This exploratory report presents findings from a questionnaire completed by post- graduate students at a Cambodian government university. The predominantly single, 26- 30 year old, urban, male post-graduate students used internet extensively as a tool for their study and made no or little use of the university library or other community resources whilst relying substantially on academic staff for study materials. They had committed a third of their annual income to pay their education costs and believed that their study would give them access to high paying work in areas of undersupply.
Keywords: Cambodia; post-graduate; masters' program
Introduction
A recent survey of Cambodian high school students reported that 50% wanted to continue to university and another 17% wanted to continue to technical education programs after completing their schooling (YEP Project, 2008). Nearly one third of the employed youth in the survey indicated that pursuing further education (either in Cambodia or internationally) was part of their five year professional development plan (YEP Project, 2008). Seventy percent of the Cambodian population are under 25 years of age (National Institute of Statistics, accessed 10/7/09) and the hunger for personal material progress as well as national progress among this burgeoning group is tangible. The number of Cambodians aspiring to university programs is escalating as a population bulge moves through the lower levels of Cambodia's formal education system. Young Cambodians greatly prize a university qualification as it is seen by many as a pathway to gaining access to well paying jobs.
The Cambodian higher education institution (HEI) is a relatively recent development. The oldest HEI, the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), was only established in 1960. However recent government policy changes have allowed the entry of private fee charging universities into the Cambodian higher education sector (Chet, 2006). The number of private universities and university students has exploded in recent years and currently there are 77 universities in Cambodia with 114 campuses.
Increasing stability over the past decade has resulted in significant rebuilding and expansion of the Cambodian basic education sector (grades 1 - 9). During that time national and international funding has been directed at the resourcing and development of the basic education system including primary teacher training, classroom building programs and other infrastructure developments such as financial management systems.
Primary overall net enrolment rate has increased from 84 percent to 91 percent since 2000. Secondary education expansions has been improved since 2000 with enrolment grew 62 percent from 284,000 to 460,000…Upper secondary education rises from 105,000 to 154,000 in the past 4 years (Chet, 2006, p.1).
These efforts have resulted in exceptional increases in the number of students who are able to progress to the university and technical training sectors due to a government guarantee that all successful year 12 students will have a university place.
With growing numbers of young Cambodians aspiring to university qualifications, the immature structures and limited resources of Cambodia's higher education sector face considerable strain. International focus, which for the last decade has been on developing Cambodia's basic education sector, is beginning to expand to include Cambodia's university and technical training sectors. Articles and reports exploring issues of university teaching and learning quality, qualification of academic staff, institutional governance, policy and systems development and, academic research output have begun to appear in international as well as national literature and reports (see for example, Altbach, Reisberg,& Rumbley, 2009; UNESCO, 2006; Sloper, 1999).
A little is known about the profile of Cambodia's undergraduate students but less is known about Cambodia's post-graduate student population. Research reported here was undertaken to provide a preliminary descriptive profile of post-graduate students in a Cambodian public university. Hopefully this research helps fills a void and in doing so will contribute to the conversations currently occurring within government, industry and the higher education sector. It provides important information to all involved in the planning and development of post-graduate programs in Cambodian universities. For example, knowing the gender imbalance in post-graduate enrolments can result in developing programs designed to increase female student numbers. These might include establishing mentoring programs, the creation of 'safe spaces for female students' and, female-only scholarships.
Inquiry into post-graduate student profiles will yield valuable information on the profile of future university staff. For example, the current dominance of male urban enrollees in post-graduate study can be viewed as predictive of future university academic staff profiles. The muted presence of rural students and females in post-graduate studies presents a challenge to planners if they are interested in ensuring that the future of Cambodia and her people is informed by the interests of all members of society, at all levels and within all sectors.
Many of Cambodia's current post-graduate students received their basic, high school and undergraduate education during a period of great educational change within the country. They have successfully negotiated a pathway through their years of formal education as well as their personal and working lives to become post- graduate students in a country with a university sector without "a long tradition of higher learning or a community of intellectuals containing a reservoir of academic values" (Chamnan & Ford in, Altbach & Umokoshi, 2004, p.345). What has motivated them to pursue further study? What are some of the tensions in their multiple roles of student, worker and family member in a country with a higher education system in such early stages of development? In a higher education environment of user pays, what levels of personal financial commitment are being made by an individual in the pursuit of formal study?
Developing a detailed profile of the student attending university in Cambodia is a challenge due to data collection and reporting difficulties. Accurate information on the profile of enrollees is difficult to establish because of the practice of many students to enroll in two or more degree programs simultaneously at different universities. The limited capacity of the higher education office has made recording and tracking enrolments in higher education a challenge. From the data available there is a clear gender as well as urban bias in enrolment numbers and as many as 50% of enrolments are reportedly in the fields of accounting and commerce.
The female share of tertiary education enrolments in Cambodia in 2007 was estimated to be 35.2% (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, accessed July 4 2009). Enrolments in post-graduate education in Cambodia more than doubled between 2006 and 2007. Of the 11 681 master's students enrolled in the 2008 - 2009 academic year 16% were female and 5% of the 862 doctoral students were female. In contrast to the 'big picture' canvas of educational development and reform in the Cambodian higher education sector the figure of the individual student is indistinct and lacking in detail.
. Post-graduate students are a vague, little known group of education consumers in the Cambodian higher education sector. As the group most likely to contribute directly to Cambodia's ongoing development through future research contributions and wider societal leadership roles, they warrant focused enquiry as part of any process designed to improve the country's universities as well as her human resources.
Method
The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) handbook for 2007 - 2011 reported 258 post-graduate enrolments of whom 60 (23%) were female. Using a convenience sample, students (n=70) enrolled in a master's level program at the RUPP were invited, through a group email, to participate in the research project and complete an anonymous online questionnaire. The online questionnaire consisted of twenty-eight questions written in English. Using mainly check boxes, the questions were designed to collect basic details of age, gender and stage of study as well as information about education expenditure, student income, previous degrees, hours attending classes and private study, frequency of use of the university library, and the location and frequency of use of resources for students that assisted them in their study. Two questions invited extended written responses which provided rich qualitative material also included in the report.
The use of an internet based questionnaire may have confined participation to those students with regular internet access and a reliable supply of electricity. Students living in the provinces of Cambodia can encounter difficulties with both making their participation more difficult. The questionnaire was available online for two full weeks allowing province-based students to participate during their weekend trip to Phnom Penh for classes. Sixteen percent of the respondents reported not living in Phnom Penh.
The master's program requires students to have competent written and spoken English skills and whilst some subjects are taught in English there is also teaching in Khmer. The use of English as the language of inquiry and response for the online questionnaire may have discouraged participation of students. Researcher personal involvement with many of the students in the program as well as anecdotal evidence from other teaching staff highlights an uneven spread in written and spoken English competency amongst the enrolled students. This is evident in student quotes included further in this paper.
Research Findings - Quantitative Data
The coursework element of the post-graduate program is intentionally conducted on weekends and was designed this way to attract students in employment as well as students living in the provinces who were able to travel to Phnom Penh for weekend study. The program is taught in both English and Khmer by one national fulltime RUPP academic staff member and several national casual staff as well as expatriate volunteer academics. At the time of the survey, there were two cohorts of students; one cohort in the final year of their study program who were actively engaged in research for a thesis or research report having already completed the majority of their coursework subjects, and the second cohort who were half way through the program and just entering the research proposal phase. Female students accounted for 16% of the master's student population under study and were marginally over-represented in the questionnaire results where they accounted for 20% of respondents (see Table 1).
Table 1. Gender profile.
Gender
% Total Enrolments in Master's program (n= 70)
% Surveyed Population
(n=25)
Male
84
80
Female
16
20
The Cambodia National Institute of Statistics (NIS) report on "Education in Cambodia for 2007" (NIS, 2009) provided details of the educational levels attained across the whole sector. The ratio of post-secondary educational attainment of males to females was 3:1 and patterns of educational attainment were highest in Phnom Penh than other urban areas and non-existent for rural areas. A pattern of declining female enrolments after primary education (grade 6) was evident and whilst not as pronounced in Phnom Penh, it was clearly evident in the rural areas. With entry to undergraduate education requiring a student to have completed and passed grade 12, the reduced numbers of female enrolments in higher education is therefore not unexpected.
The majority of questionnaire respondents were male, single (52%) and 64% were aged 26 - 30 years. Most students were living in Phnom Penh during the week (84%) and on the weekends (88%) indicating that a very small number of respondents were travelling from outside the city to pursue study on weekends.
Living circumstances
The living arrangements of students were diverse (see Figure 1) and reflective of the various life stages of people between ages of 20 and 50 years of age (the oldest respondents were in the 45 - 49 age group). Whilst most reported living in some type of accommodation with other family members (partner, children, parents, siblings etc) there were a number of students who reported that they lived alone.
Figure 1. Student living arrangements.
Previous higher education study
The majority of students reported their highest level of university study prior to commencing their current master's level study as being their undergraduate degree and 16% reported having more than one undergraduate degree. However, 42% reported having completed some type of post-graduate studies prior to their current master's program at the RUPP. The majority of students had completed their previous higher education studies since 2000, 13% having completed them in the mid 1990's.
Figure 2. Completed degree status
Costs of study
In some countries asking questions about an individual's income is considered to be venturing into a personal topic deemed 'sensitive' but within the Cambodian context such a question is a common topic in normal social discourse and does not arouse the same sensitivities. Unless self-employed an individual's salary in Cambodia is usually paid monthly hence the online questionnaire asked for their monthly salary. The anonymous nature of the questionnaire as well as the societal differences in attitude to the question outlined above would have increased the likelihood of honest responses for any with concerns about the nature of the question.
In their report on the education sector in Cambodia in 2007, the National Institute of Statistics (NIS, 2009) provided details of education-related expenditure across all levels of education. The figure for higher education students failed to discriminate between undergraduate and post-graduate student study costs and can therefore be considered a guide only. The NIS reported educational costs (which included fees, books, extra tuition, transport costs etc) for higher education students to be US$463. In the questionnaire the post-graduate students reported spending almost one third of their annual income on their education. With the average annual income of respondents being US$4452 and full-time annual course fee costs of US$930 plus estimated average study related expenditure of US$500 per annum, students were committing a substantial proportion of their income to study.
This figure is a powerful indicator of the value placed on gaining a post-graduate qualification and is supported by comments provided further in the report where many students stressed a belief in their improved employment opportunities with a master's degree. Possessing a post-graduate degree in Cambodia will place an individual into a small, select group of people and for some will allow professional and career development opportunities otherwise unattainable.
Time Use
Time given to study, both in-class and private study, is one important indicator of the quality of student learning and ultimately, the quality of the degree. The program was structured with weekend coursework classes, and to align with government policy, class attendance was one of the criteria for assessment. Students understood that failure to attend classes regularly would have a direct impact on their final results. Students are required to study three subjects a semester each subject consisting of a weekly three hour workshop/lecture. Two subjects are taught on Saturday and one on Sunday morning.
All students were in paid employment during the week and most students (60%) reported that they attended university classes between 7 - 9 hours a week. This finding reflects what would be the 'normal' number of hours for class attendance for a student enrolled full-time in the program. Whilst theoretically a student can enroll part-time (ie enroll in less than 9 credits a term), the reality of the academic progression policy requirements and program staffing challenges meant all students were enrolled in a full-time load (ie 9 hours a week in-class) of study.
Some confusion arose for respondents to another question enquiring into their enrolment status asking whether they were part-time (less than 9 credits) or full-time (9 or more credits). Most surveyed students indicated they were part-time however researcher knowledge of the enrolments in the masters program contradicted the responses. Further enquiry revealed that for many respondents 'full-time' study equated with studying during the week whereas weekend study was considered 'part- time.' The distinction between the actual numbers of credits an individual was enrolled in as determining their part or full-time status was not understood by many students. Given this confusion in understanding amongst so many respondents the responses of the majority (85%), who indicated a desire to study part-time due to work and family responsibilities, needs to be viewed with some caution.
Figure 3 indicates the estimated number of hours a week spent in private study. Generally those who were married with dependents reported spending more time in private study than single students.
Figure 3. Private study hours per week.
The bulk of students indicated that they did the greater part of their private study at home. Students reported infrequent use of libraries and other similar resource centers for locating and using study material. Half of the respondents reported that they had not used the Hun Sen library (the RUPP library) for their study in the past year and 30% reported using the library between 1 - 3 times in the same timeframe. Only half the students claimed to have a current RUPP library card. Table 2 illustrates the sources students identified using for locating resources and references to assist them in their study.
Table 2. Sources of reference and resources used for assignment.
Sources
Response Percent (multiple responses made) (n=24)
Internet
95.8%
Hun Sen library
25%
Books in the graduate office
20.8%
My lecturers
54.2%
Other students
37.5%
Resources at place of work
4%
Evident from the data is the significant role of the internet as a study tool for the post-graduate students. Of note too is a significant reliance on lecturing staff for materials and resources by the majority of respondents. Use of the library resources, including internet and computer access is restricted to Saturday on weekends with the library being closed on Sundays. With these master's students only being on campus for classes at weekends, of which 6 plus hours include compulsory class attendance, access to the resources within the library is severely constrained.
Library cards are issued to students each year of their enrolment and incur a small cost (4000 riel = US$1). Likewise internet access in the university library is not free for students and requires payment on an hourly rate similar to that charged at internet cafes and similar establishments. Apart from internet access in the library on Saturdays, there is no other internet access in the university in weekends.
Student access to professional journals and databases through the RUPP library is confined to three free journal portals made available to developing nation universities, two of which can be accessed off-campus and one requiring student presence at a library computer. These resource limitations are a challenge for RUPP post-graduate students who are expected to produce work demonstrating "a knowledge of and skill in the use of, well-developed research methods, critical analysis and application and, demonstrate independence of thought in their area of specialization" (RUPP Regulations for Master's degree programs, 2009, p.1).
Qualitative Data
Students' responses to two open-ended questions were examined for patterns in responses. Students were asked to describe the advice they would give to someone who was thinking of enrolling in the same master's program they were students in. The question was designed to draw out students thoughts on the challenges they may have faced during their study. The second question asked the students to outline the information they would give to university staff who were thinking of planning a new master's program. This question was also intended to mine student thoughts about their own experiences and how that knowledge could be used to inform future post- graduate course design. An indirect form of questioning was used in these instances as in a Cambodian context direct criticism of someone or something is not a socially sanctioned practice. It is likely, given the collectivist nature of Cambodian society, that respondents would have been particularly susceptible to the Hawthorn Effect, ie the likelihood of respondents making responses they consider socially desirable. The anonymous nature of the questionnaire as well as the absence of the researcher during the time used to complete the instrument were two strategies adopted to reduce this effect.
Theme 1. - Student Preparation for Success
Two major themes emerged from the students' written responses. The first is to do with course demands and student preparation for academic success. Students made numerous comments about the need for prospective students to consider the level of commitment the course demanded and to be prepared to make adjustments to their lives. One student advised, "I'll ask him to give up some work because if you have too much things to and you don't read (sic) have to read so your study is useless". Another respondent was more detailed in his advice.
Because this is not an easy course and you need to make sure of yourselves... it is also (sic) difficult course that you need to put a lot of time and strength on this course. And I don't want you to stop or drop it half way when you face difficulties. I would say, it is easy to start something but it is not easy to finish it…And most people also love to start but they have difficult (sic) to finish the task even myself. Therefore I urge you to think clearly. After you do it and you are ready. So you can go for it and I am sure you can reach your goal as well. Remember the course is expensive and you need to work hard on your study and it worth (sic).
Several students included in their advice the need for a prospective student to have good skills in English and a willingness to give time to read and research for their assignments.
Theme 2. - Career Prospects
A second and unmistakable pattern in the student responses was a strong belief in the positive career outcomes and opportunities their post-graduate study will offer. Repeated references were made to the master's program being a "good course" to do because of the strong likelihood of improving their current employment situation with the qualification. For example, "I would advice (sic) him/her that it will be a good choice to further study in this field because there are not many people who got (sic) the degree of this major and the career opportunities will be great".
Linked to the idea of career opportunities was the belief that their master's program was considered a quality program of study, and one with national and international recognition. A student wrote,
For me this program is good, if that opportunity comes, I will advice (sic) them the potential of the program (knowledge among master students from different backgrounds and experience). Other is the accreditation accepted among national and international agencies.
Another student wrote, " I advice (sic) him/her to attend Masters program at RUPP is going on the right way I mean the degree is mostly recognized in the region, the programme provides the students with quality."
The importance of career outcomes for graduates also emerged in responses to the question on giving advice to someone developing a new master's program. The relevance of a program of study to current and emerging employment opportunities in Cambodia was unambiguously emphasised by many students as illustrated below.
They should know what are the specific skills that the society needs in the specific period in the future after they will have produced their potential graduates so that it can guarantee the good (sic) employment for them.
I would like them to know the circumstance of Cambodian students, situation in Cambodia and the demand of (sic) labour market in future.
The job opportunities and own interesting (sic).
Think about work market and subjects in the course.
For many respondents the idea of graduate career opportunities was strongly linked to the notion of the university and its course planners knowing the skill needs of the country and thereby making a closer connection between study programs offered and future work opportunities.
Concluding Comments
This initial exploratory study of post-graduate Cambodian students is, of necessity, mainly descriptive. The picture to emerge is one of little diversity amongst the post-graduate student population. Predominantly male, single and working, most students have made a significant financial commitment to their study in the belief that they are creating for themselves better employment opportunities.
The expenditure of up to one third of their annual income on their study is an extraordinary figure and it is difficult to envisage students in many other countries making a similar financial commitment especially without any form of external assistance or partial support. There are no student loans systems within the Cambodia higher education sector and unless a student is successful in having their fees paid by their employer or receive a scholarship they must assume the full financial burden for their studies.
The comparative lack of student-focused resources and services within the university, whether library access and services, academic study skills support, internet access or access to professional journals and databases means these post-graduate students have significant challenges in their pursuit of quality learning and achieving academic success. Personal resourcefulness is clearly required for any student wanting to attain a standard of learning that in most developed nations would be considered a very minimum outcome of an individual's enrolment.
The student recommendations that university course planners need to align courses to reflect projected employment trends and skill needs within the country echo the findings of the YEP Report (2009). Both employers and youth in the report highlighted the need for better alignment between employment trends and education offerings.
The widely held view amongst respondents was that master's study would improve personal employment opportunities, this finding also reflects the views of the young people surveyed in the YEP Project (2008).
Whilst this is a descriptive and exploratory study, the data explored provides s clear sense of direction of areas for further inquiry as well as areas for action, both immediate and mid-term. Several recommendations for university planners and international funding agencies, as well as government policy makers arise from this exploratory and descriptive study.
Adequate and secure resourcing of university academic services including library, internet and computer availability - requires immediate action for current post-graduate students and medium term planning and resource commitment for future students.
Policy development that enables part-time study as a viable option and that also addresses the eventual resource implications for staffing.
Revising existing policies that shape the current academic progression rules as well as assessment requirements. They fail to accommodate the needs of post-graduate students and result in inflexibilities in course design.
Exploring different models of program delivery, for example, early evening week day classes and, distance learning.
Development of different models of cost sharing to reduce the financial burden on individual students with a particular focus on retaining and encouraging female students to pursue post-graduate study, for example, scholarships.
Conduct an annual national Graduate Outcome survey to develop (i) an understanding of the destinations of graduates and (ii) labor market links.
Develop university-based Career advisory centers with skilled and qualified staff who can provide services to current students and recently graduated students as well as employers.
Develop university-based Study Skills centers with skilled staff who provide individual and small group assistance to undergraduate and postgraduate students in time management skills, stress management strategies, note taking skills, essay writing skills, presentation skills and other technical and personal skill areas identified as necessary for academic success.
