Antecedents of students intention to study abroad higher education - An Empirical research in Viet Nam.pdf

1. UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
International School of Business
------------------------------
Lê Thị Hồng An
ANTECEDENTS OF STUDENTS’ INTENTION TO STUDY
ABROAD IN HIGHER EDUCATION:
AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN VIETNAM
MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)
Ho Chi Minh City – Year 2014

2. UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
International School of Business
------------------------------
Lê Thị Hồng An
ANTECEDENTS OF STUDENTS’ INTENTION TO STUDY
ABROAD IN HIGHER EDUCATION:
AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN VIETNAM
ID: 22120041
MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)
SUPPERVISOR: DR. LE NGUYEN HAU
Ho Chi Minh City – Year 2014

3. i
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor - Dr. Le Nguyen Hau, who has
given me great guidance, valuable advice, suggestions that helping me in
implementing this study.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to ISB Research Council who gave
valuable recommendations throughout my thesis’s periods as well as all professors,
tutors and officers of ISB - MBus Program for academic knowledge and assistance
throughout the program at International School of Business.
Last but not least, I am grateful to Principals, Vice Principals and teachers at Saigon
International College, Nguyen Thuong Hien high school, Le Quy Don high school and
Gia Dinh high school for their advice and support in collecting the information.
Without their support, I could not complete my thesis.
Thank you,
Le Thi Hong An

4. ii
Table of content
List of Tables......................................................................................................................iv
List of Figures......................................................................................................................v
ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................................vi
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................2
1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND .............................................................................2
1.1.1 Studying abroad in higher education in Vietnam ...........................................2
1.1.2 Existing studies about factors that impact on study oversea intention...........3
1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE ....................................................................................6
1.3 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH ..............................................................................6
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ......................................................................7
1.5 THESIS’S ORGANIZATION...............................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURES REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES......................................9
2.1 LITERATURES REVIEW ....................................................................................9
2.1.1 An overview about the Theory of Planned Behavior ......................................9
2.1.2 Intention ........................................................................................................11
2.1.3 Attitude toward the behavior.........................................................................12
2.1.4 Subjective norm.............................................................................................13
2.1.5 Perceived behavioral control........................................................................14
2.2 RESEARCH MODEL .........................................................................................15
2.3 HYPOTHESES....................................................................................................16
2.4 SUMMARY.........................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD.............................................................................17
3.1 RESEARCH PROCEDURE................................................................................17
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN.........................................................................................19
3.2.1 Measurement Scales......................................................................................19
3.2.2 Selection of Method Research......................................................................22
3.2.3 Measurement Refinement..............................................................................23
3.2.4 Questionnaire Design....................................................................................24
3.3 MAIN STUDY AND DATA COLLECTION.....................................................24
3.3.1 Sampling and sample ....................................................................................24
3.3.2 Data analysis.................................................................................................25

5. iii
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS........................................................27
4.1 DATA STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ...................................................................27
4.2 MEASUREMENT SCALES ASSESSMENT.....................................................28
4.2.1 Reliability Test ..............................................................................................28
4.2.2 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)..............................................................31
4.2.3 Correlation....................................................................................................35
4.2.4 Adjusted Model And Hypotheses...................................................................37
4.3 HYPOTHESES TESTING ..................................................................................38
4.3.1 Assumption of Multiple Regression...............................................................38
4.3.2 Hypotheses testing.........................................................................................39
4.4 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................42
4.5 SUMMARY.........................................................................................................43
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS ...................................................45
5.1 MAIN FINDINGS ...............................................................................................45
5.2 IMPLICATIONS .................................................................................................46
5.2.1 Managerial implication.................................................................................46
5.2.2 Theoretical implications................................................................................47
5.3 LIMITATIONS....................................................................................................47
5.4 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................48
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................49
APPENDICES...................................................................................................................52
Appendix A: Questionnaire (Vietnamese Version) .......................................................52
Appendix B: Questionnaire (English Version)..............................................................55
Appendix C: KMO and Bartlett's Test for Independent variables................................58
Appendix D: Cronbach’s alpha Test for AIPI construct................................................58
Appendix E: Cronbach’s alpha Test for AIPP construct ...............................................59
Appendix F: KMO and Bartlett's Test for dependent variable ......................................59

6. iv
List of Tables
Table 3.2: Measurement scales.................................................................................................20
Table 4-1: Data descriptive statistics........................................................................................27
Table 4-2: Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients for each measurement scale ..................................29
Table 4-3: Cronbach’ Alpha results after excluding unsatisfactory items ...............................30
Table 4-4: Rotated Component Matrixa
...................................................................................32
Table: 4-5: Total Variance Explained of independent variables..............................................33
Table 4-6: Total Variance Explained of dependent variable....................................................34
Table 4-7: Representative variables .........................................................................................35
Table 4-8: Correlations between variables...............................................................................36
Table 4-9: Hypotheses testing result (Model Summary, ANOVA, Coefficients)....................39

7. v
List of Figures
Figure 2.1: The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991)......................................................11
Figure 2.2: Research model......................................................................................................16
Figure 3.2: Research procedure................................................................................................18
Figure 4.6: Adjusted model ......................................................................................................37

8. vi
ABBREVIATIONS
ELICOS: English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students
VET: Vocational Education and Training
TPB: Theory of Planned Behavior
TRA: Theory of Reasoned Action
ANOVA: Analysis Of Variance
EFA: Explored Factor Analysis
KMO: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin
SPSS: Statistical Package for Social Science

9. 1
ABSTRACT
Higher education has become an increasingly competitive sector for developed
foreign education. The number of countries that are actively involved in
international student recruitment has grown considerably. It is important to gain a
better understanding of the factors that influencing on intention to study overseas.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of key antecedents on intention
of studying abroad in tertiary education of high school students in the context of
Vietnam.
After pilot study, a quantitative research was utilized with a sample of 289 students
in some high schools in Ho Chi Minh City. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)
was used as a framework to understand the intention to study abroad.
Results indicate that the influences of attitude toward foreign education, advices of
influential people and perceive behavioral control play significant role in predicting
intention to study abroad of high school students.
Overall, the results of this study may help foreign education institutions develop a
good understanding of Vietnamese students’ behavior in selecting an institution for
studying in English – speaking countries.
Keywords: intention, theory of planned behavior, study abroad, higher education,
Vietnamese students

10. 2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Chapter I introduces a background and an overview of studying abroad in higher
education in Vietnam as well as existing studies about factors that impact on study
oversea intention. The Introduction also specifies the research objectives, scope of
this study and significance of the research. Chapter I also provides an overview of
all chapters that will be presented in this paper.
1.1RESEARCH BACKGROUND
1.1.1 Studying abroad in higher education in Vietnam
According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), over 100,000
Vietnamese students are studying abroad in 47 countries and territories. Among
them, about 90% is self-funded study. Viet Nam has become a productive market
for international institutions (Vietnamnet, 2013).
International education is a growing export industry for many developed countries.
The US’ Open Doors 2011 report showed that the number of Vietnamese students
in the country increased by 14% during the 2010-2011 academic year. Vietnam
ranks eighth among countries and territories sending students to the US, a
considerable increase compared to the 20th place five years ago and around 72.1%
of Vietnamese students in the US pursued tertiary education. More and more
Vietnamese apply for studying at the schools in the United States, Australia, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, Singapore and so on. The list of the destination
countries for Vietnamese students has been expanded. (Dantri, 2012)
A report of Australian Education International (2014) stated that following China
and India, Vietnam is currently the third largest international student source market
for Australia. Among the higher education, ELICOS, VET and school sectors, the
proportion of higher education sector is high with 44%.

11. 3
There is a growing trend of students studying overseas under scholarships as well as
self-funded. Australia, US, Britain, Canada and France were early market entrants.
Besides, emerging education markets such as Singapore, New Zealand, the
Netherlands, Thailand, Germany, South Korea, and Japan have all increased efforts
to attract Vietnamese students with scholarships, education exhibitions and other
recruitment activities. Thus, Vietnam’s international education market is highly
competitive. (AEI, 2014)
Study abroad is an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves, build
self-confidence, meet new people, and experience new cultures along with
numerous other positive outcomes (Naffziger, Bott, & Mueller, 2008). The growth
of Vietnamese students studying abroad is an opportunity for foreign institutions in
countries that have a developed education such as United Stated, United Kingdom,
Australia, Canada and so on. However, study abroad has also become an
educational activity for many foreign institutions that compete to attract students.
To attract Vietnamese students who intend to study abroad, there are many higher
education fairs that organized every year such as Australian education exhibitions,
Study USA Higher Education Fairs, UK education festivals, and so on. This means
more and more international institutions have involved Vietnam market and make
the higher education become an increasingly competitive sector.
Hence, to study the factors that affect students’ intention to study abroad in higher
education is the important part of marketing strategy planning for student’s
recruitment of foreign institutes.
1.1.2 Existing studies about factors that impact on study oversea intention
There are a numerous researches about factors influencing choice of study abroad as
Zhang, Sun and Hagedorn (2013) summarized, for instance, a research of Barnick
(2006) in the context of Canada, students considered studying in a different country
as an investment to their future success by becoming global citizens and

12. 4
internationally competent knowledge-workers; Maiworm and Teichler (1995)
claimed that European students were motivated to study abroad to learn a foreign
language, gain a better understanding of the host country, and improve career
prospects. A study with a focus on American students (Carlson, Burn, Useem, &
Yachimovicz, 1990) indicated that students were seeking opportunities overseas to
enhance their future careers. Besides, some studies of international students from
Indonesia, Taiwan, India, and mainland China (Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002) identified
14 common factors impacted international students' decision to pursue a degree in
Australia. These factors included “students' positive perception of education abroad,
accessibility of information on the host country, students' knowledge of the host
country, educational quality in the host country, recognition of a foreign degree in
the home country, recommendations from family and friends, costs of education in
home and host countries, a low crime rate, a presence of students from the home
country, and family ties in the host country.” (Zhang, Sun & Hagedorn, 2013, p.
141)
In addition, a report by the Australian Education International office (2005) also
outlined several factors that may have an impact on participation in study abroad.
Among these are university educated parents, previous personal international travel
experience, family income, program cost, local commitments to work or living
(Naffziger, Bott, & Mueller, 2008).
According to a survey of university graduates of Baker et al. (1996), the most
significant factors attracting overseas students to Australia were the high quality of
institutions, quality of courses, good reputation of courses in field, and the potential
for improved job prospects when returning their home.
Besides analyzing the factors that have impact on study abroad, there are few
researches using of theoretical models, such as, the theory of planned behavior
(TPB) to examine student motivations for overseas study in some contexts of
America, Taiwan, and China. For instance, in the context of America, there are

13. 5
studies of Adrien Presley, Dathat Damron-Martinez & Lin Zhang (2010): A study
of business student choice to study abroad: A test of the theory of planned behavior;
and Schnusenberg, O., de Jong, P. and Goel, L. (2012): Predicting study abroad
intentions based on the theory of Planned Behavior; a research of Rachel Bobbitt &
Cindy Akers (2013) is Going Global: Study Abroad Intentions of Agriculture and
Natural Resource Students in Taiwan context; and a research namely The
relationship between attitude and behavior: an empirical study in China (Jianyao Li,
Dick Mizerski, Alvin Lee & Fang Liu, 2009) in China context. These studies used
the TBP to predict the intention to study abroad of students and the results affirmed
that TPB predictors were highly correlated with the intention.
In addition, as Knabe (2012) states that Ajzen’s model has received substantial
research support in recent years from social scientists (Ajzen, 2011; Sideridis,
Kasissidis, & Padeliadu, 1998). One of the major strengths of the Theory of Planned
Behavior is that it is widely applicable to a variety of behaviors in different
contexts, including such diverse areas as health communications, environmental
concerns, risk communication and so on. The theory has been used successfully in
hundreds of different studies in the last two decades (Ajzen, 2011). This study
offers another opportunity to test the model and apply it to test the theoretical
sufficiency of the Theory of Planned Behavior in study oversea industry.
In summary, there have been a lot of literatures on students’ enrollment study
abroad such as Dembowski, 1980; Chapman, 1981; Coccari and Javalgi, 1995;
Broekemier and Seshadri, 1999; Baharun et al., 2001; Dalgety and Coll, 2004 (Li,
Mizerski, Lee, & Liu, 2009). However, there has been a few examination of the use
of theoretical models like the theory of planned behavior, to examine student
motivations for overseas study especially in Vietnam context.
According to current situation of study abroad of Vietnamese students and existing
researches about oversea study intention, this paper examines key antecedents that

14. 6
influences on study abroad intention in Vietnam context by adopting the Theory of
Planned Behavior.
1.2RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
The theory of planned behavior was introduced as an extension of the Theory of
Reasoned Action (TRA) by Ajzen (Thom, 2007). The TRA suggests that a person's
behavior is determined by person’s intention to perform the behavior and that this
intention is a function of his/her attitude toward the behavior and subjective norm
successively. According to TPB, an individual behavior is driven by his/her
behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control (PBC). Behavioral intentions
in turn are determined by their attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and
perceived control. (Ajzen, 1991)
Intention is the cognitive representation of a person's readiness to perform a given
behavior, and it is considered to be the immediate antecedent of behavior.
Behavioral intention is determined by three factors: their attitude toward the
behavior, subjective norms and their perceived behavioral control.
By adopting the theory of planned behavior, the study examines key antecedents
that participate to predict study abroad intention of high school students in Vietnam.
The following are specific objectives of the study:
(1) To examine the impact of attitude toward foreign education on study abroad
intention of Vietnamese students.
(2) To examine the effect of influential people (such as parents, relatives,
teachers, friends and others which represent subjective norm) on
Vietnamese students’ intention of study abroad
(3) And to examine the effect of perceived behavioral control on intention to
study abroad of Vietnamese students.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH

15. 7
The study assesses the applicability of the theory of planned behavior to explain the
behavior of Vietnamese students in selecting a higher education institution in
English – speaking country. There are a lot of factors that influence on intention to
study abroad, this study explores key antecedents that have been mentioned in the
objective and ignore other aspects.
The subject of study and observation is high school students. The examination is
implemented in some high schools in Ho Chi Minh City which have had a great
number of students planning to study abroad in undergraduate.
And the last points, the study just focuses on students studying abroad under self-
funded. English – speaking country is defined where English used as the mother
tongue.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In the context of study abroad in higher education in Vietnam, by adopting the
theory of planned behavior, this study may contribute a new measurement
instrument that may helpful for future researches in education industry.
In managerial implication aspect, this study may help foreign education institutions
in English – speaking countries develop a good understanding of Vietnamese
students’ behavior in selection an institution for studying in English – speaking
countries. As a result, these institutions can improve their business performance in
Vietnam market.
1.5 THESIS’S ORGANIZATION
The study is built in five parts including:
Chapter 1 – Introduction

16. 8
This chapter presents an overview of study abroad trend in Vietnam as well as
discusses about the existing researches in study abroad in higher education. This
leads to propose the research problem, research objectives and significance of the
research.
Chapter 2 - Literatures review and hypotheses
Chapter 2 indicates the theoretical foundation of the research, particularly, the
concept of theory of Planned Behavior and their relationship in literature. Thence,
the hypotheses are discovered and proposed for this research.
Chapter 3 - Research method
Research method describes the way to build the measurement and conducting the
survey and the way to choose the sample for information collecting.
Chapter 4 –Data analysis and results
The chapter presents the techniques to analyze the data. Then, the results are
exhibited and discussed.
Chapter 5 –Discussion, implications and limitations
The last chapter discusses the main findings, contributions and limitation of the
study.

17. 9
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURES REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES
The chapter 2 refers the theory of planned behavior and its constructs, consisting of
attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavior control and
behavioral intention. This chapter also discovers applications the theory in
predicting the intention of study abroad. Therefore, the hypotheses are find out and
proposed.
2.1LITERATURES REVIEW
2.1.1 An overview about the Theory of Planned Behavior
The Theory of Planned Behavior which had been developed by Icek Ajzen in the
first time in 1985 is an extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The
purpose for reviewing The Theory of Reasoned Action and The Theory of Planned
Behavior is to provide understanding of the theoretical constructs and variables used
in this study. While the Theory of Reasoned Action is not the theory chosen for this
study, it provides valuable insight into the Theory of Planned Behavior’s evolution
into a leading social scientific theory used to study behavioral intent.
The Theory of Reasoned Action
As Knabe (2012) showed that the Theory of Reasoned Action which introduced by
Fishbein in 1967 provides background to develope the Theory of Planned Behavior.
This theory asserts that people consider the implications of behavior before action,
hence, the name of the theory, the Theory of Reasoned Action. Using the Theory of
Reasoned Action as a conceptual framework, Ajzen and Fishbein (1977) surmised
that attitudes toward behaviors stem from underlying beliefs concerning these
behaviors. The Theory of Reasoned Action assumes attitudes result from a
combination of beliefs about the characteristics of particular attitude objects and
evaluations of these characteristics. Intent plays a critical role in this theory, and is
identified as the greatest predictor of whether or not someone will complete a

18. 10
specific behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977). According to Ajzen and Fishbein
(1980), the Theory of Reasoned Action states that the two major determinants of
intention are an individual’s attitude toward the behavior and the pressures
(perceived) of subjective norms (SN). Together, these forces determine intent.
Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) contend that in general, individuals will intend to
perform a behavior when they evaluate it positively and when they believe
important “others” think they should perform it. However,the theorists acknowledge
the relative weights of Attitude and Subjective Norm vary based on the intent, and
also vary from person to person (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980).
The Theory of Planned Behavior
Ajzen (1988) developed the Theory of Planned Behavior as an extension of the
Theory of Reasoned Action. Then the theory was reviewed to deal with its various
aspects. Unlike the Theory of Reasoned Action, which is only used for behaviors
under a person’s control, the Theory of Planned Behavior considers volitional
control as a variable. By definition, volitional control means a person must have the
resources, opportunity and support available to perform a specific behavior (Ajzen,
1991).
Theory of Planned Behavior uses attitudes, subjective norms and perceived
behavioral control to predict “intention” with relatively high accuracy. According to
the theory, intention to perform behaviors can be predicted from attitude toward the
behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The theory proposes
that a central factor in human behavior is behavioral intention, which is affected by
attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. The
intention together with perception behavioral control is important factors explaining
actual behavior (figure 2.1) (Ajzen, 1991). Because objectives of the paper are to
examine the impact of factors on intention to study abroad, actual behavior is not
investigated.

19. Figure 2.1: The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991)
2.1.2 Intention
According to Ajzen, intention is an indication of a person's readiness to perform a
given behavior, and it is considered to be the immediate antecedent of behavior.
Intention is assumed to capture the motivational factors that influence a behavior;
they are indications of how hard people are willing to try, how much effort they are
planning to exert, in order to perform the behavior. In this conceptualization,
intention is considered as mediators of attitude-behavior relationship. Whereas the
attitude represents an evaluation of the action, the respective intention is seen as the
result of a decision to execute this action and thus represents the person’s
willingness to act.
The formation of intention is seen as dependent on the person’s attitude toward the
behavior, normative pressure and perception of difficulties and ease to execute the
behavior. A behavioral intention will be performed when behavioral attitude is
Behavior
BEHAVIORAL
INTENTION
Perceived
behavioral
control
Subjective
norm
Attitude

20. 12
positive, subjective norms favor the execution, and individuals perceive the
opportunities to perform the action. Thus, the intention is based on attitude toward
the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. As a general rule,
the more favorable the attitude and subjective norm, and the greater the perceived
control, the stronger should be the person’s intention to perform the behavior in
question. For example, if students have positive attitudes toward study abroad,
believe that important members in her or his family (subjective norm) would
approve of the behavior, and have available resources (perceive behavioral control)
to undertake study, and then they are more likely to form an intention to perform
such behavior. Therefore, according to the TPB , the stronger their attitudes, the
greater the approval of others and the greater their capability of resourcing overseas
study, then the stronger will be a student ' s intention to undertake study overseas
(Chen & Zimitat, 2006). An analysis of Bobbitt and Akers (2013) also showed that
a combination of attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms and perceived
behavioral control significantly explained student’s intent to study abroad.
2.1.3 Attitude toward the behavior
Attitude toward the behavior refers the degree of behavioral performance is positive
or negative that a person holds towards a particular behavior.
According to Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), general attitude toward an object is
formed by salient beliefs. Salient beliefs are defined as “the subjective probability
of a relation between the object of the belief and some other object, value, concept,
or attribute” (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). In principle, product quality beliefs can be
established by descriptive, informational, and inferential formation (Fishbein &
Ajzen, 1975). Descriptive beliefs are formed through direct observation of
characteristics of products. Informative beliefs are formed by accepting information
about product attributes provided by outside sources such as friends,
advertisements, or consumer magazines. Inferential beliefs are formed by a

21. 13
perception process that is based on prior beliefs activated in memory, concerning
the perceived relationship between a cue and a product attributes, and new
information acquired from environments (Steenkamp, 1990; Peter & Hans, 1995 as
cited in Thom, 2007).
A number of studies have indicated that personal beliefs and attitudes significantly
influence participation in study abroad (BaileyShea, 2010). The research of Chen et
al. (2006) found that the attitude or perceptions of students towards higher
education in the destination country was of greatest importance in shaping their
intentions for overseas study in the context of Taiwan. This study also indicated
that in terms of attitude, the belief of improving career prospects is one of the
benefits of study abroad (in Australia and the USA). According to Zhang, Sun and
Hagedorn (2013), some researchers such as (Bodycott, 2009) and Zhang (2010)
found that Chinese students studying abroad because they believe that study abroad
is an opportunity to receive a better quality education and to become more
competitive when they return to China. Chinese students are also well aware of the
fact that through education, especially the acquisition of an overseas degree, they
may obtain skills that could widen their career options (Zwart, 2013). A research of
Phang (2013) shows that respondents to choose study broad base on many
criterions. Among them, university’s accreditation and ranking, reputation of a
university and future carrier are important factors which influence their choices in
selecting higher education abroad. Thus, the author suggests the hypothesis is:
H1. Attitude toward foreign education have positive impact on intention to
study abroad of Vietnamese students
2.1.4 Subjective norm
Subjective norm is the perceived social pressure to engage or not to engage in a
behavior (Ajzen, 2006). TRA and TPB propose that behavioral intention should be
predicted by both attitudes and subjective norms. Individuals differ consistently in

22. 14
the amount of weight they place on attitudinal and normative consideration.
Empirical evidences show that for some people, personal considerations were better
predictor of intentions than were subjective norms, whereas for other individuals,
subjective norms are stronger predictor than attitudes (Ajzen & Fishbein, 2005).
However, the empirical research and meta-analysis in social science show that
subjective norm is a weakest predictor of intention and behavior (Ajzen, 1991;
Conner & Armitage, 1998; 2001). The explanations for such weak effect include
measurement’s problems and failure to tap appropriate components of normative
influence. Especially, some researchers have argued to remove the construct from
analysis for reasons of its inadequate and rarely predict intention (Conner &
Armitage as cited in Thom, 2007)
In contrast, a number of studies revealed that, at a certain level, social pressures,
such as peers, parents, teachers and relatives, influence enrollment choices (Ray,
1991; Koballa, 1998). According to Chapman (1981), students are strongly
persuaded by the comments and advice of their friends and family in selecting a
college. Even though the final decision to study abroad is mainly decided by
students themselves, their family members, friends and others’ opinion such as their
teacher influence them significantly by providing information and suggestions
(Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002). Besides, a research of Bobbitt and Akers (2013) also
indicated that there is a positive role played by peers in encouraging study abroad
although the intention to study abroad appears to be a personal choice and
influenced by others in lesser level. Therefore, the hypothesis supposed:
H2. Advices of influential people such as parents, relatives, teachers, friends
and others) have positive impact on intention to studying abroad of Vietnamese
students
2.1.5 Perceived behavioral control

23. 15
Perceived behavioral control refers to people's perceptions of their ability to
perform a given behavior. It plays an important part in the theory of planned
behavior and make the theory differs from the TRA. Perceived Behavioral Control
is determined by the total set of accessible control of factors that may facilitate or
impede performance of the behavior (Ajzen, 1991). It performs the perceived ease
or difficulty of the performing of the behavior (Li et al., 2009). Behavioral intention
would not be executed if the person perceives that they do not have opportunities
and resources to perform the action, in spite of his strongly favorable attitudes and
under high social pressures. A given behavior will be more likely to occur when
individuals have both the ability and motivation to perform the behaviors than when
they have only one or neither.
In study context, for students, whether they choose to study through an offshore
program is also influenced by the perceived behavioral control factors (Li et al.,
2009). The study of Chen and Zimitat (2006) states that if individuals believe that
they do not have sufficient resources or opportunities to undertake particular
behavior, they are not likely to form a strong intention to perform such behavior.
According to Bobbitt and Akers (2013), resources for implement the behavior of
study oversea include finance, language fluency, and knowledge. Thus it is
hypothesized that:
H3. Perceived behavioral control has a positive impact on Vietnamese
students’ study abroad intention.
2.2RESEARCH MODEL
Base on the literatures review and the framework of the theory planned behavior,
the research model is illustrated in figure 2.3. This model consists of three major
constructs including attitude toward foreign education, advices of influential people
and perceived behavioral control. Hypotheses of this study are also summarized.

24. 16
Figure 2.2: Research model
2.3HYPOTHESES
H1. Attitude toward foreign education have positive impact on intention to study
abroad of Vietnamese students
H2. Advices of influential people such as parents, relatives, teachers, friends and
others) have positive impact on intention to studying abroad of Vietnamese
students
H3. Perceived behavioral control has a positive impact on Vietnamese students’
study abroad intention.
2.4 SUMMARY
This chapter presents reviews of relevant concepts, hypothesizes, model based some
previous studies and experiences related to the research topic. The research model
was completely developed from the TPB concept. Three hypotheses were proposed.
The following chapter will present how the author develops measurement scales for
each constructs in the research model as well as how to collect the data and the
research methodology.
STUDY ABROAD
INTENTION
Perceived behavioral
control
Advices of influential
people
Attitude toward
foreign education
H2
H1
H3
Attitude toward behavior
Subjective norm

25. 17
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter deals with the method and research design to explore the effect of key
antecedents on study abroad intention by applying the theoretical frameworks and
related constructs to the development of the study’s instrument, a survey. The
chapter includes research procedure, measurement scales, research design, sampling
and methodology for data analysis which will be present clearly in the next chapter.
3.1 RESEARCH PROCEDURE
After the research problem was identified, the research objectives and research
scope were determined. The literature review about TPB and relevant previous
studies were also explored for the hypotheses development. The draft questionnaire
was established from the consolidation of various questionnaires used in some
previous studies of the extant literature. After pilot study, main study was
conducted to collect the data for data analysis and the last step was conclusion and
implication. Clearly, the research procedure in this study consists of following
steps:
Step 1: Developing the initial research model and a consolidated draft questionnaire
based on the literature review. The draft questionnaire was conducted from various
measurement scales in some previous studies that applied the Theory of Planned
Behavior in examining study abroad intention.
Step 2: Conducting a qualitative pilot study to refine a questionnaire. A sample with
seven students which selected randomly was interviewed. They were required to
give their opinion about each statement to ensure that the final questions would be
well understood. Based on the results of this research, the measurement scales of the
questionnaire was refined.

26. Figure 3.2: Research procedure
Step 3: Carrying out a quantitative pilot survey to test the reliability of measurement
scales. Cronbach’s alpha was used for this step. The final questionnaire was
launched after all scales were reliable
Step 4: Launching a main survey and collecting the data for data analysis step. 300
questionnaires were sent to three high schools, 289 responses were received four
weeks after the survey was launched.
Step 5: With the data collected from this main survey, after data cleaning, the
reliability of the measurement scales was testing by using Cronbach Alpha
Literature review Back translation
Draft questionnaire
Qualitative study
(n=7)
Quantitative study
(n=55)
Reliability Analysis Final Questionnaire
Validity analysis
(EFA)
Hypothesis testing
(Regression)
Main survey (n=289)
Reliability Analysis
(Cronbach’s Alpha)
Pilot study
Refined
questionnaire
Main study
Item generation

27. 19
Analysis. The scale reliability testing means testing the internal consistency among
variables of the same construct.
Step 6: Validity of the scales was tested with Explore Factor analysis (EFA) to
explore the inter-relationships among a set of variables.
Step 7: Testing the research hypotheses by using multi linear regression analysis.
After the reliability was confirmed, multiples regression analysis was employed to
test the hypotheses.
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
The research in this paper was designed in two phases: a pilot study and main
survey. Before implementing these studies, a draft questionnaire was conducted
from measurement scales of some previous studies.
3.2.1 Measurement Scales
Four first – order constructs were examined. There were 24 measurement variables,
belonged to four factors and were coded and shown in table below. Measurement
scales for all factors were summarized in the table 3.2
Measurement scales for attitude toward foreign education were modified from
scales of attitude toward study abroad intention of Chen and Zimitat (2006) with 7
items.
Advices of influential people scales were adapted from Subjective norm scales of
Bobbitt and Akers (2013); Chen and Zimitat (2006) with 6 items.
Measurement scale for perceived behavioral control were also adapted from Bobbitt
and Akers (2013) and Chen and Zimitat (2006). Perceived behavioral control was
also measured by 6 items.

28. 20
Intention to studying abroad was based on Bobbitt and Akers (2013) scales and
Davis et al. (2002) with 5 items.
These constructs were assessed by series of items with five-point Likert type from 1
- strongly disagree to 5 - strongly agree:
(1): Strongly disagree
(2): Disagree
(3): Neutral
(4): Agree
(5): Strongly Agree
Respondents were asked to indicate their levels of agreement or disagreement with
statements regarding each construct.
Table 3.2: Measurement scales
Original scale Adjusted scale Codin
g
Source
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Attitude toward behavior scale Attitude toward foreign
education
ATT
(1) Education in many English-
speaking countries will improve my
English skills.
(1) Education in English-
speaking countries will
improve my English skills
ATT1 (Chen &
Zimitat,
2006)
(2) Qualifications from many
English-speaking countries are
more valuable than Taiwanese
qualifications
(2) Qualifications from
English-speaking countries are
more valuable than Vietnamese
qualifications
ATT2
(3) The academic reputation of
universities in many English-
speaking countries is higher than
those in Taiwan.
(3) The academic reputation
of universities in English-
speaking countries is higher
than those in Vietnam
ATT3

29. 21
(4) High achievement in
academic research in an English-
speaking country is important to
me.
(4) High achievement in
academic research in an
English-speaking country is
one of things that I interested
in.
ATT4
(5) Studying in many English-
speaking countries can improve my
job prospects.
(5) Studying in English-
speaking countries can
improve my job prospects after
graduation
ATT5
(6) A degree from an
economically powerful English-
speaking country is highly valued
in Taiwan.
(6) With an international
degree, I may have better
career opportunities in
Vietnam
ATT6
(7) International degree is one
of important things that may
can help me get a job with high
salary
ATT7
Subjective norm scale Advices of influential people
scale
AIP
(Chen &
Zimitat,
2006)
(1) My parents can influence my
decision-making process
(1) My parents’ advice
influences on my intention to
study abroad
AIP1
(2) My other family members can
influence my decision-making
process
(2) My other family members’
advice influences on my
intention to study abroad
AIP2
(3) My teachers can influence my
decision-making process.
(3) My teachers’ advice
influences my intention to
study abroad
AIP3
(4) My friends can influence my
decision-making process
(4) My friends’ opinion
influences my intention to
study abroad
AIP4
(5) Word of mouth from other
people who have studied overseas
can influence my decision-making
process.
(5) Word of mouth from other
people who have studied
overseas influences my
intention to study abroad.
AIP5
(6) When it comes to study
abroad, how much do you want to
be like your friends
(6) I may study at the
institution which my friends
will study/is studying
AIP6 (Bobbitt &
Akers,
2013)
Perceived behavioral control
(PBC) scale
Perceived behavioral control PBC

30. 22
(1) The cost of university tuition
fees is an important factor for
overseas study
(1) University tuition fees is
an factor that impact on my
intention study abroad
PBC1 (Chen &
Zimitat,
2006)
(2) Cost of living is an important
factor for overseas study.
(2) Cost of living is an factor
that impact on my intention
study abroad
PBC
2
(3) The length of time taken to
complete my degree is an important
factor overseas study.
(3) The length of time taken
to complete my degree is factor
that impact on my intention
study abroad
PBC
3
(4) It is important to maintain
sufficient contact with my family
when I study overseas.
(4) It is important to maintain
sufficient contact with my
family when I study overseas.
PBC4
(5) Entry into university in Taiwan
is so competitive that I would
prefer to study overseas
(5) Entry into university in
Vietnam is so competitive that
I would prefer to study
overseas
PBC5
(6) They would have difficulty due
to language barriers when
participating in a study abroad
program
(6) I would have difficulty
due to language barriers if I
study abroad
PBC6 (Bobbitt &
Akers,
2013)
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
Intention to study abroad Intention to study abroad ISA
(1) I have previously considered
participating in a study abroad
program.
(1) I have previously
considered participating in a
study abroad program.
ISA1 (Bobbitt &
Akers,
2013)
(2) Participating in a study abroad
program is something that interests
me
(2) Participating in a study
abroad program is something
that interests me
ISA2
(3) I intend to participate in a
study abroad program
(3) I intend to study abroad ISA3
(4) I expect to study abroad (4) I expect to study abroad ISA4 (Davis,
Ajzen,
Saunders,
&
Williams,
2002)
(5) I will try to study abroad in
future
(5) I will try to study abroad
in future
ISA5
3.2.2 Selection of Method Research
As the author has mentioned in the measurement scale part, scales of each construct
were modified from previous researches. Thus, the quantitative analysis is applied

31. 23
mainly for this paper. However, the qualitative study is performed in focus group
interview with the purpose of measurement refinement.
3.2.3 Measurement Refinement
Above these scales were used in many countries, but not in Vietnam. They need to
be tested and modified before using them to examine empirical study.
Measurement refinement was performed by the pilot study in two steps:
Qualitative pilot study
In the first step, a qualitative study was implemented. A draft questionnaire based
on scales that conducted from literatures review. This draft was in English
originally and was translated into Vietnamese to ensure that students do not
misunderstand the meaning of all questions. A focus group was designed with seven
high-school students who chosen randomly. The group read all statements of the
prepared questionnaire. They were required to ensure that all questions are clear and
appropriate with the constructs.
The result of this step is all statements were kept as initially. However, a number of
minor changes were recommended by the pilot study survey participants. These
included clarifications in wording, reduction of redundant questions. Besides, the
construct “Intention to study abroad” was added one more statement “I intend to
study abroad because of my parents’ request”. Explanation for the addition,
Interviewees commented that they themselves and many their friends have to study
oversea as their parents had the plan before.
Quantitative pilot study
In the second step, a quantitative pilot survey was explored after the questionnaire
refined. It was implemented by sending the questionnaire to 55 students in grade 12
of Saigon International College. The validity of scales was assessed via Cronbach’s

32. 24
Alpha. The results indicate that all scales were accepted because Cronbach’s alpha
of each construct above 0.6.
3.2.4 Questionnaire Design
The final questionnaire which shown in Appendix A was done after the pilot study.
It was structured into 2 sections:
Section A explores respondents’ opinion about statements of attitude toward foreign
education in English – speaking countries, advice of influential people and ability to
control the behavior of intention to study aboard. This section shows measurement
scales including 25 statements. Among them, 7 statements belong to the construct
of attitude toward foreign education, 6 scales are of advice of influential people,
perceived control the behavior construct has 6 measurement scales and 6 statements
are for intention construct.. Each statement is measured on a 5-point Likert scale
ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1).
Section B mentions individual information of respondents. The purpose of this
section is to evaluate diversify of the data and to show the difference in behavior
among different segment, different group, including gender, occupation and income.
3.3MAIN STUDY AND DATA COLLECTION
The main survey was conducted with the sample of 300 students in three high
schools in Ho Chi Minh City after the final questionnaire completed.
3.3.1 Sampling and sample
As mentioned in the scope, this study focuses on high –school students who
intention to study oversea under self-funded, sampling was collected from 3 high
schools in Ho Chi Minh City, namely, Le Quy Don, Nguyen Thuong Hien and Gia
Đinh. These schools are not gifted schools because students from the gifted school
tend to study abroad under scholarship.

33. 25
Study abroad is long-term study plan. Thus, high school students and their parent
usually find out relating information as soon as students enter to high school.
Therefore, the sample of the research is students in grade 11 and grade 12.
Convenience sampling method was used to collect the data with a structured
questionnaire by face to face method.
Regarding to the sample size, according to Tho (2011), it depends on a number of
aspects, such as method of data analysis the expectation of reliability, and others.
Because the study uses EFA and regression analysis technique, the sample size must
satisfy both. The sample size required for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA),
according to Hair et al (2006), as cited in Tho (2011) stated that the minimum
sample size is 50, however it is better if sample size is 100. Besides, the ratio of
observations/items is 5:1 and the ratio 10:1 is better. The sample size requires for
using multi liner regression, as Harris (1985) calculated that: n ≥ 104 + m (n is
sample size and m is the number of independent variables).
Based on the literature review of sample size for data analysis and the number of
items of four constructs, sample size needed for this study should be at least 110
observations. In this research, 300 questionnaires were distributed to 3 high schools
in Ho Chi Minh City which have a great number of students study abroad under self
- funded. About 100 questionnaires were allocated to each school. The amount was
divided into 5 classes including 11 and 12 grade by teacher’s in-charge. After four
weeks, with the support of teachers of these schools, 289 responses were collected.
The data was cleaned and 88 responses were eliminated. Finally, 201 responses
were used as a valid data for this research.
3.3.2 Data analysis
The study employed SPSS program software and data analysis including
preliminary assessment of the scale and reliability of variables by Cronbach Alpha
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34. 26
coefficients. Then, using EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis) to test the validity of
constructs, and using Multi-linear Regression to test the model and hypotheses.
In conclusion, based on pilot study, the measurement scales with 24 items were
explored for main study in quantitative research. These scales are five-point Likert
from 1 - strongly disagree to 5 - strongly agree. With regard to survey sampling, the
data is collected by convenience sampling method from 289 students in 3 high
schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

35. 27
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
This chapter presents the details of data analyzing by SPSS software. The scales
were reliability tested by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, refined and validated by
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Then multiple regression analysis was used to
test research hypotheses and the model. Then, the results were discussed and
implications were also proposed.
4.1 DATA STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
There were 289 questionnaires collected from grade 11 and grade 12 students from
three high schools including Le Quy Don, Nguyen Thuong Hien and Gia Dinh high
schools in Ho Chi Minh City. After data cleaning, there were 201 valid observations
which be put in the analysis step. Respondents are classified by gender, occupation
and income of parent. A descriptive statistics showed that the sample is widely
diversified by different gender, occupation sector, and income (table 4-1).
Table 4-1: Data descriptive statistics
Gender Male 32.30%
Female 67.70%
Occupation of parent Government sector 35.30%
Private sector 23.40%
Multinational
company/organisation 6.50%
Business owner 4.50%
Household business 11.40%
Others 18.90%
Income of parent Less than 20 million 47.80%
From 20 to 40 million 29.90%
From 40 to 60 million 14.40%
From 60 to 80 million 4.50%
More than 80 million 3.50%
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36. 28
4.2MEASUREMENT SCALES ASSESSMENT
4.2.1 Reliability Test
The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for internal consistency reliability test was used
for each factor in this research model.
Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient normally ranges between 0 and 1.
Theoretically, Cronbach’α is the higher the better and the scale has a good
reliability if it is in the interval .8 ≥ α ≥ .7. However, reliability measurement can
acceptable if Cronbach’α ≥ .6 (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994 as cited in Tho, 2011).
Besides, each construct was measured by many items, thus these items have to
correlate. Therefore, the indicator r – (corrected item-total correlation) should be
considered. According to Nunnally and Bernstein (1994), a variable is good
reliability if its’ r is above .3.
The results (table 4-2) showed Cronbach’s Alpha of all constructs were higher than
.6, except the construct of perceived behavior control. Besides, based on the
requirement of item-total correlation, there were 3 items be deleted because their
correlation indicators were lower than .3. These items are PBC5, PBC6 and ISA6.
6678470