to do if they wish to increase student experience. A quick check at the

World University Rankings 2015-2016 by Times Higher Education (2016) shows that the

top universities in Singapore, NUS and NTU, stand at 26 and 55 at the global rankings

respectively. This reflects the large gap that they have with top foreign universities,

commonly located in the US and the UK.

Thus, Hypothesis 2 is accepted, as it can be seen that the factor of prestige is a greater

motivator for those who wish to study overseas compared to those who wish to study

locally.

xxxvii


4.4.3 Hypothesis 3Hypothesis 3: The affordability has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

For this hypothesis, it is important to look at the chart on the reasons why students are

unlikely to study overseas. As mentioned earlier, the factor “It is too expensive to study

overseas” is the most dominant for those who do not wish to study overseas, taking up

83.3 percent (55 students) of the responses. Of these 55 students, 44 of them actually

rated “The school is affordable” a minimum of “4”, showing how important affordability

actually is to them.

A cross-tabulation was conducted between the two variables of total annual household

income and “It is too expensive to study overseas” as shown in the table below.

Total Annual Household Income * Q9a Reasons to refuse study overseas - It is too expensive to study

overseas Crosstabulation

Q9a Reasons to refuse study overseas - It

is too expensive to study overseas

TotalYes No

Total Annual Household

Income

$0-$23,999 Count 21 4 25

Percent 84.0% 16.0% 100.0%

$24,000-$47,999 Count 10 4 14

Percent 71.4% 28.6% 100.0%

$48,000-$71,999 Count 6 1 7

Percent 85.7% 14.3% 100.0%

$72,000-$119,999 Count 11 0 11

Percent 100.0% 0.0% 100.0%

$120,000-

$239,999

Count 7 1 8

Percent 87.5% 12.5% 100.0%

$240,000 and

above

Count 0 1 1

Percent 0.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Total Count 55 11 66

Percent 83.3% 16.7% 100.0%

xxxviii


Across all the annual household income groups, it can be seen that generally, every

group (Other than the “$240,000 and above”) feels that it is too expensive to study

overseas.

Despite this, these results may be likely to change in the future. Perhaps these students

are unaware, but it is highly likely that their parents have already started planning for

their children's university education, according to a 2015 study by HSBC. Only 9 percent

of Singaporean parents (compared to the global average of 22 per cent) have not

started saving towards their children's tertiary education.

Also, there are possibilites in the future for scholarship opportunities and company-

sponsored education, which many of these students would be eager to take up. For

instance, IE Singapore (2016), the government agency driving Singapore’s external

economy, has launched the Young Talent Programme for Students. This covers all

tuition and compulsory fees, monthly maintenance allowance, a one-time computer

allowance and hostel allowance, in exchange for students serving a bond with the

company for the duration which they were sponsored. This, to many students, can be a

superior alternative to studying overseas, as it provides both free education and a

‘stable’ employment.

Hence, it is extremely difficult to say if Hypothesis 3 is accurate, but current results from

this study has shown that the affordability definitely has a significant effect on the


xxxix


4.4.4 Hypothesis 4Hypothesis 4: Overseas exposure has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

The factor “The school is able to offer me an enriching experience” was created to

supplement hypothesis 4. In this particular analysis, the results of this factor’s

importance will be compared to the number of students who actually wish to study

overseas for overseas exposure, as both of these factors are largely similar. In doing

so, it can be determined if experience-seeking students really believe in the power of

overseas exposure as a motivational factor in studying overseas.

A cross-tabulation was conducted between the two variables “the school is able to offer

me an enriching experience” and overseas exposure as a reason to study overseas as

shown in the table below.

Q5g The school is able to offer me an enriching experience * Q7e Reasons to study overseas -

Overseas Exposure Crosstabulation

Count

Q7e Reasons to study overseas -

Overseas Exposure

TotalYes No

Q5g The school is able to

offer me an enriching

experience

Not important at all 2 0 2

Not important 0 2 2

Neutral 6 0 6

Important 13 14 27

Very important 32 11 43

Total 53 27 80

130 students (86 percent) rated the factor of “The school is able to offer me an enriching

experience” as important and very important, which is remarkably high, and shows the

students’ interest in what the school can offer them in the curriculum. Among this

number, only 45 of them highlighted that they will be travelling overseas to study for the

overseas exposure, which shows that many do not believe that overseas exposure is

really important, prefering to stay in Singapore for further studies. Thus, another cross-

tabulation is done between the number of times travelled and overseas exposure.

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Q3 How often do you travel? * Q7e Reasons to study overseas - Overseas Exposure Crosstabulation

Q7e Reasons to study overseas - Overseas

Exposure

TotalYes No

Q3 How often

do you

travel?

More than twice

a year

Count 12 4 16

% within Q3 How often do

you travel?75.0% 25.0% 100.0%

Twice a year Count 16 5 21


you travel?76.2% 23.8% 100.0%

Once a year Count 11 10 21


you travel?52.4% 47.6% 100.0%

Once every two

years

Count 5 4 9


you travel?55.6% 44.4% 100.0%

Every few years Count 9 2 11


you travel?81.8% 18.2% 100.0%

I do not travel Count 0 2 2


you travel?0.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Total Count 53 27 80


you travel?66.3% 33.8% 100.0%

To further evaluate, another cross-tabulation has been created to see there is a

relationship between the number of times students travel and seeking overseas

exposure. At a glance, it can be seen that the more students travel, the more they are

wish to study overseas for the experience. However, this drops off among those who

travel once a twice a year, and picks up again for those who travel every few years.

Thus, Hypothesis 4 is accepted, where the desire for overseas exposure has a

significant effect on the decision to study overseas. However, it is believed that this

desire is stronger amongst those who travel more often.

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4.4.5 Hypothesis 5Hypothesis 5: Availability of local courses has a significant effect on the decision to

study overseas.

This hypothesis is concerned with how important the university’s course variety is to

students, and whether the lack of local courses relevant to their area of study will

actually spur them to travel overseas to fulfil their goals.

In a student article by Campus Eye NUS, NTU Economics undergraduate student Justin

Ho recommended that local universities should have more partnership degrees with

overseas universities, as he feels that options presented by them are rather limited.

To support what he has said, it is known from the survey that 117 students (77 percent)

rated “The school offers a wide variety of choices” as either important or very important.

However, only 23 students indicated that they would like to study overseas due to their

desired course being unavailable in Singapore. To further understand this, a cross-

tabulation was done between those who indicated that option and their education

disciplines.

xlii


Q2 Which discipline are you studying? * Q7f Reasons to study overseas - Desired Courses not available in Singapore

Crosstabulation

Count

Q7f Reasons to study overseas - Desired

Courses not available in Singapore

TotalYes No

Q2 Which discipline are you

studying?

Applied Sciences 2 5 7

Business and Management 10 29 39

Humanities 2 2 4

Engineering 5 10 15

Built Environment 0 2 2

Health Sciences 0 1 1

Information and Digital

Technologies0 1 1

Media and Design 1 5 6

Others 3 2 5

Total 23 57 80

As seen in the above table, majority of those who indicated that their desired course is

not available in Singapore are actually from Business and Management. This increased

number of possible because of the extremely high percentage of business students who

actually took part in the survey. However, it does provide some insight into the issue

behind business school students, as to whether they really wish to study business in the

first place. As mentioned earlier, the top 3 universities in Singapore are all business-

oriented schools. The top private education providers in Singapore, such as Kaplan,

PSB, and MDIS, also provide business-related courses as their main course offerings.

Thus, there are definitely enough business courses in Singapore, which leads back to

the matter at hand, where it is possible that many business students do not even intent

on doing business in the future.

In the case of the “Others’ category, the 3 students who indicated that their desired

course is not available in Singapore are actually from the Sports Science and

Telecommunications sector. Sports Science is a rather niche area in Singapore, as

majority of the education offerings are actually for diplomas, not degrees. In fact, the

xliii


only sports science degree that can be found is provided by SIM university (2016),

named “Bachelor of Sports and Physical Education with Management.”

Telecommunications is also another niche area, with Auston (2016) offering a degree in

telecommunications and networks. Being the only few courses available, it is highly

possible that these will not able to cater to all students studying in niche areas.

Thus, Hypothesis 5 will be rejected, where lack of desired course does not have a

significant effect on the decision to study overseas.

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4.4.6 Hypothesis 6Hypothesis 6: Family influence has a significant effect on the decision to study

overseas.

54 students have given the “My family members recommended it to me” factor a

minimum rating of “4”, with majority in the “4” area. This shows that while they are highly

influenced by their family members in how they select their education institutions, it is

definitely not in the top of the list for majority of the students. Of course, there is always

the possibility of family members, such as the parents, making majority of the decisions

themselves with little to no consultation with their child.

A cross-tabulation was conducted between the two variables of “My family members

recommended it to me” and parents/friends recommendations as a reason to study

overseas as shown in the table below.

Q5d My family members recommended it to me * Q7a Reasons to study overseas - Parents/

Friends Recommendations Crosstabulation

Count

Q7a Reasons to study overseas -

Parents/ Friends

Recommendations

TotalYes No

Q5d My family members

recommended it to me

Not important at all 2 3 5

Not important 3 14 17

Neutral 7 21 28

Important 12 13 25

Very important 3 2 5

Total 27 53 80

Of the 80 students who are likely to study overseas, only 27 of them highlighted

“Parents/Friends Recommendations” as one of the influencing factors. There are 10

students who gave it a “Neutral” rating and below, which may suggests that their

parents actually has the final say in where they are going to study. Thus, while they may

not see their family recommendations as important, the parents will still have the

xlv


stronger bargaining power as they are the ones who will fund their child’s studies. To

add on, amongst the students who are not going to be studying overseas, only 6 of

them indicated that they are not studying overseas because of their parents

disapproval.

On a whole, to and for going overseas, the influence of parents had very little to play

pertaining to their child’s decision to studying overseas. Further secondary research has

shown that this is because parents do not spend enough time with their children. A poll

of 250 parents done by NTU students have shown that 74 percent of parents spend

only 3 to 4 hours a day with their child, which greatly obstructs parent-child

engagement.

Also, polytechnic students are considered to be in the “Late Adolescence” stage. The

Wayne State University Physician Group (2011) has highlighted that a wide range of

growth and behavioural changes actually takes place in this demographic group. For

instance, the polytechnic student would be more self-reliant and able to make his or her

own decisions. They would definitely be more prideful, and believe that they know what

is good for themselves. This is a possibility as to why parents do not have a strong say

in the decision-making of their child.

Thus, Hypothesis 6 will be rejected, where family influence does not have a significant

effect on the decision to study overseas.

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4.5 SummaryThere were 151 respondents which took part in the online survey that was distributed in

the month of June. The objective of the survey was to find out more about the factors

influencing the decisions of polytechnic students in studying overseas. The number of

students who are likely to go overseas compared to those who are unlikely to go

overseas are almost even. From the survey results, it supports the newspaper articles

written by The Straits Times and Yahoo News writers (Davie, 2015; Lur, 2011; Zainal,

2016), as well as several researchers such as Mazzarol and Soutar (2002), De Mejia

(2002), and Leslie and Brinkman (1987), who all wrote very accurate papers on several

of the factors discussed in this study. Further evaluations on the hypotheses can be

found in Chapter 5.

xlvii


Chapter 5. Conclusion and RecommendationsThis final chapter will contain several sections pertaining to this report. It will contain an

evaluation of the research objectives set in Chapter 1, followed by the significance of

this study, and finally recommendations for further evaluation.

5.1Research Objectives5.1.1 Research Objective 1

To identify and analyze the main factors influencing polytechnic students’ decision to

study overseas.

Hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 4 were accepted while hypotheses 5 and 6 was rejected.

The first factor, Local University Capacity has a very definitive argument regarding its

influence on polytechnic students. With 80 percent of polytechnci students being unable

to enter local universities,they would definitely turn to other areas to obtain their degree

education, such as foreign universities. This is especially relevant to Business &

Management students, as 83 percent of them cited being unable/ do not wish to enter

local university as a reason for their likelihood of studying overseas.

The Prestige of Foreign Universities is also another very strong pull factor. Generally,

students wish to enter a good, reputable school, as shown in Hypothesis 2 where 63

percent view the prestige of the school as important and very important. The gap

between the top foreign universities and top Singaporean universities, while seemingly

small, is also an important factor supporting this statement.

Affordability is a very strong motivational factor motivating the decisions of local

polytechnic students to study overseas. In the analysis of Hypothesis 3, it was found

that across all the income groups listed in the survey, majority of each category

highlighted travelling overseas to study being too expensive for them.

The final motivational factor influencing the decisions of local polytechnic students to

study overseas is the Desire for Overseas Exposure. While seemingly consistent across

all travelling frequencies, it is definitely a stronger influence to those who travel at least

twice a year. Also, 86 percent of the students believed that studying overseas would

offer them a much more enriching experience than simply remaining in Singapore.

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The Lack of Desired Course was found to not have a significant effect on the decision to

study overseas. Perhaps, it generally does not affect every student in Singapore, but

more so in the niche areas. Thus, it is recommended to have further studies into the

former to better understand the implications.

The findings regarding Family Influence was rather surprising, as the AIEC (2012) and

researchers (Shanka et. al., 2006; Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002; Özoğlu et. al., 2015) have

all put up a very strong argument for how family influence is a highly impactful factor.

Alas, in the case of Singaporean students, this is not the case.

5.1.2 Research Objective 2To identify which countries are the most popular destination for pursuing further

education.

From the frequency table in Chapter 4, it can be seen that Europe and Australia

remains the top destinations to study in, with Australia being the most appealing

education destination market at 73.8 percent followed by Europe at 60 percent. The two

other areas which had significant respondent rates includes North America and South

Korea/Japan. These results were expected, as it was known from the literature review

and news articles that Europe and Australia were the most popular destinations for

Singaporean students to study in.

5.1.3 Research Objective 3To determine the implications for education in Singapore.

As shown in research objective 1, the four factors which has a major influence

motivating the decisions of polytechnic students to study overseas are: Local University

Capacity, Prestige of Foreign Universities, Affordability, and the Desire for Overseas

Exposure.

This is a concern for Singapore in general, due to the possibility of a brain drain. Before

his passing, the late Minister Mentor Mr Lee Kuan Yew raised concerns about

Singapore’s serious brain drain problem, believing that this trend will only go upwards

as more Singaporean youths begin pursuing their degrees abroad (Loh A. , 2015). Loh,

Tan, & Zou (2012), who are students from NTU, discovered that the major issues that

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brain drain can cause Singapore includes restricting the operations of companies and

reduced security.

Polytechnic students are trained to be more well-equipped in the workforce. Should they

leave the country for studies, there is a high probability that they would also work

overseas. Thus, it is important to ensure that Singapore is able to offer a more lucrative

education to polytechnic students.

5.2Significance of StudyThis study has opened up many insights into the thought process behind how

polytechnic students actually feel about the choices they made regarding their tertiary

education destination. As Singapore is a small country, it is important to retain as many

students as possible, which later translates into manpower. The ‘brain drain’ mentioned

in the earlier section is a definite worry for the local government, which has led to many

social problems.

Also, very few researchers have actually zoomed in into the country of Singapore, with

the exception of Gopinathan & Lee (2011). With such a large portion of students and

graduates with a polytehcnic education, it is very important to understand the tertiary

motives for this significantly large segment.

5.3 Recommendations5.3.1 Establish more quality private educational institutions

It is recommended that Singapore should establish more quality private educational

institutions. Currently, Singapore’s only private university is the Singapore Institute of

Management (SIM). In the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities by Cybermetrics

Lab (2016), SIM is ranked at the 3398th position, compared to the local universities

which rank below 1000 at minimum. There are also private education providers such as

Kaplan and PSB Academy, which utilises distance learning. Due to the major difference

in ranking, as well as the poor perceived image of private universities, many polytechnic

students would rather study overseas than study private.

Currently, the strategy that private universities and private education providers in

Singapore practice is to emphasise on the duration at which they can finish their

studies. While this has definitely pulled in some students, many people question the

l


standard offered by such institutions (Philomin, 2014), especially employers and

Ministers of Parliament (MPs). They argued that getting a degree is very much a

training of the mind. Through achieving it with speed, it is difficult to determine if it really

led to quality training.

Therefore, it is important that current private universities and education providers

redesign their brand image through upholding the academic rigour. Through changing

the public image, more Singaporean students would attend their local private

educational institutions instead of studying abroad.

5.3.2 Local universities allocate more space for polytechnic studentsAlthough local universities have slowly been increasing the numbers of polytechnic

students in their student population, the crude fact still remains: Only 20 percent of

applicants from polytechnics made it into local universities. Of course, while this seems

like an easy solution, it is important to consider the other groups of people which apply

to enter universities, such as the Junior College students. While it is tough to balance

out an appropriate scale, local universities should look at their applicants from a

different perspective, instead of being seemingly biased against polytechnic students.

5.4 ConclusionIndeed, education tourism is a phenomenon many people take part in but do not realise

it themselves. Quezada (2004) looked into the importance of this sector, and how it has

actually groomed international students. He found out that these group of university

students are able to grow both personally and professionally from their experiences,

while being more sensitive to racial issues. McKercher (2001) looked into the future of

education tourism in Australia, and determined that the field is already mature in the

area. This brings out concerns on the oversupplying of institutions, which may create

problems such as false degrees and scammings. As it stands, education tourism is here

to stay.

This study has definitely brought some enlightenment to how Singapore supplys other

nations with education tourism. While many of the hypotheses and objectives has been

answered, there remains many grey areas which are specific to each individual factor

which encourages further research in that area.

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AppendicesQuestionaireHello! I am Edward Lim, a 3rd year polytechnic student who is also pursuing a part-time degree in International Tourism & Hospitality Management.

This survey concerns gaining a wider understanding of the factors which motivates students of the various polytechnics to travel overseas. I would appreciate it if you take the time to participate in this survey and provide valuable and honest answers. Please be assured that all data collected will be kept confidential and will be used for statistical purposes of this study only. Please tick one answer only unless stated otherwise.

Important Note: Only polytechnic students who are currently in their third year may answer this survey.

1. Which Polytechnic are you from?

Singapore Polytechnic

Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Republic Polytechnic

Nanyang Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic

2. What discipline are you studying?

Applied Sciences (e.g. Biomedical Science, Chemical Engineering)

Business & Management (e.g. Accountancy, HR)

Humanities (e.g. Psychology, Journalism)

Engineering (e.g. Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering)

Built Environment (e.g. Architecture)

Health Sciences (e.g. Nursing, Optometry)

Information & Digital Technologies (e.g. Music & Audio, Security)

Media & Design (e.g. Animation, Visual Communications)

Maritime Studies (e.g. Nautical Studies)

3. How important are each of the following statements to you in deciding which education institution to enrol at? (Please rate from 1 to 5 with “1” being “Not important at all” and “5” being “Very important”)

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StatementsNot

Important at

all

VeryImport

ant 1 2 3 4 5

a. The school offers a wide variety of choices

b. The school is affordable

c. Many of my friends entered the school

d. My family members recommended it to me

e. The school is prestigious/well-known

f. My family members recommended it to me

g. The school is competitive

h. The school is able to offer me an enriching experience

4. How often do you travel per year? (Pick one)

More than twice a year

Twice a year

Once a year

Once every two years

Every few years

5. How likely are you to study overseas after graduating from Polytechnic education?

Definitely would go

Probably would go

Proubly would not go

Definitely would not go

------------------------------------------------------YES---------------------------------------------------------

6. If yes, why? (Check all that apply)

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Parents/Friends Recommendations

Affordable for my family

Overseas University Accreditation

Unable/do not wish to enter local university

Overseas Exposure

Desired course not available in Singapore

Others: ____________

7. Which destinations would you prefer to study at overseas? North American region European region Australian region China region Japan / Korea Southeast Asian countries Others: ____________

----------------------------------------------------------NO------------------------------------------------------

8. If no, why? (Check all that apply)

It is too expensive to study overseas.

I will feel homesick.

I worry about the existing cultural barriers, such as language.

My friends and family disapprove of me studying overseas.

I am opting to study in a local university (NUS, NTU, SMU)

I am opting to study in a private university (SIM, Kaplan, MDIS)

Others: ____________________________________

Demographic Profiling9. Gender

Male Female

10.What is your total annual household income before taxes? $0-$23,999

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$24,000 to $47,999 $48,000 to $71,999 $72,000 to $119,999 $120,001 to $239,999 $240,000 and above

11.Name: _________________Contact Number : _________________OR Email:__________________

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edward lim's dissertation

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