Unveiling engineering students’ challenges and coping strategies in English-medium instruction: a Q methodology study
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
23635169
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85218209106
Journal Title
Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education
Volume
10
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education Vol.10 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Charoenpornsook V., Thumvichit A. Unveiling engineering students’ challenges and coping strategies in English-medium instruction: a Q methodology study. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education Vol.10 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1186/s40862-024-00307-8 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/105450
Title
Unveiling engineering students’ challenges and coping strategies in English-medium instruction: a Q methodology study
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Abstract
English-medium instruction (EMI) is gaining popularity in higher education (HE) worldwide, with the aim of enhancing students’ English proficiency and professional abilities. However, many students still struggle with learning various subjects in English. While the challenges in EMI are widely discussed in many studies, it is necessary to look into the specific coping strategies students employ. Using Q methodology, this study examines the challenges in EMI and corresponding coping strategies among engineering students. The participants included 47 current and former undergraduate engineering students at a Thai university. To investigate the students’ subjective perspectives, Q sorting tasks with 40 statements were administered, followed by interviews. The data were analyzed using Brown centroid factor analysis with varimax rotation to determine similar patterns across Q sorts. The findings revealed that different group of engineering students have various perspectives on EMI challenges and coping strategies, focusing on cultural, linguistics, structural and institutional challenges. Both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies have been found crucial in addressing these difficulties. The study highlights the need of student orientations, customized teaching methods, and course content that is appropriate for students’ background and language proficiency. Enhancing interactions between Thai and international students is recommended to promote a supportive learning environment. The findings offer valuable insights for the development of EMI engineering programs that cater to the unique needs of students.