The learning experience of postgraduate students: Matching methods to aims

Action research with international Masters in Business Administration stude nts reported here builds on action research carried out at Anglia Polytechn ic University to better enable international postgraduate students develop learning and research strategies and research methods to succeed in their s tudy. The Reflection on Learning Inventory (Meyer and Boulton-Lewis, 1997) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination, whic h tests competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, I id entify student learning styles and language levels from which conclusions a bout teaching and learning needs are deduced. A programme of academic-orien ted language support, including both the APU-originated CD-ROM Excel at Aca demic English and specific workshop sessions, has been developed. This prog ramme is piloted with the 2000-2001 cohort, and accompanied by action resea rch which includes focus group interviews and mid-year evaluation of the su pport and development programme. It has led to radical overhaul of elements of the course itself, with widespread implications for support and develop ment for international postgraduates studying at APU.