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The roles of gender, English language proficiency, and socioeconomic status in English medium instruction academic outcome in higher education

ORCiD logo with link | East Asia University of Technology | FPT UniversityHanoi
Published online: 6 September 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.24026.vu
Abstract
This study investigated the roles of gender, English language proficiency, and socioeconomic status (SES) in higher education English Medium Instruction (EMI) academic outcome. 183 Vietnamese business undergraduates participated in the study. Their International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores in all four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing were collected as a measure of their English language proficiency. Their EMI course scores were collected as evidence of EMI academic outcome. A survey questionnaire was also delivered to the participants to collect information about their gender and SES. The results showed that English language proficiency, especially speaking and reading skills, significantly predicted EMI academic outcome. Gender did not have a significant relationship with EMI outcome. As for SES factors, after English language proficiency and gender were controlled for, three SES factors were significant predictors of EMI outcome: mother’s occupation (positive effect), father’s occupation (negative effect), and family income (negative effect). Neither father’s nor mother’s level of education showed a significant association with EMI outcome. Implications for EMI pedagogy and policies in higher education will be discussed.
Tóm tắt
Nghiên cứu này xem xét vai trò của giới tính, năng lực tiếng Anh và tình trạng kinh tế xã hội đối với kết quả học tập trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh ở bậc đại học. Đối tượng nghiên cứu gồm 183 sinh viên đại học ngành kinh doanh tại Việt Nam. Điểm bài thi IELTS ở bốn kỹ năng nghe, đọc, nói và viết được sử dụng để đo lường năng lực tiếng Anh. Điểm số các học phần giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh được sử dụng làm kết quả học tập trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh. Ngoài ra, một bảng hỏi khảo sát cũng được triển khai nhằm thu thập thông tin về giới tính và tình trạng kinh tế xã hội của những người tham gia nghiên cứu. Kết quả cho thấy năng lực tiếng Anh, đặc biệt là kỹ năng nói và đọc, có ảnh hưởng đáng kể đến kết quả học tập trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh. Giới tính không có mối liên hệ đáng kể với kết quả học tập. Về các yếu tố liên quan đến tình trạng kinh tế xã hội, sau khi đã kiểm soát năng lực tiếng Anh và giới tính, ba yếu tố có ý nghĩa dự báo kết quả học tập trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh là: nghề nghiệp của mẹ (tác động tích cực), nghề nghiệp của cha (tác động tiêu cực) và thu nhập gia đình (tác động tiêu cực). Trình độ học vấn của cha và mẹ không có mối liên hệ đáng kể với kết quả học tập trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh. Nghiên cứu sẽ thảo luận những ý nghĩa đối với việc giảng dạy và các chính sách trong chương trình giảng dạy bằng tiếng Anh ở bậc đại học.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1Gender and EMI outcome
    • 2.2Socioeconomic status (SES) and EMI academic outcome
    • 2.3English language proficiency and EMI outcome
    • 2.4Research gaps and research questions
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Context of the study
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3Data collection
    • 3.4Data analysis
    • 3.5Procedure
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Research question 1: To what extent does gender predict EMI academic outcome?
    • 4.2Research question 2: To what extent does English language proficiency predict EMI academic outcome and which English language skills are the best predictors?
    • 4.3Research question 3: To what extent do SES factors predict EMI academic outcome?
    • 4.4Research question 4: To what extent do gender, English language proficiency and SES predict EMI academic outcome?
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Gender and EMI academic outcome
    • 5.2English language proficiency and EMI academic outcome
    • 5.3SES factors and EMI academic outcome
    • 5.4Implications
    • 5.5Limitations and suggestions for future research
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
References (57)
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