Study of Chinese Students’ Application to UK Universities in Uncertain Times

A large number of Chinese applicants use education agents to apply for overseas programmes. This research investigates agents’ practices with in-service Chinese applicants to UK universities in the context of information asymmetry. COVID-19 pandemic has generated severe challenges for the international higher education sector and on Chinese applicants’ plans to study overseas.This study reports on the findings from in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese agent consultants undertaken in nine cities across China in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic (May 2020). The findings indicate that education agents attempt to mitigate the information asymmetry and emotionally reassure applicants through a four-step information management process. Our contribution generates a new understanding of the role that education agents play in international students’ applications and mobility, voices that are often ignored but essential for international students’ decision-making processes and existing university recruitment services.

International Recruitment in Canadian Higher Education: Factors Influencing Students’ Perceptions and Experiences with Education Agents

Education agents, also known as college counsellors or third-party recruiters, have been used extensively by Canadian higher education institutions (HEIs) to recruit international students. Unfortunately, little research to date has focused on international students in Canadian HEIs regarding agent practices. This study investigated Canada-bound international students’ perceptions of and experiences with education agents. A survey consisting of two scales was used to gather data. A total of 385 participants representing 59 countries responded to the survey. Findings revealed that nearly half of the participants used education agents during their application, but their general perceptions of and specific experiences with agents were less than satisfactory. This study also identified a few characteristics of international students that might help Canadian HEIs improve the efficiency of their recruitment practices and policies.

Assessment of an educational strategy and application of an oral health preventive protocol in early childhood

Introduction: in Colombia, educational and preventive strategies to improve oral health in early childhood have been developed, but few evaluative studies have been conducted to assess their results. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge on early childhood oral care acquired by education agents after participating in an educational strategy, and to evaluate the results of the implementation of the Ministry of Health’s preventive protocol “I am a more smiling generation” (Soy una generación más sonriente). Methods: this was a mixed-focus study. The qualitative component was a participatory assessment of learning. It involved 45 education agents registered in a state program, who participated in workshops and focus groups. The quantitative component was a longitudinal study with the participation of 54 mother-child pairs belonging to the same program. The preventive protocol was applied three times over a twelve-month period. It included educational reinforcement and application of fluoride varnish to the children, using oral examination and assessment of their dental caries risk, as well as a survey to identify the families’ social conditions. Results: after applying the preventive protocol, the average carious teeth in children decreased from 3.1 teeth in the first examination to 2.2 in the third one. Prior to application of the preventive protocol, 49% of children had a high risk of developing cavities and in the last visit 63% were at low risk while 5.6% were at high risk. A number of positive aspects result from this learning assessment, including the adoption of new pedagogical strategies to accompany children during oral care practices; there are also some aspects to improve in relation to the persistence of conflicting knowledge concerning children’s rights to oral health. Conclusion: following the application of the preventive protocol, the children’s average carious teeth decreased, as well as their risk for dental caries. Educational agents acquired new knowledge, but uniform knowledge in terms of children’s health rights is still lacking.

Monitoring of Education Agents Engaged in International Student Recruitment: Perspectives from Agency Theory

This article examines the monitoring of third-party education agents employed in international student recruitment. Agency theory identifies comprehensive monitoring as one way to ensure that agents work in the principal’s best interest. By analyzing best practice guidelines, this article investigates the monitoring mechanisms proposed for education providers to mitigate information asymmetry in their education agent relationships. The findings from the analysis suggest that following the existing guidelines would only allow client institutions to partially observe the behavior of their agents. Hence, education providers should be not only guided toward more intensive use of the existing techniques but also encouraged to adopt new techniques, such as mystery shopping, to better determine education agents’ true behavior.

International Admissions: Ethical Challenges

The May 2013 NACAC Report concludes that the paying by colleges of commission fees to education agents, while acceptable, is not a best practice as it promotes misrepresentations to students. The Report overlooks the more troubling incentives: agent misrepresentations to gouge genuine but easily manipulated students for large fees, or conniving with students (or their parents) to abet fabrication of student academic records. Addressing these challenges requires ardent institutional accountability.

Optimal Motivation and Governance of Education Agents

This chapter addresses the issue of marketing higher education institutions through education agents, focusing on ways to gain a competitive advantage over other institutions in the context of increasing global competition while maintaining close management and governance of this distribution channel. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 31 Australian university international marketing managers and staff, and 16 education agents based in Australia and overseas. The findings show seven main themes, namely, service and support, joint promotion, incentives, training, gifts, social activities, and relationship enhancement. The contributions of this chapter are the provision of experiences, ideas, attitudes, and perspectives of how Australian universities work in partnership with education agents throughout the world to recruit international students in an increasingly competitive marketplace, whilst ensuring obligations are met under Australian international education legislation. This chapter provides marketing specialists, educational administrators, and policy makers with practical real life examples of motivational and management techniques.