Abstract
This article describes an investigation into student learning approaches and course delivery at a higher education program in the United Arab Emirates. Interviews were carried out with thirteen male students attending required English for academic purposes courses at the college. Analysis of the interview data indicates strong use of social-affective strategies aimed at objective outcomes. Differences were noted between those classified as deep or surface-oriented learners in terms of their goals and the extent to which they described engaging in independent learning. As a whole, the results indicate that the students had an orientation to socially oriented teacher-focused learning and that this may have compensated for less well-developed independent learning skills. It is argued that a highly structured approach to instruction with considerable built-in support is likely to benefit learners in the current context.
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Appendix Interview Questions
Appendix Interview Questions
Opening
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How long have you been a student at the college?
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Could you tell your major subject?
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Last semester, did you take (reading and writing) or (spoken communication)?
Let’s talk about how you like to learn.
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How do you like to learn the content from your classes?
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What do you think is the best way to learn the sorts of things taught in your classes at the college?
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Do you mind if we talk about your answers to the questionnaire about the course?
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You give very (a) high (low) scores for the item(s) …. Can you tell me why?
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In this (these) other item(s), your scores are somewhat different? Why do you think that is?
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How do most students in this college like to learn?
Let’s talk about your experience with the academic reading and writing/spoken communication course.
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What was the best thing about the course?
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Was there anything you didn’t like about it?
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Do you feel the course will be helpful to you in the future? How so?
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What was more important about this course, remembering things or understanding things? Why?
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To do well in the course, what was more important, following the instructions or thinking of the best way to do things on your own?
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To do well in the course, what was most important?
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Would you say the course encourages student independence (so that they can learn things by themselves)? In what ways? (why not?)
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What would you change about the course to make it better?
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What’s the best way to motivate students at this college?
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McLaughlin, J. (2022). Tertiary Students in the UAE: Learning for Outcomes and the Social Affective Component. In: Coombe, C., Hiasat, L., Daleure, G. (eds) English Language and General Studies Education in the United Arab Emirates. English Language Teaching: Theory, Research and Pedagogy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8888-1_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8888-1_10
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