Factors Affecting the Engagement of Graduate Students to Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University

Abstract

          The engagement between students and education institutes is significant since it represents impression, faith, pride, determination, and readiness of individuals to exert their efforts in bringing about fame for each education institute. The objective of this study is to explore levels of engagement and factors affecting the engagement of students of the international program towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University. The subjects include 172 postgraduate students of the international program who maintain a student status in the academic year 2014. The data were collected by self-administered questionnaires. The data analysis was made by SPSS program, comprising percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation. The relationship was analyzed by Chi-square and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

          The results of the study revealed that majority of students of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine had a high level of engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine (51.2%). When classifying into each category, it was found that students’ dedication and faith to the Faculty of Tropical Medicine were at a high level (50.6% and 50.0%, respectively), while the highest level belonged to their loyalty towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine (49.4%). Personal factors, namely, title, was associated with the overall engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.022). Motivation to study was positively associated with the engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at a moderate level (p-value = 0.001, r=0.687). When classifying into each category, it was found that education and career expectations, personal rationale and educational support were positively associated with the engagement at a moderate level (r=0.731 and 0.631, respectively). Attitudes were positively associated with the engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at a high level with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.000, r = 0.848), as well as being related to faith, dedication, and loyalty with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.000, r = 0.790, 0.786 and 0.765, respectively). In addition, overall satisfaction was positively associated with the engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at a high level with a 0.05 level of statistical significance   (p-value = 0.000, r = 0.788).  Satisfaction was high positively associated with faith, loyalty and dedication with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.000, r = 0.772, 0.704, 0.700, respectively). Overall association was positively associated with the engagement towards the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at a high level with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.000, r = 0.759).   Overall association was high positively associated with faith, dedication and loyalty with a 0.05 level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.000,  r = 0.715, 0.699, 0.681, respectively).

          Regarding the recommendations from the study, the engagement between students and the institute should be enhanced. In this regard, administrators should establish the operating plan regarding channels and activities for strengthening the engagement between students and the institute, determine the public relations approach and promote more activities involving both current students and alumni, provide academic services by increasingly holding activities for enhancing learning experiences, arranging the environment, and facilitating students.