Pulling Back the Curtain: Toward Data-Driven Decision-Making in an Intensive English Program

Abstract

Data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly prevalent in a wide range of institutional contexts around the world. The fields of institutional research (IR) and strategic enrollment management (SEM) have much to offer; however, many institutions have yet to systematically utilize the data that they routinely collect. This article presents research conducted in an intensive English as a foreign language program at a Thai university, where the researchers analyzed the records of 2,231 students who had enrolled in the program between 2015 and 2020. The purpose of the research was to find quantitative answers to questions regarding student success: whether success varies by gender, age group, type of high school credential, nationality, and initial placement in the program. Analysis did not reveal a statistically significant correlation between those factors and student success but did inform instructors’ knowledge of student success rates. The methods used in this article are within the means of many other programs and will be of interest to educators who seek data-driven insights into their students’ success.