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Social connectedness among international students at an Australian university
Abstract
A representative sample of undergraduate and postgraduate international students at a large Australian university (n = 979, 64% females) completed a mail-back survey examining their perceptions of social connectedness. Four aspects of social
connectedness were investigated: (1) connectedness in Melbourne, (2) social mixing and interaction with co-culturals and Australians,
(3) involvement in organisations, associations and groups, and (4) connections to home and family. The majority of students
report being well-connected to others in Melbourne, although some desire increased personal support from people who know and
care about them. Connectedness in Melbourne is related to students–cultural background and communication skills in the new
culture and their evaluation of their perceived academic progress. Students from Asian countries reveal different patterns
to other students, especially in the relationships between connectedness and interactions with co-culturals. Awareness of
these and other differences among international students from varying cultural backgrounds can help target assistance in achieving
a sense of well-being.
KeywordsSocial connectedness-International students
... However, this prior literature, which focused on traditionally favored countries by students such as North America and Europe, had many limitations in understanding the motivation and experience of students participating in ASEAN-Korea student exchange programs. According to several studies, the motivation and experience of international students may vary depending on the characteristics of the student, such as country of origin and nationality (Sam, 2001;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Jon et al., 2014;Kim & Lee, 2011). Of these, the Western and Asian cultural differences have particularly been a major factor. ...
... Of these, the Western and Asian cultural differences have particularly been a major factor. Asian students feel a sense of social connection within the local community by mingling with people from similar cultures (Rosenthal et al., 2007;Alemu & Cordier, 2017). There are also differences in motivation for participation. ...
... Although studies have been conducted on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international student mobility over the past several years, there are still few studies on student mobility between ASEAN-Korea. Students' motivations to participate in ASEAN-Korea student exchange programs are expected to be different from other programs, based on previous studies (Jon et al., 2014;Kim & Lee, 2011;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Sam, 2001). In particular, since the existing studies were conducted based on the experience of participating students, it is also likely to be significantly different from the actual needs of non-participating students who are likely to participate in ASEAN-Korea student exchange programs in the near future, as mentioned by Shin et al. (2022). ...
The purpose of this research was to investigate the possibilities and opportunities for ASEAN and Korea student exchange programs in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, by focusing on the needs of non-participating ASEAN students. To do so, this study conducted an online survey to analyze ASEAN students' understanding, views, expectations, and reasons for not participating in student exchange programs to Korea, while investigating their considerations and preferences for future participation. The findings revealed significant differences between ASEAN students in terms of nationality (especially Vietnamese students), academic field, and gender. They also highlighted the rising role and importance of hybrid and online modes of student mobility, that grew in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, there is a need for universities, government policy makers and educational scholars to reflect the emerging new needs of students concerning ASEAN-Korea exchange programs in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
... As a result, international students relied on each other to learn about social and educational practices, and the expectations of host country classrooms. According to a study by Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson (2007), this kind of socializing pattern was limiting to on-campus engagement. The researchers noted that being aware of these and other differences among international students could help in establishing a multicultural environment that would improve all students' social experiences. ...
... Ten studies mentioned that international students experienced a feeling of selfconnectedness. In these studies, self-connectedness referred to the way international students came together and interacted (Cole & Zhou, 2014;Hirai, Frazier, & Syed, 2015;Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007;Tsevi, 2018). Connectedness or disconnectedness not only directs individuals' feeling, thoughts, and behaviors in social situations, but also determines one's self-esteem (Glass et al., 2015;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Tran & Vu, 2016;Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008;Spiro, 2014;Van Horne et al., 2018) and may influence their satisfaction with their academic environment (Geary, 2015;Tran & Pham, 2016;Tran & Vu, 2016). ...
... In these studies, self-connectedness referred to the way international students came together and interacted (Cole & Zhou, 2014;Hirai, Frazier, & Syed, 2015;Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007;Tsevi, 2018). Connectedness or disconnectedness not only directs individuals' feeling, thoughts, and behaviors in social situations, but also determines one's self-esteem (Glass et al., 2015;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Tran & Vu, 2016;Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008;Spiro, 2014;Van Horne et al., 2018) and may influence their satisfaction with their academic environment (Geary, 2015;Tran & Pham, 2016;Tran & Vu, 2016). Rosenthal et al. (2007) used a sample of 979 from a large university in Australia to examine international students' perceptions of social connectedness. ...
Much has been written about engaging international students in their new campusenvironments.However, there is still a gap between literature and practice in terms of suchstudents’ initial experiences. A systematic review of 48 studies published between 2007 and 2018 wasconducted to locate the research gaps, examine how and in what areas international undergraduatestudents are being encouraged to participate, and their unique experiences with the process. Thefindings show that few studies focused solely on international undergraduates. Their engagementvaried depending on the student’s background, major, region, and type of institution.Thesestudents faced unique and uneven experiences with social support, academics, community identity,connectedness, and perceived discrimination. Implications for higher education administrators,international students, and researchers are suggested.
... Undertaking educational mobility and relocating to a new country, international students are engaged in evolving intercultural relationships with people, places and communities. Transnational relationships are seen as important determinants of international students' well-being and learning in the host country (Cheung and Yue 2013;Marginson et al. 2010;Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson 2007;Sawir et al. 2008;Tran and Vu 2016b). These relationships reside within a transnational space. ...
... They are exposed to less familial, cultural and social support due to their relocation to another country (Sawir et al. 2008). Yet, at the same time, they are often positioned as 'outsiders' who are separated from the local community and migrant groups in the host country (Cheung and Yue 2013;Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson 2007). Despite these binaries, the status of mobility provides them with a unique condition to engage in transnational social fields which are spaces for not only the negotiation and formation of intercultural relationships (Fouron and Schiller 2001;Gargano 2009) but also the evolution of responsibilities. ...
... Continued ties to parents, family and communities in home countries are vital to international students' well-being and identity (Marginson et al. 2010;Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson 2007). In maintaining the ties with home and family, they continue to maintain the connection with home culture, thereby 'sustaining the continuity of self' (Marginson et al. 2010, 360). ...
Despite the significant body of literature on international students’ intercultural development, the core issue of how they see their own responsibility in transnational intercultural spaces is largely neglected. This paper addresses this paucity by examining the intercultural responsibility perceived by international students. It is based on a four-year study that includes interviews with 105 international students and fieldwork in vocational education institutions. It draws on positioning theory and three key concepts: intercultural competence, intercultural capital and national attachment to interpret the nature of international students’ intercultural responsibility. The research underscores four main forms of intercultural responsibility perceived by international students: responsibility to represent the home country, responsibility to respect the host country, responsibility to assimilate into the host culture and responsibility to integrate into the host culture. Intercultural responsibility can emerge from international students’ national attachment and be embedded in their intrinsic commitment and imagination of their role in representing their home country in a transnational space. Intercultural responsibility can also manifest in international students’ self-determined responsibility to respect, accommodate or integrate into the host culture. However, the finding shows that international students’ act of positioning at the periphery of the host community and their perceived responsibility to assimilate into the host culture precludes their capacity to engage in and negotiate reciprocal and respectful intercultural interactions. The study highlights the role of international students’ self-positioning between and across home and host cultures in underpinning their perceived responsibility in transnational spaces.
... These students perceived these activities as intercultural experiences, enjoyable, and socially rewarding. Noteworthily, the study has a mixed ethnicity of participants (n=14) from different parts of Europe, America, Asia, and Africa, whereas prior research (Rosenthal et al., 2006) has shown students from East Asia have a distinctly different pattern of socialization from those from other areas. Nevertheless, the concept of the third space suggests an important area for further research. ...
... The challenges to develop intercultural relationships on university campuses (Kudo et al., 2020) and the missing friendship between local and international students ) often lead to one consequence: retreating into a comfort zone by connecting with one's own ethnic community. On one side, research on international studies suggest that participation in conational networks is a comfortable, familiar, and less stressful approach to ease students' study abroad challenges (Rosenthal et al., 2006). Bochner et al.'s (1977) early study reminds us that the conational bond is of vital importance to international students' emotional needs. ...
This volume examines the diversified and challenging experiences of Chinese international STEM doctoral students at Australian institutes of higher education, exploring how intersections between research, personal life, and social experiences can be negotiated to achieve academic success and personal transformation. By drawing on a range of qualitative and longitudinal research methods, the book foregrounds student narratives and utilizes a novel three-dimensional multi-world framework as an effective approach for understanding student experiences in a holistic way. It integrates Chinese philosophical perspectives and theories in the fields of educational psychology, international education, and doctoral education to interpret the nuances, complexity, and particularities of the cross-cultural STEM PhD experience, highlighting the importance of the supervisor-mentee relationship and the role of students' cultural, social, and philosophical values in supporting their successful completion of the PhD degree. The analysis thus provides new insights into the ways in which these experiences vary across students, and might apply in other national contexts, and to non-STEM student cohorts. This book will be a valuable resource for researchers and academics engaged in cross-cultural education, the sociology of education, and international and comparative education. It will be of particular interest to those with a focus on international doctoral education and cultural Asian studies.
... Women also scored higher in culture shock and distress than do men. This outcome was seen again in Rosenthal, Russell & Thomson (2007), who claimed that adjustment was influenced by many factors such as self-esteem, age, gender and previous international exposure. Greater emphasis on individual identity and ethnicity and the impact of these variables on the adjustment experience in Asia would clarify the stressors each group faces, and allow higher education programs to develop pre-departure training and perhaps address their own implicit biases and prejudices from a more knowledgeable perspective. ...
... This article has discussed the approaches to international student adjustment which have gradually transitioned from the medical model to the psychological adjustment approach. This transition in approaches represents a change in adjustment research from a reactive subjugation to a process of actively learning to live in a new culture (Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007). Many of the differences in patterns of student adjustment are attributed to recognisable characteristics of the sojourners. ...
Historically, much of the research on acculturation and adjustment was conducted on migrant and refugee populations. The start of the twenty first century has seen a surprising surge in a new immigrant class, mobile students, their characteristics differing from the social, political and economic refugees of the twentieth century. This article provides an overview of the literature related to the salient features of acculturation, adaptation and adjustment models as applied to international university students and the stressors they most frequently encounter. It recommends that future research transitions from universalistic mode-based inquiry to more nuanced approaches which emphasize an individual’s characteristics from country of origin or perceived ethnic identity. A social constructivist position which emphasizes the historical and ethnic relationships among the visiting students and the host nationals is most beneficial to understanding the contemporary international student adjustment paradigm.
... As they acculturate to this new context, their engagement can contribute to a heightened sense of belonging within Chinese society or the ethnic community, characterized by stronger connections with the mainstream population and co-nationals. In such scenarios, a rise in the perception of close connections could result in enhanced psychosocial adjustment, potentially correlating with improved well-being (Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson 2007;Wang and Mallinckrodt 2006;Ye 2006). People with a heightened sense of social connectedness actively participate in social interactions, communicate easily, and maintain a positive outlook on their surroundings (Liao and Weng 2018). ...
The current study aimed to investigate the connection between social connectedness and psychological well‐being (PWB), while concurrently exploring the potential mediating roles of loneliness and perceived stress in this relationship among international students in China. Drawing on the literature highlighting the protective effect of social support, this study also sought to explore whether social support played a moderating role in the loneliness‐ and perceived stress‐PWB relationships. The sample comprised 530 students (43.4% of females), aged between 18 and 31 years (M = 24.39, SD = 4.12), and enrolled in various academic disciplines. Findings of the mediation model indicated that loneliness and perceived stress mediated the relationship between social connectedness and students' PWB. Additionally, moderation analyses revealed that social support had a significant moderating effect such that the negative associations between loneliness/perceived stress and PWB became non‐significant or weaker for international students with high levels of social support. Furthermore, the indirect effects of social connectedness on PWB was also found to be significantly moderated by varying social support levels. Limitations and recommendations for future studies as well as implications for practice are also discussed.
... This review found international students with host language difficulties were less actively engaging in-class activities and interacting with academic providers and peers. Prior studies highlighted that host language difficulties created barriers to adjustments in new academic and social environments [53][54][55]. The struggle to express ideas fluently in the host language and the fear of being misunderstood may contribute to international students' reticence during class activities [56]. ...
Background
There are increasing concerns about the mental health needs of international students. Previous studies report that international students experience additional challenges and higher levels of stress compared to domestic students. This integrative review aimed to identify perceived stressors, coping strategies and factors that contributed to accessing mental health services of international students.
Methods
A systematic search was performed between January 2010 and December 2023 using PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, Scopus and PsycINFO databases. A manual search was also performed that included reference lists of included articles; data was extracted and reviewed by three reviewers. A total of 21 studies were included in this review with a total of 4442 international students recruited, with ages between 17 to 43 years. Nineteen studies reported international students’ gender, there were more females (n = 2205) than males (n = 1022). Ethnicity was reported in 18 studies. They included Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Pacific Islands. This review adopted Whittemore and Knafl’s five-stage approach, with specific steps for problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation.
Results
The Health Belief Model was used to explain relationships among independent and dependent variables and guide the findings of this review. Three identified progressive themes emerged including Theme 1: understanding cultural variations with perceived stress; Theme 2: coping strategies in dealing with stress and challenges in the new environment; and Theme 3: perceived threats and stress affecting how international students perceived barriers and benefits to access counselling support services and mental health services. This integrative review presents an overview of mental health needs and factors contributing to the mental health and well-being of international students via the inclusion of studies with different designs, providing an in-depth understanding of the study phenomenon. The findings of this review may help university health providers, mental health professionals, academic institutions and policymakers better understand the multifaceted needs of international students.
Conclusion
This review demonstrates the importance of increased cross-cultural interactions between international students and domestic student counterparts to enhance belongingness and connection to host countries. This may facilitate adaptation to new living and learning environments. It is crucial academic institutions offer programs that can be effectively implemented and sustained to meet the unmet mental health needs of international students. University orientation programs, student counselling and health services may integrate cultural events, social support groups, leadership programs and resilience models of acculturation to promote mental health and well-being among international students. While these studies show promising results, there is a need for further robust evaluative studies to develop culturally sensitive mental health promotion programs for international students.
... Furthermore, connectedness mitigates negative behaviours among students and teachers that have eroding effects on student participation and learning. Prisbell et al. (2009) emphasised that connectedness in the classroom results in lower public speaking anxiety among students, leads to students learning more course content, and enhances affective learning in connected classes while Rosenthal et al. (2007) argued that connectedness is associated with the general well-being of students. Findings by Kember (2004) and Mottet et al. (2005) discovered that student-student connectedness is effective in reducing students' negative perceptions of workload; Xerri et al. (2017) argued the contrary. ...
Connectedness between students positively impacts the overall student experience and performance in higher education. This study aims to establish the perception of student-student connectedness and explore how connectedness relates to learning in a cohort of second year environmental health students at the National University of Lesotho. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used, applying the mixed methods approach to collect data through a self-administered questionnaire and semi-structured key informant interviews. The population (n=31) responded to the questionnaire while stratified random sampling was used to select a 13% interview sample. Bivariate analysis results show that connectedness increased at the end of the semester. Furthermore, at the beginning of the semester, weak positive and negative relationships existed between connectedness and teaching-learning activities while stronger positive relationships dominated at the end of the semester. Teaching and learning methods should be varied and collaborative to improve connectedness among students.
... The interaction that exists with the local community increases the intimacy of sojourner students with the local community. Feelings of alienation can be lost because of the student's sense of connection with sojourner areas (Rosenthal et al., 2007). A sense of being related to the area or local connectedness can help resilience and prevent depression in students who leave (Cheung & Yue, 2013). ...
Studying in a university outside hometown is one of the common way for high school graduates to get access to a better quality of higher education. These new students settle down in new surroundings much different from their respective homes. They adapt to adjust to the new situation. This research aims to understand dynamics of self adjustment of the students during their study in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (Special Province of Yogyakarta). The method used in the research was qualitative phenomenology. The writer found that there were five factors that play roles in the adjustment, which are: (1) support; (2) obstacle; (3) character; (4) intrapersonal; and (5) interpersonal.
... Having encountered obstacles to creating relationships in the target language, students studying abroad often retreat from interactions with the host culture, instead seeking safe haven in a community of their native-language peers (Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007;Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008). Yan and Berliner (2013) found that Chinese international students were frustrated with the difficulty of building friendships with Americans. ...
The purpose is to focus on loneliness as an obstacle in language learning and interactive communication
... The idea of tolerance in multiculturalism fits perfectly into the framework of dialogue thus set. This is natural since the inevitability of coexistence (preferably peaceful) of representatives of different positions finds its expression in the framework idea of dialoguewhether it is about the human race or a student dormitory (Rosenthal et al., 2007). Nevertheless, when meeting with people who are different from ourselves, we inevitably face a dilemma: whether to consider our own position and views as correct ones and the position and ideas of another person as erroneous or to consider both sides by the side, but already private and partial. ...
The article aims to consider multicultural discourse through the prism of media coverage. Contemporary media are characterized from the political engagement perspective, and that of its resources and media presentation of news related to multicultural issues. The study adopts a content analysis method of media resources and displays ways of presenting the information. Finally, the study tests hypotheses that explain acculturation and intercultural relations in multicultural societies. The current cultural situation is characterized by the global development of media resources, the acceleration of creating and distributing global communication tools via national and transnational media. The results showed that perceived security, intercultural contacts, adoption of a multicultural ideology, acculturation strategies, and expectations significantly impact mutual acculturation and relations of the host population, migrants, and other social categories of society. Therefore, efforts through the media to improve relations between representatives of different cultures, communities, and population segments should aim at increasing the basic sense of security and adopting a multicultural ideology. In addition, there is a need to understand the essence of tolerance, respect for ‘the other’ and recognition in multiculturalism and the role of the media in shaping ways of relating to other people and peoples.
... Empirical research confirms that skills in the host language and English as a lingua franca predict international students' social ties (i.e., host-national, international, and co-national ties) (Cao et al., 2017), sociocultural adjustment (Swami et al., 2010), and psychosocial adjustment (i.e., low depressive symptoms and the feeling of belonging to the local community) (Wilson et al., 2020). While social interactions with locals foster students' adjustment and social connectedness in the host environment (Rosenthal et al., 2007;Rui & Wang, 2015), language difficulties, cultural challenges, unfamiliar patterns of interactions, and difficulty socializing with locals, or-inadequate sociocultural adjustment-combine to affect students' satisfaction with their intercultural experience (Campbell & Li, 2008). Thus, we hypothesize the following: Hypotheses 4a-c: Host-language proficiency has a positive direct effect on general adjustment (4a) and interactional adjustment (4b), and a positive indirect effect on satisfaction (4c). ...
Research has linked cultural differences between a sojourner’s home and host country with their cultural transformation. Nonetheless, the results of empirical studies are inconclusive due to different operationalizations of cultural differences and testing among different groups of sojourners. We extend previous investigations by examining the effects of cultural novelty (i.e., the subjective perception of cultural differences) on the experience of international students (N = 1114) in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the USA. Drawing on acculturation and social learning theories, we conceptualized a model of students’ adjustment and satisfaction taking into account cultural novelty. We tested the model through multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) and examined the various relationships across subsamples from all five countries. We determined the significant effects of cultural novelty and a range of factors impacting students’ intercultural experience, such as their cultural intelligence, cultural background, second-language skills, time in the host country, and socialization with domestic students, and how the effects may vary by the host country. We discuss implications for future research and practice.
... 70 Scholars agree that belonging and connection are foundational elements in a successful student experience (Cook-Sather et al., 2019). This is particularly the case with the international student experience (Cheung & Yue, 2013;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Tran & Pham, 2017), where connection and belonging can counteract the challenges faced as part of the acculturation process undergone upon arrival in a new country and a new educational institution. Smith and Khawaja (2011) identify five types of challenges: educational challenges, sociocultural challenges, practical challenges, language challenge, and challenges due to discrimination; this categorization provided a framework for the project's main outputs: two series of short educational videos destined for three target audiences. ...
This case study reflects on a 2019 project involving a staff-student partnership that focussed on improving the international student experience at an Australian university. The project responded to the need for international students to feel a sense of belonging and connectedness to an Australian university as a buffer against the challenges they face that are part of the acculturation process undergone upon arrival. The project’s main output was the creation of short videos destined for three target audiences: international students, domestic students, and academics who teach international students. The project’s objectives were to build relationships between international and domestic students and between academics and students, as well as to minimise misunderstandings held by international students about studying at this university and misconceptions held by domestic students and academics about international students. This case study provides an innovative and practical model for staff-student collaborations in higher education.
... When pursuing studies in a foreign country, due to the new learning environment and different sociocultural practices and norms, individuals need to make conscious and explicit sociocultural, psychological, and academic adjustments (Gerdes & Mallinckrodt, 1994;Zhang & Goodson, 2011;Gopalan, Beutell, & Middlemiss, 2019). The issues that international students face in adapting to a foreign learning environment tend to be more academically related (Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007). Gerdes and Mallinckrodt (1994) define academic adjustment as: demonstrating a sense of purposefulness, motivation to learn, actions that comply with academic goals, and satisfaction in the academic environment. ...
This case study examines the academic adjustment of five direct-entry Chinese students at a UK university. Specifically, it investigates two questions: 1) What kind of academic challenges are faced by Chinese direct entrants enrolled in a banking and finance programme at a UK university? and 2) What are the external resources and personal coping strategies that participants perceive to be effective in counteracting these challenges? The findings from in-depth, semi-structured interviews fall under two broad domains: 1) the academic challenges; and 2) the coping strategies. The academic obstacles as experienced by participants include English language issues, content knowledge of the subject, course delivery pace, and time management. The perceived effective strategies that help to overcome the challenges include: making use of pre-sessional programmes, taking advantage of tutorials and professors’ weekly office hours, taking an active part in learning and figuring out the best learning approach, and seeking help proactively. This research has implications for educators and students who are involved or interested in similar programmes.
... Culture shock is reduced through supportive social networks (Marangell et al., 2018;Cho & Yu, 2015). Poor support increases dropout rates, loneliness, and, extended culture shock searlway to overcome culture shock is to get to know locals, yet the interaction between students and host nationals remains low (Costello, 2015;Rosenthal et al., 2007). ...
Since the 1970s, international students have represented a growing proportion of the global student body, yet how they adjust and how universities can support them is relatively unexplored. We conducted a qualitative study of 36 international students of 11 nationalities studying in Norway and the UK and found that their experience did not fit the dominant ‘U-Curve’ of adaptation that suggests there is a honeymoon period on arrival. Confirmed with conversations with student wellbeing staff, who suggest that anxiety and culture shock are the norm, the data allows us to suggest factors that trigger adjustment and interventions to improve students’ experience. Our contribution is a ‘J-Curve’ model comprising cultural challenge, adjustment, and mastery, to reflect the reality of the international student experience.
... Diffi cult situations such as loneliness or fi nancial stress can be a common ground (Yan and Sendall 2016) as well as navigating new environments in a foreign landscape. Regardless of fundamental challenges, whether cultural, linguistic, or fi nancial or in building new relationships, connecting with people on a deep and meaningful level is vital to having a positive experience as an international student (Rosenthal, Russell and Th omson 2007). ...
... International students traverse transnational boundaries and seek to belong in their host and home country simultaneously through establishing various points of 'connectedness' (Tran & Gomes, 2017, p. 7). They experience high levels of satisfaction when they are able to connect and become part of the host society (Brown, 2009;Brown & Jones, 2013;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Sawir et al., 2008). Nevertheless, research consistently reveals a gap in meaningful interaction between international students, local students and host societies (Brown, 2009;Gomes, 2020). ...
Generations of migrants from Asia since the 1800s have endured challenges in locating their place and belonging in Australia due to systemic racism and discrimination against the cultural and religious ‘other’. These persistent issues have intensified during the pandemic, especially towards Chinese communities, including international students. This paper investigates the impact of the pandemic on Chinese, Indian and Russian international students in Australia. It reveals how, throughout the first year of the pandemic, international student, ethnic and religious community organizations implemented multiple and overlapping coping strategies to assist international students in Australia, who had been left vulnerable by a lack of government support and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. By highlighting the religious dimensions of these strategies of connectedness and belonging, it contributes new insights in an under-explored aspect in studies on international students in Australia, pointing the way for further investigation.
... The findings from this study make an important contribution to the discussion and understanding of the university experiences that impact African migrant students' socio-cultural adjustment to their university environment. Among international students, studies have demonstrated that there is often a discrepancy between one's desire to integrate into the host society and their actual ability to do so (Neri & Ville, 2008;Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007). This resonated across both immigrant and international student groups, as cultural, academic, and social barriers inhibited students' cultural and social integration. ...
Cross-cultural studies on acculturation span across multiple disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and higher education, and seek to explore the cultural adaptation of immigrant and international students. Existing literature informed a guiding conceptual framework for understanding how students adjust to the local culture, and has identified obstacles that hinder the successful navigation of the acculturation process. The present study examined gaps in existing higher education literature on the socio-cultural adjustment process of African immigrant and international students (migrant students). Going beyond past studies, this investigation addressed three questions: What is the role of heritage culture and social class in African migrant students’ preparation for college in the United States (U.S.)? What barriers did African migrant students encounter as they navigate their way through American universities? Guided by a strengths-based perspective, how is heritage culture and access to capital associated with their navigation through and around those barriers in their adjustment process? To address these three research questions, this qualitative study employed in-depth interviews to examine the socio-cultural adjustment of African immigrant and international students (n=28) enrolled at four-year colleges in the U.S. A grounded theory approach to data analysis revealed how African immigrant and international students’ adjustment to the university environment was associated with both their background and university experiences. In terms of background, students’ socio-economic status and heritage culture were key factors that influenced their preparation for college in the U.S. Furthermore, the study revealed the strengths of students’ backgrounds in fostering a sense of community cultural wealth, which helped to facilitate students’ adjustment to their universities. Once African students entered college, they faced socio- cultural and academic barriers associated with: 1) cultural value differences; 2) experiences with racial/ethnic prejudice; and 3) and difficulty with the academic norms and expectations of U.S. universities. Additionally, students discussed access to cultural, academic, and social capital from four primary sources: extensive orientations, racially/culturally similar groups, faculty, and academic support programs/services. These cultural and university-based resources helped to mitigate the negative impact of stressful barriers, and supported students’ socio-cultural adjustment. Going beyond existing cross-cultural literature, findings informed the development of a new strengths-based conceptual model of cultural adjustment and resilience. This model provides a more comprehensive framework to understanding the socio-cultural adaptation process of African migrant and international students in higher education with important implications for multicultural diversity research, practice, and policy.
... However, similar to those international students in Marginson et al.'s (2010) Australian study, many students in this study faced difficulties and barriers in social integration with local persons. Involving them in cultural organisations on and off campus and in religious groups can indeed improve Asian international students' sense of connectedness and safety (Rosenthal, Russell, and Thomson 2007). It is worth considering how to engage with wider international student communities through putting a range of resources and community projects in place. ...
The paper reports on an empirical study of Chinese international students’ experiences of personal safety and security at universities in a UK city. After locating these concerns in relation to current political, social and epidemiological contexts, it reviews the developments that have taken place in our understanding and theorisation of ‘safety’ and, in particular, ‘security’ of international students, noting the powerful implications of Marginson’s most recent conceptualisation of the issues. The paper proposes the addition of Giddens’s notion of ontological security to this developed conceptual framework. Findings from the empirical study make it clear that many students in the study remain concerned over their safety and security, and feel that their concerns are not fully appreciated by the ‘authorities’ to whom they might be expected to turn for support. For information and support on matters of personal safety, therefore, these Chinese students’ first recourse is to compatriot fellow students, reinforcing a sense of inter-dependence based on shared subjective identities. Rather than treating this ‘in-community’ solidarity as potentially undermining wider cross-cultural contact and communication, this paper proposes that a strengthened sense of ‘ontological security’ provides a foundation for cross-cultural functioning that does not entail cultural assimilation and a ‘subaltern’ status.
... Moreover, numerous researches suggest that resilience can be reinforce because it is not a "hard-wired" personality trait; instead, it is the consequence of the advancement of protective factors (Zimmerman and Arunkumar, 1994). Many, empirical studies reveal that resilience varies across individuals, and may highly depend on many other psychological factors, such as optimism and psychological well-being (Poyrazli et al., 2004;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Yusoff and Chelliah, 2010;Sagone and De Caroli, 2014). ...
The present study aims to examine whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between optimism, dimensions of psychological well-being, and resilience among Iranian students. The participants in this study included 251 Iranian students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Structural equation modeling using AMOS 20.0 was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that there were significant relationships between optimism, dimensions of psychological well-being, and resilience among Iranian students of UPM. The study findings presented that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between dimensions of psychological well-being (environmental mastery, autonomy, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, personal growth, and purpose in life) and resilience among Iranian students of UPM. Furthermore, self-efficacy was not observed to mediate the influence of optimism on resilience among Iranian students of UPM. The study’s findings help to understand the interrelationship between self-efficacy, various dimensions of psychological well-being, and resilience. Consequently, counselors, psychologists, and instructors can develop and plan valuable strategies to enhance students’ psychological factors.
... Indeed, being part of international students studying in English-language country, the primary problem of Indonesia students in Australia is their mastery of English. Rosenthal, Russel, and Thomson [17] conducted research of the well-being of international students in Australia. They found that 24% of international students have difficulties in academic writing, while 22% admit it is hard to speak fluently in English. ...
Critical thinking, as the ability to evaluate, has been a constant challenge for many Indonesians pursuing tertiary education in Australian Universities. As an essential component to the students’ competency set necessary to accomplish their degree, many Indonesian students struggle to sharpen their critical-thinking skills in appraising essays or discussing questions correctly. The struggle might be due to the difficulty in distinguishing critical thinking from other intellectual skills such as understanding, memorising and applying. This article is a reflective writing that explores the challenges faced and strategies applied by Indonesian public health students during their course to improve their critical-thinking skills. Several factors including the collective style-culture, where the students come from a home-education background, and the absence of relevant practices are responsible for their lack of critical-thinking skills. Strategies applied are frequent discussion with native students which helps in breaking the cross-culture barrier, thus increasing their confidence in critical thinking; extensive academic articles reading to familiarise the critical-thinking style; practicing self-questioning various topics and validity of evidence; and being more open to other perspectives. Keywords: critical thinking, students, public health, autoethnography, reflexivity
... Participants, mostly from the South and East Asian region, were in high number at campuses and were well connected with their co-national groups based on shared language and cultural backgrounds. These findings are consistent with Rosenthal, Russell and Thomson (2007) that students from Asian countries desire social support from co-national groups. However, strong attachment with co-national groups can also limit the development of host-national connectedness (Geeraert et al., 2014). ...
This study investigates the role of social identities in the context of international students’ transition to China. Sojourners usually confront perceived threats, including adjustment to life‐changes in a new society. The transition has a general capacity to disrupt the patterned behaviour of individuals that undermine their health and well‐being. Previous studies informed by the Social Identity Model of Identity Change demonstrate that group membership and associated social identities can buffer the adverse effects of transition. However, China's story concerning international students’ social identity change is not yet researched. To address this issue, in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with sixty‐three international students. The results revealed that being disconnected from old social networks due to internet restriction leads to potential identity threats during early transition. However, new group memberships with co‐national and multinational peers, communication technologies and host‐culture adaptation enhanced sojourners’ well‐being and help to adapt to life‐changes in Chinese society.
... Participants, mostly from the South and East Asian region, were in high number at campuses and were well connected with their co-national groups based on shared language and cultural backgrounds. These findings are consistent with Rosenthal, Russell and Thomson (2007) that students from Asian countries desire social support from co-national groups. However, strong attachment with co-national groups can also limit the development of host-national connectedness (Geeraert et al., 2014). ...
This study investigates the role of social identities in the context of international students’ transition to China. Sojourners usually confront perceived threats, including adjustment to life‐changes in a new society. The transition has a general capacity to disrupt the patterned behaviour of individuals that undermine their health and well‐being. Previous studies informed by the Social Identity Model of Identity Change demonstrate that group membership and associated social identities can buffer the adverse effects of transition. However, China's story concerning international students’ social identity change is not yet researched. To address this issue, in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with sixty‐three international students. The results revealed that being disconnected from old social networks due to internet restriction leads to potential identity threats during early transition. However, new group memberships with co‐national and multinational peers, communication technologies and host‐culture adaptation enhanced sojourners’ well‐being and help to adapt to life‐changes in Chinese society.
... Therefore, african students experiences might reveal diffrences first, because of the cultural distance between African countries and Turkey. Research shows that high cultural distance between the host and home culture is related to lower the adjustment (Rosenthal et al., 2007;Suanet & Van de Vijver, 2009) and when individuals perceive high cultural distance, they tend to reduce social interactions with the individuals from the host culture (Suanet & Van de Vijver, 2009). Some of the studies conducted in Turkey also revealed that international students' experiences may pose differences in terms of their cultural background (Apaydın Şen, 2008). ...
Adopting a phenomenological methodology the present study aimed to explore the nature of African students’ daily experiences in public and academic spheres, how they affected their adjustment in Turkey and how they coped with adjustment issues. Nine individual in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data. Results of the analysis revealed that African students experience discriminative behaviours because of stereotypes about Africans. Another theme emerged from the analysis was the excessive curiosity experienced in daily interactions. African students’ interactions with Turkish students were characterized by seeking sincerity and respect, while their interactions with fellow African students were characterized by mutual support and sharing. Finally, students reported to engage in social media and internet, African student organizations and academic work in order to cope with adjustment issues.
... The participants were moderately well adjusted, which is consistent with previous findings in similar Australian contexts (Kashima et al., 2017;Rosenthal et al., 2007). To test whether it was appropriate to continue with SAOM, the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) was deployed to examine the correlation between friendship networks at different time points (T1-T3). 2 We found significant correlations between T1 and T2 (Jaccard index = .41, ...
International education provides students with an opportunity to develop new social networks while they fit in to the new culture. In a three-wave longitudinal study, we investigated how social networks and psychological adjustment coevolve within a group of international students enrolled in a coursework degree at the tertiary level. Using the Stochastic Actor-Oriented Model (SAOM), we identified the occurrences of social selection based on the levels of psychological and sociocultural adjustment. More specifically, students tended to deselect classmates who were dissimilar in their level of psychological adjustment and to befriend those who differed in their levels of sociocultural adjustment. In contrast, little evidence was found to suggest that features of social networks influenced students’ adjustment. Potential applications of this new method to future acculturation research are suggested.
... Having encountered obstacles to creating relationships in the target language, students studying abroad often retreat from interactions with the host culture, instead seeking safe haven in a community of their native-language peers (Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007;Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008). Yan and Berliner (2013) found that Chinese international students were frustrated with the difficulty of building friendships with Americans. ...
This article considers the conflict between students’ desire to improve their target language skills and their desire for belonging and community . The stud y, conducted over three years, examines student perceptions of barriers to target language gain during semester long study abroad. Participants completed surveys, took the Versant Language Test before and after their study abroad experience, and partici pated in a post program interview . Results suggest that students experience conflicting priorities in decisions governing native language versus target language use during study abroad. Although some persist in speaking the target language with their co national peers, they find it unsatisfying because they are unable to meet their social needs . Valuing relationships over linguistic improvements, students resort to speaking their native language among themselves during study abroad . The research ers suggest strategies for how to best prepare students to reconcile these tensions.
... 16Mauritius Conference) ISBN -978-1-943579-38-9. Ebene-Mauritius, 21-23 January, 2016. Paper ID: M625. 56. Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to teach in higher education. Routledge. 57. Romney, M. B., Cherrington, J. O., & Denna, E. L. (1996). Using information systems as a basis for teaching accounting. Journal of Accounting Education, 14(1), 57-67.58.Rosenthal, D. A., Russell, J., & Thomson, G. (2007). Social connectedness among international students at an Australian university. Social indicators research, 84(1), 71- 82.59. Samadi, V.,(2011). Evaluate the quality of student support services in e-learning system, the fifth Conference of assessing the quality of the university system, Tehran University.[In Persian]. https://www.civili ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors affecting the students’ learning of the concepts of the accounting information systems (AIS) in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
The statistical population of the study is the accounting and auditing students (Master’s degree) who have the lesson of AIS at state and private universities, as well as the institutes of higher education in 2017. The Likert scale has been used to design questionnaires. Further, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares technique.
Findings
Overall, after analyzing and comparing the results of the hypotheses, it was found that, respectively, “assistance to students,” “the power of critical thinking,” “academic professors skills,” “kind of transition to university,” “AIS course structure,” “proper timing of AIS presentation,“ “presentation of a prerequisite course” and finally, “appreciation of AIS” have the greatest impact on the level of student learning in AIS lesson. The results of this paper showed that “teaching style” and “having the previous background of the information system concepts” do not have a statistically significant effect on students’ general learning.
Originality/value
Without any overstatement, this paper will warn educational authorities in emerging countries that lack of attention to factors affecting university students’ learning can have serious consequences for the market of a country. Other than that, this paper will make university professors aware of the effects of effective methods for better student learning in the field of information technology, so that they can make a better assessment of the importance of AIS course.
... Therefore, they were having communication problems. According to the results, cultural distance makes adjustment of the students more difficult (Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007). In other words, cultural similarity results in better adjustment of international students (Ward & Kennedy, 1999). ...
... Because multicultural policies are expected to either eliminate or emphasise the cultural and social distance between natives and immigrants, immigrants with high distance are more sensitive to those policies. Immigrants with high social and cultural distance from the natives have more difficulty in social and cultural participation with the host society than immigrants with a low social and cultural distance (Redmond and Bunyi, 1993;Chirkov et al., 2005;Galchenko and Van de Vijver, 2007;Rosenthal et al., 2007;Suanet and van de Vijver, 2009), and these difficulties may be eased by multicultural policies. In contrast, multicultural policies can potentially force these types of immigrants to be aware of the cultural and social distance. ...
How do multicultural policies affect immigrants' identification with the country of destination? Theory suggests that these policies may have two opposite effects and either widen or diminish the gap between the national identification of natives and immigrants. In addition to these opposite effects, I expect that the effects of multicultural policies are also diverse depending on immigrants' cultural and social distance from the host society. In this study, immigrants are categorised based on generations and origins. Using newly constructed measurements for multicultural policies, as well as European Social Survey Round 7 with 20 European countries, I conduct a multilevel analysis. The results indicate that multicultural policies diminish the gap between the national identification of natives and immigrants. However, these effects are evident only for non-European immigrants and not for European immigrants. Furthermore, I find no evidence that the effects differ for the first and second generations.
... There is empirical evidence that people adjust to stress in various ways: many are resilient following a stressor; others suffer long-term negative effects Students display varying levels of resilience in their ability to have positive outcomes in the face of such a transition. Empirical research studying international students going to another country and encountering a new culture has revealed that there are many factors that affect resilience, such as gender, age, cultural distance, proficiency of language, duration of stay, social support, education level, status, self-esteem, coping styles, acculturative stress, spirituality and many others (Poyrazli, Kavanaugh, Baker, & Al-Timimi, 2004;Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007;Yeh & Inose, 2003;Yusoff & Chelliah, 2010). ...
This study was conducted to examine the relationship between social support, race and resilience among international students. 291 undergraduate students of university Putra Malaysia (UPM) were involved in this study. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support MSPSS was used to measure the level of social support among international students and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to measure the level of resilience among international students. One-way Anova was used to investigate the mean difference between three different races, including Asian, African and Middle East regarding resilience. As well, linear regression was employed for analysis the relationship between social support and resilience. The result of one-way anova showed that there is a significant difference between the levels of resilience in three kinds of races. Post-hoc test revealed that this difference is significantly higher between Middle East. There was also a significant positive relationship between social support and resilience. The findings of the study will be useful in assisting educators, counselors, psychologist, and researchers develop strategies to enhance students' academic excellence.
... Empirical studies revealed that resilience varies from one individual to another and therefore is deemed as a variable depending on many other psychological factors [19] [27]. Based on the framework proposed by [12] about factors contributing to resilience, concepts of self-efficacy, autonomy, self-acceptance, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, and positive relationships with others are personal factors and all are in relation with resilience. ...
International students who are studying as foreign students tend to experience greater stress and anxiety during their study. They need to adjust to the new environment and overcome challenges. Resilience level of student is an important influence in the healthy adjustment to their life pressures and stresses. In fact, lack of comprehensive research on resilience and its related factor among international students in Malaysia motivated the researchers to organize this research. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between self-efficacy, the dimensions of psychological well-being and resilience among international students. This study employed a descriptive correlational design. The sample consisted of 291 international students of Universiti Putra Malaysia. The participants were selected using multistage sampling. The study employed the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWB) with 18 items grouped in six dimensions (autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, and self-acceptance) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). To examine the relationship between self-efficacy, psychological well-being and resilience, linear regression analysis with the stepwise method was carried out. The results revealed that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of resilience. Also, three dimensions of psychological well-being (autonomy, environmental mastery, self-acceptance and purpose in life) were the best predictors of resilience. The findings of the study will be useful in helping educators, counselors, psychologist, and researchers for developing approaches to improve students" academic excellence. Also, the findings of this study will help international students to enhance their knowledge about some psychological concepts which lead them to better adjust with life challenges. The result of this study provides social and psychological researchers some features of personality and behaviors among individuals that need to be probed further. Hopefully, the finding of this study will be helpful to the magnet attentions from the involved parties, such as Ministry of Education Malaysia, to consider the effective factors which have effects on international student outcomes.
... Therefore, african students experiences might reveal diffrences first, because of the cultural distance between African countries and Turkey. Research shows that high cultural distance between the host and home culture is related to lower the adjustment (Rosenthal et al., 2007;Suanet & Van de Vijver, 2009) and when individuals perceive high cultural distance, they tend to reduce social interactions with the individuals from the host culture (Suanet & Van de Vijver, 2009). Some of the studies conducted in Turkey also revealed that international students' experiences may pose differences in terms of their cultural background (Apaydın Şen, 2008). ...
... An analysis of international student retention reveals that men are more likely to experience sociocultural adjustment, as are the extroverted (Fritz et al. 2008;Pantelidou and Craig 2006). Rosenthal et al. (2007) claimed that adjustment was influenced by many factors not related to country of origin such as self-esteem, age, gender (women scored higher in shock and distress compared to men) and previous international exposure. The results of Wang (2009) also demonstrated that female international students experienced more difficulty adapting than men and displayed less resilience than the male participants. ...
This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and Korean international students face in Thai international higher education. An exploratory study of 15 visiting Korean college students and 15 visiting Japanese college students in Thai international programs was conducted using qualitative methods. A series of 30 face-to-face in-depth interviews regarding the participants' sociocultural adjustment to their host community was conducted in 2015-2016. Participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their adjustment experiences and perceptions of the host culture. The interview data was thematically coded into several categories. Participants' experiences were diverse and ranged from very subtle forms of discrimination and stereotyping to sexual harassment. The most frequently reported impediments to sociocultural adjustment included Thai language issues, excessive undesirable attention from the host community, academic adjustment, and difficulty establishing friendships with the host nationals. The most commonly reported coping strategies reported were the use of social support networks and social isolation from the host community. Implications for international relations departments and international programs within a Thai context are discussed.
... Secondly, that international students have a stronger preference for friends from their own ethnic group (e.g. Maundeni, 2001;Rosenthal, Russell, & Thomson, 2007), which seems to be a characteristic of networks created by minority groups as such (Leszczensky & Pink, 2015). Adaptation-supporting processes should therefore focus on facilitating the creation of internationally mixed peer relations consisting of foreigners, preventing the emergence of socially isolated groups. ...
This article presents the first study to have considered in one model the analysis of such social determinants of the satisfaction with studying abroad as discrimination, size of peer networks and loneliness. Statistical analyses were conducted in two stages. The preliminary stage was focused on analysis the factor structure of three tools: the Satisfaction with Studying in Poland (SwSiP) Scale, the Perceived Discrimination (PD) Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS). The second stage (main analysis), including the appropriate hypotheses-testing analyses, focused on path analysis. The results, based on the investigation of the situation of Ukrainian students in Poland show that both subjective (feeling of loneliness) and objective (size of peer network) dimensions of social relations established abroad have, independently of each other, an input into the level of satisfaction with studying abroad. These findings also have important practical implications.
... When all factors were considered identifying as an international student was a significant predictor of low risk drinking. Studies have shown that international students tend to socialize with people whose cultural backgrounds are similar to their own [53] [54]. Of the 90.6% of domestic students who completed the AUDIT questions, 40.7% were classified as hazardous drinkers. ...
Social connectedness has been identified as a protective factor for a range of health issues however the literature is not conclusive. The high prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption and mental health problems among university students along with the potential for the university as a setting for health promotion prompted this study. The study aims to explore the association between levels of alcohol consumption, mental health, social connectedness and social identity among university students. Online data were collected from a random sample of university undergraduate students (n = 2506) aged 18 - 24 years old. Outcomes were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, Social Identity Scale and measures of paid employment and study (hours), and participation in sports and other clubs. The majority of students had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months (87%). Of these students 38% reported to drink at hazardous levels (AUDIT ≥ 8). When all factors were considered: gender, living arrangements, being a domestic student, hours spent at work, participation in university and community sport, higher levels of psychological distress, higher levels of social connectedness, and lower levels of social identity were significant predictors of hazardous alcohol consumption. The finding highlights the need for the inclusion of integrated, multi-strategy health promotion interventions on campus. Further exploration of the associations between social connectedness and social identity as influences of health behaviors will better inform the development of targeted strategies for specific groups.
This article delves into the nature of suffering as experienced by Mahar women struggling with the implemented difficulties by the prevailing patriarchal ideology rooted in Brahminism. Baby Kamble dislikes the humanitarian aversion to agony and disparity. She is sensitive to the predicament of Dalit women and conscious of their sufferings. She has managed to dredge into the psyche of Mahar women, prioritizing sisterhood and Dalit femininity over individual suffering. As a woman writer, Kamble concedes that her primary task is to promote women’s emancipation and eradicate untouchability. She propitiously manages to portray Mahar women and their wounded selves. Utilizing Paik’s theory of Incremental Intersecting Technologies about caste, class, gender, sexuality, and agency as the framework, the paper seeks to answer the questions: How much consideration is given to the caste system, and what intersectional aspects have been integrated into discussions about Dalit women in the last twenty years.
This volume examines the diversified and challenging experiences of Chinese international STEM doctoral students at Australian institutes of higher education, exploring how intersections between research, personal life, and social experiences can be negotiated to achieve academic success and personal transformation.
By drawing on a range of qualitative and longitudinal research methods, the book foregrounds student narratives and utilizes a novel three-dimensional multi-world framework as an effective approach for understanding student experiences in a holistic way. It integrates Chinese philosophical perspectives and theories in the fields of educational psychology, international education, and doctoral education to interpret the nuances, complexity, and particularities of the cross-cultural STEM PhD experience, highlighting the importance of the supervisor–mentee relationship and the role of students’ cultural, social, and philosophical values in supporting their successful completion of the PhD degree. The analysis thus provides new insights into the ways in which these experiences vary across students, and might apply in other national contexts, and to non-STEM student cohorts.
This book will be a valuable resource for researchers and academics engaged in cross-cultural education, the sociology of education, and international and comparative education. It will be of particular interest to those with a focus on international doctoral education and cultural Asian studies.
L’expérience étudiante non-académique est devenue un levier incontournable au sein des écoles de commerce françaises pour faire face aux transformations de leur marché, comme en témoigne l’évolution des comportements des étudiants. Ces derniers, appartenant à la génération Z, possèdent des usages digitaux qui impactent directement leurs attentes vis-à-vis des établissements. Dans ce cadre, proposer des services non-académiques numériques de bonne qualité devient central pour influencer la satisfaction étudiante.Ce travail est réalisé dans le cadre d’un dispositif CIFRE au sein d’un cabinet de conseil en stratégie et s’appuie sur une méthodologie mixte au travers d’une recherche-intervention et d’une étude quantitative. Les résultats mettent en avant l’impact positif de la qualité perçue des services numériques non-académiques sur la satisfaction étudiante, les services associés à la vie quotidienne ayant la plus grande d’influence. Un biais de surconfiance est également démontré : les étudiants de la génération Z surestiment leurs compétences numériques. Enfin, la méconnaissance de l’offre de services disponible nuit à la satisfaction.
This paper explores the social connectedness experiences among older migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. Data were collected via two rounds of semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic and cluster analysis. Participants were 40 migrants aged 66-91 years, of German, Dutch, Romanian, Chinese, and Vietnamese origin. They identified a range of factors affecting their social connectedness experiences: personal preferences, individual efforts to connect with others, English language proficiency, driving ability, and length of residence. Data analysis also revealed four groupings of experience: the isolated, family, ethnic community, and multicultural cluster. These patterns of connectedness were experienced differently across the ethnic groups. The findings suggest the benefits of providing culture-specific social connection opportunities to help older migrants to stay socially connected.
Evidence indicates that old approaches to and paradigms of multiculturalism and multicultural education are struggling to meet the emerging needs of society. In response and drawing on international research, this essay presents two examples that seek to change how we do multiculturalism in order to build a collective multicultural consciousness in societies and in schools. The first example shows how social media is being used to end on-line, racist hatred by destroying the financial returns it generates. The second example shows how young people, in line with international research, are calling for schools to be transformed into social havens of belonging that support diversity, equity and social inclusion. Building a collective multicultural consciousness will inevitably involve multiple strategies, but these two examples testify to the growing momentum for educators and policy leaders to engage with the important conversations that are reframing contemporary multiculturalism and multicultural education policy and practice.
This paper examines the problems foreign students face in university cities. This aspect seems to be especially important in the formation of a city branding strategy in the context of a “knowledge society”. The university city in this context is considered as an intellectual and social component of the image of the future of the country and a promising direction of the Siberian frontier.
In this study, we explore the concept of international student connectedness (as well as its negative congener: disconnectedness) in order to better understand how international students can develop and achieve connectedness during their study abroad, especially while impacted by COVID-19. Through a literature review and thematic analysis of recent research on the international student experience and international student connectedness—with a particular focus on the Australian context—we highlight the multidimensional nature of connectedness by identifying and bringing together five different elements of connectedness: (1) social, (2) cultural, (3) political, (4) place, and (5) translocal. This allows for a more nuanced view of the international student experience, its bases as well as its challenges, enabling stakeholders with an interest in supporting international students to consider a multidimensional approach to their engagement with this student group.
This research reported Indonesian students' perspectives on challenges in writing a critical academic essay and factors causing those challenges in a university in the UK. It was a qualitative method in nature and used a semi-structured interviewing technique with open-ended questions as the main method for data collection. The results indicate four main problems the participants' encountered in relation to critical thinking realization in their essay writing which include clarity of ideas presented, lack of critical analysis, lack of critical evaluation, and lack of precision. This research also finds three important factors causing those problems of critical thinking realization by the students in their essay writings namely lack critical awareness, lack of understanding of the critical thinking concept, and differences of academic requirements between Indonesian and British context. This research is expectedly useful as an input in the redesign of syllabi and in the improvement of writing instruction that aims to promote especially international Indonesian students' critical thinking in university-level education, in line with properly addressing students' needs and developing CT pedagogy in the site.
The capabilities students need for success during and beyond higher education extend far beyond specific discipline skills to include the development of productive mindsets, the management of life circumstances and the way they relate to others and identify with their profession. The provision of support for these capabilities at university can be both diverse in scope and diffuse in delivery. Consequently, the development of streamlined and integrated evaluation strategies to measure the extent to which these capabilities are being successfully delivered can be challenging. This paper describes how one Australian university used a collaborative process to design an evaluation framework for student learning services. The framework, a first for this university, represents the breadth of student support, including a typology of support for learning: connectedness, mindsets, self-management, professional identity and academic capabilities. These terms, coined as dimensions, form the scaffold of university-wide delivery of support for learning initiatives.
This chapter investigates international tourism students as tourists. Given the nexus of education and tourism, a term that has been adopted to describe this distinct market segment is that of ‘edu-tourist’. The implications for tourism education, in creating a closer symmetry between education and tourism for tourism students, are explored. Additionally, benefits such as the nurturing of global citizenship and cross-cultural understanding are considered. Of particular significance to tourism educators is the finding that tourism students adapted their travel behavior, reflected on or embraced different aspects of their tourism experience due to what they had learnt regarding sustainable tourism and destination product. It would be powerful for tourism educators to harness this influence so that students would gain as much as possible from their experience of being away.
This report considers the findings of a year-long research project into the ‘resilience’ of undergraduate students at the University of Leeds, UK.
It focuses on upon second year undergraduates in six disciplines – Biological Sciences, Geography, Law, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, and Music and seeks to understand more about existing levels of student resilience, and how their resilience might be supported within curricular and extra curricular contexts.
presents a theory of antisocial behavior, the social development model, which organizes the results of research on risk and protective factors for delinquency, crime, and substance abuse into hypotheses regarding the development of antisocial and prosocial behavior / the social development model is grounded in tests of prior criminological theory / it hypothesizes similar general processes leading to prosocial and antisocial development, and specifies submodels for 4 specific periods during childhood and adolescent development (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
W. Wilson's (1967) review of the area of subjective well-being (SWB) advanced several conclusions regarding those who report high levels of "happiness." A number of his conclusions have been overturned: youth and modest aspirations no longer are seen as prerequisites of SWB. E. Diener's (1984) review placed greater emphasis on theories that stressed psychological factors. In the current article, the authors review current evidence for Wilson's conclusions and discuss modern theories of SWB that stress dispositional influences, adaptation, goals, and coping strategies. The next steps in the evolution of the field are to comprehend the interaction of psychological factors with life circumstances in producing SWB, to understand the causal pathways leading to happiness, understand the processes underlying adaptation to events, and develop theories that explain why certain variables differentially influence the different components of SWB (life satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews literature related to the psychological adjustment of relatively short-term visitors or sojourners to new culture. Descriptive approaches (stages, curves of adjustment, types, culture learning); the nature and extent of problems encountered; and the background, situational, personality, and outcome variables related to sojourner adjustment are discussed. Issues and barriers in effective cross-cultural counseling of sojourner problems are discussed. Criticisms of the sojourner literature focus on limited, global methodologies, the nonlongitudinal nature of most studies, and a failure to attend to and apply contributions and implications of the literature on cross-cultural research and methodology. (7½ p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article presents results from an exploratory survey into the experiences and viewpoints of Norwegian students abroad. The students seem highly capable in adapting to new situations, and the vast majority are very satisfied with their sojourn. They find studying abroad academically advantageous, and they put much emphasis on the social, personal, linguistic and cultural rewards they acquire in addition to professional skills. Compared to students in Norway, those studying abroad are more satisfied with their educational institution, and they put more effort into their studies. The high level of satisfaction can be interpreted as a consequence of 'pull' motives for studying abroad, combined with relatively low economic, academic, social, cultural and linguistic barriers.
The study examines self-reported satisfaction with life and thefactors predicting it among 304 international students (159 malesand 145 females) at the University of Bergen, Norway. Thestudents had on the average lived 2.34 years (SD = 2.31) inNorway. The students reported on the whole good satisfactionwith life. However, students from Europe and North America wereon the whole more satisfied than their peers from Africa andAsia. It was also found that factors such as the number offriends, satisfaction with finances, perceived discrimination andinformation received prior to the foreign sojourn significantlyaffected the student's life satisfaction. The importance ofthese factors differed for students from developing and developedcountries where some paradoxical findings came out. Theseparadoxical findings may be the result of the Norwegian contextof the study. Language proficiency (with respect to host andEnglish languages), and having a host national friend did notshow significant effect on life satisfaction.
Description of the development and testing of a new 36-item scale in Likert format, designed to assess the acculturative stress of international students, includes perceived discrimination, homesickness, fear, guilt, perceived hatred, and stress due to change (cultural shock), identified as major contributing factors. The psychometric properties of this instrument and implications for use by mental health practitioners are discussed.
The main threats to adolescents' health are the risk behaviors they choose. How their social context shapes their behaviors is poorly understood.
To identify risk and protective factors at the family, school, and individual levels as they relate to 4 domains of adolescent health and morbidity: emotional health, violence, substance use, and sexuality.
Cross-sectional analysis of interview data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
A total of 12118 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 drawn from an initial national school survey of 90118 adolescents from 80 high schools plus their feeder middle schools.
The interview was completed in the subject's home.
Eight areas were assessed: emotional distress; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; violence; use of 3 substances (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana); and 2 types of sexual behaviors (age of sexual debut and pregnancy history). Independent variables included measures of family context, school context, and individual characteristics.
Parent-family connectedness and perceived school connectedness were protective against every health risk behavior measure except history of pregnancy. Conversely, ease of access to guns at home was associated with suicidality (grades 9-12: P<.001) and violence (grades 7-8: P<.001; grades 9-12: P<.001). Access to substances in the home was associated with use of cigarettes (P<.001), alcohol (P<.001), and marijuana (P<.001) among all students. Working 20 or more hours a week was associated with emotional distress of high school students (P<.01), cigarette use (P<.001), alcohol use (P<.001), and marijuana use (P<.001). Appearing "older than most" in class was associated with emotional distress and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among high school students (P<.001); it was also associated with substance use and an earlier age of sexual debut among both junior and senior high students. Repeating a grade in school was associated with emotional distress among students in junior high (P<.001) and high school (P<.01) and with tobacco use among junior high students (P<.001). On the other hand, parental expectations regarding school achievement were associated with lower levels of health risk behaviors; parental disapproval of early sexual debut was associated with a later age of onset of intercourse (P<.001).
Family and school contexts as well as individual characteristics are associated with health and risky behaviors in adolescents. The results should assist health and social service providers, educators, and others in taking the first steps to diminish risk factors and enhance protective factors for our young people.
On the basis of the stress and coping literature, the authors examined the diverse coping strategies used by expatriate managers in response to the problems encountered while on international assignments. It was hypothesized that although problem-focused coping strategies may be more effective than are emotion-focused coping strategies in affecting cross-cultural adjustment and intention to remain on the international assignment, the relationship is moderated by contextual factors such as hierarchical level in the organization, time on the assignment, and cultural distance. Coded semistructured interview responses from 116 German expatriates on assignment in either Japan or the United States were analyzed with moderated regression analyses. The results suggest that the effectiveness of problem-focused coping strategies in predicting cross-cultural adjustment is moderated by cultural distance and position level but not by time on the assignment. The use of problem-focused coping strategies was not related to expatriates' intention to remain on the assignment.
Cross-cultural psychology has demonstrated important links between cultural context and individual behavioural development. Given this relationship, cross-cultural research has increasingly investigated what happens to individuals who have developed in one cultural context when they attempt to re-establish their lives in another one. The long-term psychological consequences of this process of acculturation are highly variable, depending on social and personal variables that reside in the society of origin, the society of settlement, and phenomena that both exist prior to, and arise during, the course of acculturation. This article outlines a conceptual framework within which acculturation and adaptation can be investigated, and then presents some general findings and conclusions based on a sample of empirical studies.
The research employed a new and recently developed instrument to examine the two dimensions (host and co-national identification) and four modes (integration, separation, marginalization, and assimilation) of acculturation and their relationship to sojourner adjustment. International aid workers in Nepal completed a questionnaire including the Acculturation Index and the assessments of psychological and sociocultural adjustment. Analyses revealed that strong co-national identification predicted enhanced psychological well-being, whereas strong host national identification was associated with better sociocultural adaptation. Acculturation styles were also related to adjustive outcomes. Sojourners who adopted an integrated style fared better psychologically than others, whereas those who assumed an assimilationist perspective experienced fewer social difficulties. The article highlights methodological issues pertaining to the measurement of acculturation and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the use of categorical versus continuous data and mean comparisons versus correlational techniques in the analysis of the relationship among identification, acculturation, and sojourner adjustment.
This article describes a study based on two samples of sojourners and hosts in Australia and Singapore. The objectives of this research are (a) to explore the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions and cross-cultural adjustment and (b) to test the “cultural fit” hypothesis. The first sample included 165 Singaporean and 139 Australian students in Australia; the second included 244 Australian expatriates and 671 Chinese Singaporeans in Singapore. Correlation analyses were undertaken that examined the relationship between neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, as well as their discrepancies from host-culture norms, and cross-cultural adjustment. Findings demonstrated that neuroticism and extraversion were related to psychological and sociocultural adaptation in both sojourning samples. Agreeableness and conscientiousness were also linked to psychological well-being in both samples and to sociocultural adaptation in the Singaporean sojourning group. There was no empirical support in either Singapore or Australia for the cultural fit proposition.
International students frequently encounterproblems in adjusting to their new social environmentwhen studying at American institutions of highereducation. This paper contends that an importantstrategy used by international students in theadjustment process is to establish social relationshipswith other persons with a similar cultural background ornationality and form ethnic communities within the context of the university. Participation insuch an ethnic community serves to buffer internationalstudents from problems associated with a lack ofassimilation of American culture and an inability to effectively interact with Americans. This papertests the conditional hypotheses that assimilation ofAmerican culture and the establishment of social tieswith Americans influence the personal adjustment of an international student, only when thestudent has not established strong ties with otherpeople from a similar cultural background. The number ofstrong ties established with other coculturals was found to have the strongest relationship withthe personal adjustment of international students. Therelationship between assimilation of American cultureand personal adjustment was found to be conditional on the number of strong ties established withother coculturals whereas the establishment of strongties with Americans was found to be independentlyrelated to personal adjustment.
This report focuses on prevention programs developed with support from the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention's (OSAP) High-Risk Youth Demonstration Grant Program. Included are an Introduction (Eric Goplerud and others) and the following reports: (1) "Athletes Coaching Teens for Substance Abuse Prevention: Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Risk Factors in Urban Middle School Students" (Albert Farrell and others); (2) "Adolescent Substance Prevention Education Network: A Rural-Based Pilot Program for Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Pregnant Adolescents" (Tess Ford and Paul Sarvela); (3) "Lakeview Comprehensive Youth Services Project: Characteristics of Youth in High-Risk Environments" (William Southwick and Sharon Zahorodnyj); (4) "An Early Intervention Study of Delinquent Adolescents Using Alcohol and Other Drugs" (Arlene Utada); (5) "A Profile of High-Risk Young Women in the Girls Clubs of America's 'Friendly PeerSuasion' Project" (Dolores Wisdom); (6) "Adolescent Profile Form Developed for the Cumberland Day Treatment Program" (Gregory Coleman and Jack Sarmanian); (7) "'But Will It Play in Peoria?': The Problem of Technology Transfer in Alcohol and Other Drug Use Prevention Programs" (Steven Danish and others); (8) "Evaluation of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Prevention Programs With Mexican-American Youth" (Philip Hall and Martha Reyes); (9) Designing Evaluation Models to Assess Primary Prevention and Cultural Change: An Evaluation Report of the Leadership Project" (John Terry and others); (10) "Issues of Retention in Working With High-Risk Youth" (Candyce Berger and others); (11) "The Development of a University Early Intervention Program for Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Use: The Challenge to Higher Education" (Roberta Blotner); (12) "Innovation and Bureaucracy at Odds: Consternation and Resolution" (Thomasina Borkman and others); (13) "Training Teachers To Integrate Prevention Concepts Into the Primary Curriculum" (Leah Koenig); (14) "Partnership in Prevention: Overcoming Barriers and Hurdles" (Sharon Weaver and Frances Young); (15) "Effects of Primary Prevention on Attitudes and Alcohol and Other Drug Use with At-Risk American-Indian Youth" (Joe Conner and Carol Nice Conner); (16) "Prevention and Early Intervention through Peer Support Retreats" (Peggy Glider and others; (17) "The Smart Leaders Booster Program: A Pennsylvania State University and Boys Clubs Prevention Project" (Tena St. Pierre and others); and (18) "Impact: An Early Intervention Demonstration Project" (Steven Ungerleider and Barry Caudill). (NB)
John Berry has offered a comprehensive conceptual model for the study of immigration, acculturation, and adaptation that has evolved over more than 20 years of systematic and innovative work in the field. Elaborating and refining this amalgamated framework. Professor Berry has largely demystified the acculturative process by showing that the process and product of changing cultures can be understood in familiar terms and be interpreted in the light of existing theories in mainstream psychology. These theories are referred to as “points of view” and identified as a culture learning/social skills acquisition approach, a psychological model of stress, and a psychopathology or mental disease perspective.
La psychologie interculturelle a montré qu'il existait des rapports étroits entre le contexte culturel et le développement comportemental de l'individu. Cette relation établie, l'effort des recherches interculturelles a de plus en plus porté sur ce qu'il advenait des individus quand ils tentaient de refaire leur vie dans une culture différente de leur culture d'origine. Les conséquences psychologiques à long terme de ce processus d'acculturation sont très variables, dépendant de variables sociales et personnelles qui renvoient à la société de départ, à la société d'accueil et à des phénomènes qui existent avant, mais qui émergent pendant la période d'acculturation. Cet article esquisse un schéma conceptuel à partir duquel acculturation et adaptation peuvent ětre étudiées, puis présente quelques conclusions et résultats généraux tirés d'un échantillon de travaux empiriques. On envisage des applications possibles à la politique et aux programmes d'insertion en prenant en considération les couts et les bénéfices sociaux et psychologiques émanant de l'adoprion d'une orientation pluraliste et intégrationniste.
This paper examines the construct of sociocultural adaptation and describes the development and refinement of its measurement. Psychometric analyses of the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS) are presented based on the compilation of data across a large number of sojourner samples from an emerging program of research. The measurement and patterns of sociocultural adaptation are examined across: (1) 16 cross-sectional samples, (2) 4 longitudinal samples, and (3) 1 paired comparison between sojourning and sedentary samples. Selected cross-sample comparisons are reported, and the relationship between sociocultural and psychological adjustment across samples is discussed.
Integrating a number of theoretical perspectives, this paper examined predictors of Asian international students’ sociocultural adjustment. A total of 117 students (aged 18–46 years) from 17 Asian countries and regions completed questionnaires about their sociocultural adjustment, contact with the hosts, ethnic identity, and cross-cultural self-efficacy. As hypothesized, contact with the hosts partially mediated the effect of cross-cultural self-efficacy on sociocultural adjustment. The hypothesis that contact with the hosts would mediate the effect of ethnic identity on sociocultural adjustment was not supported.
International students underuse counseling services, which are grounded in Western cultural values. The authors describe a support group for Asian international students that they launched at a large midwestern university to help students feel at ease with American university life, address homesickness, language problems, and academic and social stressors. Co-leaders created a safe and culturally sensitive atmosphere where the women could network, socialize, and address their issues. Group treatment offers many advantages over individual counseling and can enhance the health of international students.
Survey of final year international students on their experience of The University of Melbourne
- S Daroesman
- K Looi
- D Butler
Development of the course experience questionnaire. Camberra: Department of Education Training and Youth Affairs
- C Mcinnes
- P Griffin
- R James
- H Coates
- C. McInnes
Evaluation of the international student experience
- R James
- M Devlin
Styles of international student psychological adaptation (under review)
- V J Russell
- D A Rosenthal
- G Thomson
Working with youth in high-risk environments: Experiences in prevention: Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration
- C. Marcus
Development of the course experience questionnaire
- C. McInnes
Survey of final year international students on their experience of The
- S. Daroesman
Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education
- R James
- M Devlin
- R. James
Survey of final year international students on their experience of The
- S Daroesman
- K Looi
- D Butler
- S. Daroesman