Higher Education Preparation and Decision Making Trends Among International Students by Bista and Dagley
Higher Education Preparation and Decision Making Trends Among International Students by Bista and Dagley
Higher Education Preparation and Decision Making Trends Among International Students by Bista and Dagley
DECISION-MAKING TRENDS
among International Students
THIS PAPER EXAMINES HOW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGE IN THE
UNITED STATES WHEN THEY ARE IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. THE FINDINGS REVEAL THAT THE MAJORITY
STUDENTS ALSO RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS AND/OR ASSISTANTSHIPS FROM THE UNIVERSITY, FINANCIAL
SUPPORT FROM FAMILY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THEIR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO STUDY OVERSEAS.
STUDENTS ARE SELF-MOTIVATED TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO
OBTAIN BETTER PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THESE FINDINGS WILL HELP COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS
AND FACULTY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CAMPUS RESOURCES, INCLUDING ADMISSION AND RECRUITMENT
MATERIALS, AND WILL ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON THEIR CAMPUSES.
By Krishna Bista and Amy Dagley
T
oday, the United States of America has for example, English as a Second Language (ESL) pro-
the highest international student enroll- grams specifically for Chinese and Saudi Arabian students
ment (819,644 students in 2012–13) of (World Education Services 2012).
any nation, including the United King- International exchange programs between U.S. univer-
dom, Australia, and Canada (Open sities and those in foreign countries are another recent
Doors 2013). Students around the world trend. Given budget cuts and increasing competition, U.S.
view the United States as a land of op- institutions “compete hard for talented and self-funded
portunity. Their choices to attend U.S. students” (World Education Services 2012).
higher education institutions are associ- Despite increasing international enrollments in U.S.
ated with a wide range of factors, includ- postsecondary education, there are challenges related
ing scholarships and other financial assistance, relatives, to cost, distance, visa complexity, and competition for
and bilateral exchange programs between home and host students and colleges (Marklein 2011). The potential to
universities (Kolster 2014, To et al. 2014). Students from recruit more international students exists, but U.S. insti-
China (28.7 %), India (11.8 %), and South Korea (8.6 %) tutions have not established themselves as leaders among
dominate international student enrollment in the United their competitors: A few universities in the United King-
States, but emerging trends show increasing enrollment by dom and Australia (e.g., the University of Buckingham,
students from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Mexico, and Brazil Central Queensland University) have international stu-
(Open Doors 2013). dent populations that constitute more than 50 percent of
The majority of international students attend U.S. col- their total enrollment. According to the World Education
leges and universities in California (111,379), New York Services (2012), effective recruitment practices—includ-
(88,250), Texas (62,923), Massachusetts (46,486), Illinois ing recruiting agents and liberal immigration policies for
(39,132), and Pennsylvania (37,280) (Open Doors 2013). visas and traveling—are the primary causes of high enroll-
(Research does not reveal the precise factors that limit ment at these institutions.
international students’ attendance at institutions in other The purpose of this paper is to examine how interna-
states.) U.S. colleges and universities have improved the tional students obtain information about their chosen
resources they make available to international students— programs of study while in their home countries; what fac-
College & University | 3
tors motivate them to enroll at U.S. institutions; and what and professional degree programs often work on campus
challenges they encounter as they prepare to study abroad. to offset tuition costs (Fischer 2014).
International students pursue education abroad not
LITERATURE REVIEW only to gain international experience and a degree, but
also for the opportunity to remain in the host country
Push and Pull Factors
and find employment (Lasanowski 2009, Rounsaville
International students choose particular programs and 2011). According to Lasanowski (2009), the key factors
locations in the United States for a variety of reasons, in- affecting international student mobility are educational
cluding relationships with other students, family and peer affordability, programs in which instruction is in English,
influences, local and national policies, and other motiva- and opportunities for employment and migration in the
tional factors. host country. In addition, countries in which English is
Essentially, “push” and “pull” factors influence interna- the primary language are popular because of perceptions
tional students’ decisions related to studying overseas. The of a better quality of education and a better job market.
push factors “operate within the source country and initi-
ate a student’s decision to undertake international study” Role of Educational Agents
while the pull factors “operate within a host country to Many higher education institutions in the United States,
make that country relatively attractive to international the United Kingdom, and Australia enroll international
students” (Mazzarol and Soutar 2002, p. 82). students with the assistance of special recruitment service
“Push” factors include the availability of financial aid, providers—i.e., commission-based agents or consultants
high-quality education, cutting-edge educational and (World Education Services 2012). Use of these third-party
research facilities, the opportunity to gain international agents has become an emerging phenomenon in higher
experience, and a favorable environment for improving education. Although third-party recruitment agents help
English language skills (González et al. 2011, Rounsaville students find colleges, some of their business practices
2011, Wilkins & Huisman 2010). “Pull” factors include have been found to be “highly dubious and sometimes il-
the quality of education, high institutional rankings, legal” (World Education Services 2012, p. 15). Use of third-
better employment prospects, opportunity for improv- party agents to recruit international students purely for
ing English-language skills, and post-study opportunities the sake of an institution’s financial gain and agents’ over-
(Rounsaville 2011, To et al. 2014). Kolster (2014) found charging parents and students for their services not only
that international students specified the prestige of higher have made newspaper headlines but also have elicited con-
education systems and research, globally accepted degrees, cern about academic standards. Altbach (2011) argues that
usage of English, and political influence in the world as “agents and recruiters are impairing academic standards…
the top factors that attracted them to study in the United and many of these operators—although it is not known
States. Less important factors were reasonable living costs, how many—have authorization to actually admit stu-
international study environment, affordability of tuition, dents, often based on murky qualifications” (p. 11). Such
and work opportunities in the host country during study agents “charge partner colleges $2,500 for each student
and/or after graduation (Kolster 2014). client who ends up enrolling” (Hoover 2011, paragraph
8) and also charge the student while assisting with college
Motivation Factors selection and visa preparation.
For many self-funded students, tuition costs, visa ex-
penses, application fees, and travel and other daily living RESEARCH QUESTIONS
costs are major concerns (Rounsaville 2011). It is natural This study is guided by the following research questions:
for international students to seek financial support from WWHow did international students obtain information
their host universities, though this trend is more prevalent about their universities’ programs when they were in
among graduate than among undergraduate students. For their home countries?
example, Indian graduate students who enroll in master’s
College & University | 4
WWWhat were the motivating factors for students to INSTRUMENT AND VARIABLES
study in the United States? The online questionnaire consisted of five parts: pre-
WWWhat were the major challenges students encoun- departure preparation (8 items), motivational factors (6
tered while preparing to study in the United States? items), challenges during preparation (2 items), the use
WWDid students receive reliable information from the of educational agent services (7 items), and demographic
educational agents who helped them prepare for questions (8 items). Students were asked to indicate the
their overseas study? degree of their experience on a five-point Likert scale on
which one indicated “strongly agree” and five indicated
RESEARCH METHOD “strongly disagree.” Survey items were informed by exami-
The research was conducted using a mixed methods ap- nation of the literature (Hagedorn and Zhang 2011, To et
proach to ensure the quality of responses and to strengthen al. 2014, World Education Services 2012).
the findings; words, pictures, and narratives add meaning To collect qualitative data, the researcher asked be-
to numbers ( Johnson and Christensen 2014). This ap- tween ten and fifteen semi-structured interview questions,
proach offers fuller, deeper, and more meaningful answers depending on participants’ responses; each interview
to research questions and increases the ability to general- lasted approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The script for the
ize study findings ( Johnson and Christensen 2014). Data qualitative interview was informed by the literature (To et
were collected using online surveys and face-to-face inter- al. 2014, WES 2012).
views during the spring 2014 semester.
RESULTS
PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE
Demographic Information
The target population of this study was 273 international
students enrolled at a small university in the southern Demographic data from the online survey indicated that
United States. To protect the identity of the institution, 56 percent of the 161 international students were pursuing
the university is referred to in this article as “Southern undergraduate degrees, 25 percent master’s degrees, 13 per-
University” (SU). An online survey was distributed to the cent doctoral degrees, and 6 percent were enrolled in non-
target population of 273 students; 161 responses were re- degree programs. The majority of participants reported
turned for a 76 percent response rate. Students did not re- a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Approximately 26
ceive any incentive to complete the survey. The survey was percent of students reported that they were assisted by
used to collect quantitative data and was written in Eng- agents during their preparation for overseas study, and
lish; semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect 73 percent were not assisted by agents. Eighty percent of
qualitative data. All students (N = 273) received an e-mail participants were unmarried, 16 percent were married,
invitation to participate in a 30-minute face-to-face or a and 4 percent did not identify their relationship status.
60-minute group interview; seventeen students agreed to The average age of participants was 24 years. The top four
do so. Participants were offered a $10 incentive to partici- programs of study in which international students at SU
pate in a group interview and $20 to participate in an in- were enrolled were business studies (28 %), biology (15 %),
dividual interview. Four group interviews, each consisting pharmacy (12 %), and computer science (7 %). A few inter-
of two or three students, and eight individual interviews national students were pursuing degrees in education, the
were held. Interviews were audiotaped and were subse- arts, and the humanities. The top five countries of origin
quently transcribed. The researcher analyzed the trans- of international students at SU were Nepal (12 %), China
posed responses using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s (8 %), Nigeria (8 %), Saudi Arabia (6 %), and South Korea
(2014) descriptive codes (e.g., words, phrases, or sentences (6 %). Qualitative data were collected from seventeen par-
related to the major themes). This provided insight into ticipants (10 females and 7 males) from thirteen countries;
the specific content and quality of international students’ three were graduate students, and fourteen were under-
study abroad preparation and related experiences. graduate students.
College & University | 5
Pre-Departure Information Collection Process Qualitative Data
Eighty-one percent of participants reported that they had Findings from the semi-structured interviews confirmed
visited the university’s website and programs of interest the quantitative findings about how international students
from their home countries. Similarly, 74 percent were en- received information about SU programs and what moti-
couraged by their parents to study in the United States. vated them to study in the United States in general and at
During pre-departure preparation, 55 percent of students SU in particular. The majority of the students (n = 15) said
contacted their admissions staff members and professors that the university website was their primary resource for
to inquire about programs, and slightly more than 50 searching for programs of interest. Five of seventeen par-
percent reported that they applied to more than one uni- ticipants reported that they attended seminars conducted
versity. Forty-one percent of students also attended study by U.S. colleges and universities and received information
abroad seminars in their home countries that were spon- from friends who were already studying in the United
sored by the U.S. universities or the U.S. Educational Cen- States. One undergraduate student from Nepal gathered
ters. Overall, 81 percent of international students reported information from the university website, an agent, and a
that they were well-prepared to pursue higher education seminar hosted by U.S. colleges in Nepal:
in the United States. From that website I came to know that there is a Ne-
The Pearson correlation results indicated a medium pali student organization here and…I came to know
positive correlation between students who reported, “I there is the program that I am interested in…. [T]here
checked college/university websites and programs of [are] a lot of consultancies [agents] back home, and I
interest” and students who reported, “I e-mailed univer- went there and gathered some more information. I at-
sity advisors/professors before/during the application” tended three seminars in Nepal that were conducted by
(r = 0.516, p < 0.01). Thus, international students who had U.S. [universities].
visited college websites were likely to have e-mailed their
future professors or advisors. There were also positive An undergraduate student from Bangladesh said he
correlations between students who reported, “I checked searched for colleges using the Internet. He also sought
college/university websites and programs of interest” and information from friends already studying in the United
those who reported, “I had applied to more than one uni- States. Six participants received program and scholarship
versity for I-20s/admission” (r = 0.417, p < 0.01). information from athletic coaches or friends who were al-
When asked about motivational factors for studying ready playing for an SU team. An undergraduate student
in the United States, 88 percent of international students athlete said,
(n = 126) reported that U.S. higher education would better I’m from Ukraine, and [SU] is considered…one of the
prepare them for professional success. Nearly 80 percent best [programs]. It’s…really high-quality education. I
reported that they received support from their families; think my parents gave a lot of support, and I came for
nearly half (47 %) reported that their friends influenced an athletic scholarship. Coaches were looking for me…
their decisions. More than seven in ten (72 %) (n = 115) re- and…I was looking for a school. I had other options,
ceived scholarships (or fellowships or assistantships) from but I came because of the…connection to coach.
the university; 30 percent studied at their own expense;
and only 15 percent received support from their home In a group interview, participants from Australia and
country’s government. Canada reported that athletic coaches and scholarships
A Pearson correlation indicated small positive correla- were the primary reasons for their interest in SU, as they
tions between students who reported, “My friends influ- were for the student from Ukraine.
enced my interest to study in the United States” and those Participant 1: It was more of a case of SU choosing
who reported, “I received a scholarship or fellowship to me. When I first came here, …as an undergrad to
study in the United States” (r = 0.282, p < 0.01). be on the golf team, I received a scholarship. I ac-
tually played a golf tournament back home against
College & University | 6
another Australian who was studying at SU, and students from South Korea reported that they came to SU
he helped me through the process. [It] took about 18 for a semester as part of an exchange program.
months.
Participant 2: SU chose me to be on the water ski team, Priorities and Challenges During Preparation
so I got my first degree with that [scholarship]. [T]he Seventy percent of international students (n = 112) re-
water ski team…sent me stuff, and I chose [to enroll] ported that finances (e.g., scholarships or other financial
here because they were giving me a full scholarship.
support) were a top priority in choosing to pursue higher
Participant 3: [The] water ski team…I received [the
education in the United States. Approximately half of par-
scholarship] because she was already here, and she
is my sister. ticipants reported that the location and reputation of the
university were important factors in their choice of which
college to attend. More than six in ten (64 %) reported
In another group interview, an undergraduate student that their choice of program was based primarily on their
from France shared that she received a scholarship for the interest and had affected where they applied. Only 18 per-
water ski team: “I did school in France [for] two years, and cent of international students reported that an on-campus
they would make you do your two last years in another job had been a factor. Some students reported that they
country….Then I came here for skiing team.” Her friend considered lower tuition (n = 5), the availability of a wa-
from Finland participates on the same ski team and also ter-skiing program at the university (n = 3), an affordable
came to SU on a scholarship. An undergraduate student cost of living (n = 2), an exchange program scholarship
from Costa Rica who came to SU to play volleyball and (n = 2), and participation on an athletic team/program
study statistics was fully funded with a scholarship. A (n = 2) during their college search.
graduate student from Belarus received information from Similarly, 52 percent of international students (n = 83)
his classmates and friends; he came to SU on an athletic reported that U.S. visa preparation, which included docu-
scholarship and is pursuing business studies. ment preparation as well as preparation for the visa inter-
Participants reported that their parents, relatives, and view, was the most difficult aspect of preparing to study in
friends encouraged them to apply to a degree program at the United States. Participants also reported the follow-
SU. A graduate student from Australia said, ing challenges: finding the right university and program
There’s [sic] always been rumors that [name of the (48 %), college entrance exams such as the Test of English
state] schooling is actually poor and that you can’t do as a Foreign Language and the Graduate Record Examina-
much with your degree afterwards, but…I checked with tion (48 %), understanding the application process (41 %),
my dad. He didn’t think it would be that way. and collecting required materials for the application pack-
age (e.g., letters of recommendation and college admission
Similarly, an undergraduate student from Lebanon essays) (39 %).
received college information and program information
from his uncle, who worked at the university. This student Findings from Qualitative Data
said, “My uncle teaches at SU…and said I can come over International students were asked to describe their pri-
here where he teaches, and that’s why I came. I just wanted orities in selecting a program of study as well as the most
a new experience, a new culture, just to try a new place.” challenging steps in preparing to study overseas. Students
A few students reported that they enrolled at SU not reported that securing a scholarship, preparing for visa
only because of scholarships and the encouragement of documentation, and passing college entrance exams were
family and friends, but also because of exchange programs some of the most difficult steps. An undergraduate student
between their home universities and SU. For example, an from Ukraine reported that she not only had to prepare for
exchange student from Japan said that he received infor- TOEFL exams twice but also had to convince staff members
mation about the college from his teacher, who distrib- at her home university that she wanted to apply to U.S. in-
uted the information to the students in her class. Three stitutions without quitting her current program of study:
College & University | 7
I had to pass the TOEFL exam. I found that really Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive medium
hard…many students will look for schools that [either] correlation between students who said, “Agents assisted
don’t have TOEFL or have really low [score require- completing my college application” and students who
ments]…and…I had to pass it twice. After the first time, said, “Agents assisted me in visa preparation and consult-
I had to take courses…like four-month preparation or ing” (r = 0.616, p < 0.01). This suggests that international
something. I had to take the test. [My home university] students who used an agent to help them submit their col-
didn’t want to give me my information [e.g., transcript
lege applications were also likely to receive assistance with
and certificates]…. They said, “This is the document we
the visa preparation process.
can give to you only if you say that you are done and
you quit, but [it’s] your choice.”… I was trying to find a Another positive medium correlation was found be-
way I can [get a] copy of my transcripts…it was not the tween students who reported, “Agents provided wrong
easiest. Here I can request a transcript and they will information” and those who reported, “Agents’ service
give it to me the [same] day. It was a really…hard pro- fees were too high (expensive)” (r = 0.501, p < 0.01). This
cess, so they put me in position that I had to quit…and suggests that international students who believed an agent
then I was still not accepted, so I was really afraid for… provided incorrect information were also likely to pay an
my future…what I will do. expensive fee for an agent’s services.
A Nepalese undergraduate student said that filling out Results from Qualitative Data
information for college admissions was a major challenge Students reported during the face-to-face interviews that
and that agents helped him complete the required forms. they consulted with agents because of their own limited
“I never filled out any application form before…. When- knowledge of U.S. admissions and visa interview processes.
ever I see like three or four copies of forms, I was kind of Students reported receiving agents’ support in completing
surprised.… I went to the consultancy [agent] and got their college applications, preparing for college entrance
help from different people while filling out the forms.” exams, and preparing for their U.S. visa interview.
An undergraduate student from Nepal shared his ex-
Role of Educational Agents perience: “There were so many documents, and I didn’t
Only 26 percent of international students used profes- want it to go wrong…. The [service fee] was pretty high
sional educational agents to assist with their college prep- compared to what they provided, but…the information
aration process. Students reported that they used agents was really helpful.” Another Nepalese student used an
because of their own lack of knowledge about the college educational agent because he wanted to “make sure that
application process, U.S. colleges and universities, and the [he did] everything right” for his college application, I-20
U.S. visa application process. (admission documentation), and visa interviews.
International students were asked about the quality of An Australian graduate student reported on his experi-
information and services received from the educational ence of using an agent:
agents, who operated as non-university-affiliated private I knew there were some external recruiting agencies
counselors for overseas programs. Among the participants that would basically collect everything that they needed
who used agents, 15 percent said the agents advised them from you and then distribute it to universities. Again,
about foreign countries and college choices, 14 percent I didn’t do enough research, but it was expensive. [The
received support from agents in applying to college, 19 range is] anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000 dollars for
percent received assistance during visa preparation and their services, and [you’re] not guaranteed [admission
counseling, 14 percent thought they were more likely to be to] the university.
accepted by the college(s) to which they applied (with the
help of an agent), 14 percent reported trusting the services Students from South Korea reported that their educa-
provided by the agents, and 13 percent asserted that the tional agents not only helped them find the right college
agents provided correct information about the university. and programs but also helped complete paperwork for
college admissions and visa interviews.
College & University | 8
It’s a connection between university and university, so cesses, and document preparation for visas and admission.
actually I just have to buy the visa …that’s all. They fill Hagedorn and Zhang (2011) reported a significant trend
in the blanks, so I choose only the dates. in Chinese international students’ use of educational
agents. Although a few studies (Altbach 2011, Hoover
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 2011, World Education Services 2012) suggest that service
fees are expensive and the services dubious or even illegal,
This descriptive study focuses on how international stu- participants in the current study reported that for the
dents at a particular institution in the southern United most part, agents provided reliable information. Slightly
States decided and prepared to study in the United States. more than 25 percent of participants received financial
International students reported that they visited univer- support from their home countries’ government, but bi-
sity websites and programs while they were in their home lateral exchange programs between home universities and
countries, contacted international program advisors and SU or special sports-related scholarships also motivated a
professors, collected admission and visa-related docu- few international students to enroll. U.S. universities have
ments, and received support and encouragement from initiated a fairly large number of international exchange
their parents to study in the United States. These findings programs. The government scholarship scheme is limited
are comparable with those of recent studies conducted in predominantly to student populations from Middle East-
Asian and European university settings (Kolster 2014, To ern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan.
et al. 2014). There are several implications for individuals involved
More than 70 percent of study participants received in international student affairs. For example, administra-
scholarships or assistantships from the university, finan- tors and international student advisors should deepen
cial support from family, encouragement to study over- their understanding of the challenges faced by interna-
seas, and were self-motivated to pursue higher education tional students and the resources available to them during
in the United States in the hope of obtaining better pro- their decision-making process in order to develop pro-
fessional opportunities. Participants shared that on-cam- grams related to international student admission, orien-
pus employment, scholarships, and programs of study as tation, enrollment, and retention. International students
well as the location and reputation of the university were are primarily concerned with finding a safe place to work
their primary concerns when applying. These findings are and study and the right program. Because international
similar to those of Lasanowski (2009) and Kolster (2014), students usually cannot visit overseas campuses prior to
which indicated that international students are motivated admission, they may have depended solely on the informa-
to study outside of their home countries by the availability tion available on institutions’ websites. The current study
of scholarships and the quality of education. More than found that 81 percent of study participants visited the uni-
half of the participants in this study reported that the versity’s website prior to admission. Administrators and
U.S. visa interview and document preparation processes faculty thus are encouraged to post timely and accurate
were more challenging than college entrance exam (e.g., information about their programs, scholarships, and ad-
TOEFL or GRE) preparation, identifying the “right” col- missions requirements.
lege and program, and understanding the application pro- These findings must be considered in relation to the
cess. Twenty-five percent of participants received support study’s limitations. First, the findings are based on the
from educational agents in finding colleges, preparing self-reported perceptions of students enrolled at one small
application materials, and practicing for visa interviews. university located in the southern United States. Students
However, the other 75 percent did not receive help from attending institutions in different cultural and geographi-
educational agents and instead relied on their own knowl- cal locations may have different perspectives relative to
edge and resources to navigate the process. Although the higher education in the United States. Such perceptions
agent service fees were expensive, participants reported may affect their values and beliefs and may influence their
positive experiences in terms of the quality of information preparation for enrolling at a U.S. higher education insti-
agents provided about college selection, application pro- tution. In addition, this study’s conclusions are based on
College & University | 10
how and why a small sample of international students at Lasanowski, V. 2009. International Student Mobility. London: The Ob-
servatory on Borderless Higher Education, International Strategic In-
one university chose the United States as their higher edu- formation Service.
cation destination. International students who are digital Marklein, M. B. 2011. U.S. colleges’ appeal fading for foreign students.
USA Today. June 23. Retrieved from: <www.usatoday.com/news/
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national student destination choice. International Journal of Educa-
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Publications.
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published doctoral dissertation). The University of Nottingham, U.K.
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Hagedorn, L. S., and Y. L. Zhang. 2011. The use of agents in recruiting
Chinese undergraduates. Journal of Studies in International Education. KRISHNA BISTA is Chase Endowed Professor of Education in the School
of Education at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. His areas of inter-
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AMY DAGLEY is Endowed Professor of Educational Administration in the
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Kolster, R. 2014: Academic attractiveness of countries: A possible bench- of interest include school law and organizational theory and practice. Her
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College & University | 11
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