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Overseas students in Thailand: A qualitative study of cross-cultural adjustment of French exchange students in a Thai university context
Abstract
In recent years, due to the rapid growth of English language programs in higher educational institutions, inexpensive living expenses, and affordable tuition fees in Thailand, the number of international students coming to the kingdom has risen year on year, with a parallel increase in the challenging experiences of acculturation of being an exchange student in an alien environment away from one’s domestic norms. This qualitative study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of French exchange students’ experiences of cross-cultural adjustment encountered during their residency and exchange program attendance in Thailand. The findings of this present study shed light on a better understanding of lived experiences of French exchange students in four major areas: (1) linguistic limitations and their possible solutions; (2) culture shock and associated acculturative stress; (3) cultural adjustment; and (4) proposed extra-curricular activities to foster French exchange students’ cross-cultural adaptation to the Thai collectivistic context. The implications of this study will be beneficial for educators working in academic international relations departments to better understand the challenges faced by international students and explore social support mechanisms to address problems arising during the students’ residency.
... To explore the attitudes, challenges faced, and the factors influencing academic English speaking among international students 16 students -All participants were international students -All were in doctoral programs 10 Jan et al. (2020) Adjustment/coping issues International students do experience difficulties in adjusting to (or coping with) the new environment/ academic program of the host universities/countries. These difficulties span across academic, sociocultural, and psychological domains (Ahrari et al., 2019;Ambrose et al., 2017;Chaiyasat, 2020;Deni et al., 2021;Diem et al., 2023;Halali et al., 2022;Huiling & Ismail, 2022;Jan et al., 2020;Khozaei et al., 2015;Kim Khanh & Ngoc, 2023;Mahfoodh, 2014;Mahmud et al., 2010;Malekian et al., 2017;Movahed et al., 2019;Mustapha et al., 2021;Singh, 2019Singh, , 2020Singh et al., 2015;Sirichuanjun et al., 2017;Zhai & Razali, 2022a, 2022b. These difficulties are characterized or International academics (faculties) have also reported challenges concerning their individual adjustment/coping issues in host universities. ...
... Many local people in the community cannot communicate in English (Chaiyasat, 2020;Hendijani, 2016); this makes it difficult for international students/staff in Southeast Asian universities to communicate with people in the wider Southeast Asian society. ...
... Environmental hygiene issues Inadequate environmental hygiene was also identified as another societal-/environmental-level challenge. The environment in the host community is not as hygienic as that of where international students come from (Chaiyasat, 2020). ...
Internationalization plays a crucial role in building the international competitiveness and profile of a university. However, the process of internationalization can be very challenging. The understanding of these challenges is very crucial for internationalization implementation and improvement. This scoping review aimed to map the existing empirical evidence on the peculiar challenges of internationalization among universities in Southeast Asia. This scoping review was conducted based on Arksey and O’Malley's methodological framework and it was reported using the PRISMA‐ScR checklist. Ten research databases were systematically searched to retrieve all literature relevant to the review question. The retrieved articles were deduplicated and screened based on the review's eligibility criteria, and only the eligible articles were included in the review. Thereafter, relevant data were charted, collated, and summarized from the included literature and presented as results. A total of 34 articles were included in this review. Most of them were qualitative studies (26/34) and from studies conducted in Malaysia (21/34). The reported internationalization challenges in these articles were multidimensional and ranged from the individual to governmental level; however, the most reported challenges were the ones at the individual level which include issues related to adjustment/coping, trust, limited personal resources, family, and essential survival needs. There are numerous challenges facing the implementation of internationalization among universities in Southeast Asia. More efforts need to be placed at all levels to improve the status quo.
... According to several studies, language barriers and cognitive factors significantly affect the academic performance of international students (Ku et al., 2008). Furthermore, anxiety resulting from speaking English as a Second Language (ESL) in front of others can limit international students' ability to socialize and participate in class discussions Chaiyasat, 2020). ...
... The present study differs from prior research as it is focused on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and examines the influence of psychological capital on academic adjustment while considering the moderating effect of language barriers (Chaiyasat, 2020;Hazan-Liran & Miller, 2022;. Although the challenges of adjusting to a new culture have been studied extensively in non-Arab countries, there is a lack of empirical research on the impact of psychological capital and language barriers on the academic adjustment of international students in GCC countries (Alrumaidhi, 2022). ...
... According to Hazan- Liran and Miller (2022), student academic adjustment can be measured by four domains, including institutional adjustment, personal emotional adjustment, academic achievements, and social adjustment. Academic achievement, including satisfactory grades, is indicative of academic adjustment (Chaiyasat, 2020;El-Maamiry, 2020). Social adjustment and institutional adjustment represent students' engagement with their study environment and their relationship with the academy, respectively. ...
... But the language barrier still remains in some cases and can result in the people of the host culture having to speak the language of the sojourner (typically English) to the detrimental impact of social interactions acculturation to the host culture by the sojourner. Handling such challenges include learning in both the local language and sojourner's languages, or finding friend groups and technologically assisted communication tools (Tarp, 2020;Chaiyasat, 2020). In other cases, students might end up sojourning to communities or countries surrounded by and interacting more with people that can speak their language, deterring these sojourners from interacting with locals of a different language and from trying to learn a new language. ...
... Stratified random sampling was employed in this study as the researchers had AFS Philippines identified active former foreign exchange students and Filipino host families from academic exchange year 2014-2015 to 2019-2020 (Marino, Montalbo, & Bugtong, 2017;Harris et al., 2018;Chatchawan & Chaiyasat, 2020;Irwin, Oberhelman, & Davies, 2020;Sustarsic, 2020;Humphreys & Baker, 2021). Considering the identified families' and students' busy schedules, respondents were chosen by the researchers on a first-come-first-served basis. ...
... When asked about challenges and opportunities experienced over language and communication, one challenge the exchange student expressed was how automatically being seen as a European meant that people only spoke to the student in English, leaving the student clueless when conversations began being spoken in Bisaya-Kagayan as the student was never introduced to it, hence, language barrier (Marino, Montalbo, & Bugtong, 2017;Chaiyasat, 2020;Tarp, 2020). Sometimes the student would also come off as being ...
The number of students enrolling in institutions outside their home country has increased considerably, with a more than fivefold increase over the previous decade. In order to examine the experiences of international secondary exchange students and their volunteer host families and the changes they brought in terms of attitudes, values, and beliefs, as well as language and communication, and motivations, this study utilizes the theoretical framework presented in Sustarsic's (2020) study that makes use of Culture Learning Theory, which was described as being frequently employed by various international sojourners' experiences overseas. The researchers interviewed a total of 12 respondents recommended by AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines: six AFS foreign exchange students and six AFS host families who were all residing in Mindanao during the duration of their exchange year. The researchers also conducted a case study on a pair of respondents-one Filipino host sibling and the corresponding foreign exchange student-both of whom lived under the same household and went to the same university during the latter's academic exchange year in the Philippines. This study indicates that both international secondary exchange students and their Filipino host families universally felt satisfaction and fulfillment from participating in the AFS intercultural exchange, as well as confirming the influences that the exchange has had upon its participants, especially the exchange students.
... Scholars have extended the use of the SERVQUAL model and quality scales to measure the quality of exchange projects in higher education, as shown in Table 1. The service quality of these projects includes various aspects, such as actual course design, implementation, and evaluation (Deans, 2011), logistical planning for study tours, lectures, company visits, and cultural experiences (Sachau et al., 2010), program format and cost discussions (Mills et al., 2010), resources for students seeking study abroad immersion service learning experiences, faculty support, including fundraising, emotional, or academic support (Long, 2016), as well as potential solutions to linguistic and intercultural communication barriers (Chaiyasat, 2020;Yusup & Gemiharto, 2022). The Erasmus program is a significant student exchange initiative that has contributed to the integration of higher education in the European Union. ...
... In general, perceived quality has a more significant impact on satisfaction than expectations (Ali et al., 2021;Oliver & DeSarbo, 1988;Yılmaz & Temizkan, 2022). Several scholars have also found that service quality affects the satisfaction of exchange students, such as teaching methods and intercultural experiences (Van der Beek et al., 2014), physical environment, price/fee, personal safety, and student-lecturer attachment (Chelliah et al., 2019), economic, communication, cultural, prejudice, and transportation factors (Acikgoz et al., 2020), and proposed extracurricular activities (Chaiyasat, 2020), Erasmus Student Network (ESN), online media use, among others (Senci et al., 2022). Therefore, perceived quality may play a more direct role in influencing satisfaction. ...
Exchange programs have been found to have a positive impact on regional economic growth, university cooperation, and student academic, and professional development. However, there has been limited analysis of the factors that influence the quality of these programs. In this study, a mixed-methods approach was used to examine regional exchange programs in China. Qualitative research was conducted using Octopus Big Data Crawler software, Timdream.org software, and 33 interviews to develop a questionnaire that covers student expectations, service quality, and satisfaction. Using SPSS 22 and Amos 21, the study analyzed the interactive relationships among expectations, perceived service quality, and satisfaction in the context of regional education integration based on a sample of 246 questionnaires. The results demonstrate that perceived service quality plays an intermediary role in the relationship between expectations and satisfaction, with students’ perceptions of learning quality and interpersonal quality at the receiving university influencing their satisfaction levels. This study provides important insights into the factors that impact the quality of regional exchange programs in China.
... In the context of the export of educational services, foreign students as the main barriers denote stereotypes 1 [6], acculturation challenges [7], pressure to assimilate culturally [8; 9], native-born hostility towards immigrant students 2 [10]. In addition, higher levels of stress 3 [11], depression [12; 13], and language barriers 4 serve as a barrier to successful adaptation. Also, the problem of employment remains a common one both for foreign students and students of the host society, since they seek to reduce the financial burden on the family budget [14; 15]. ...
... Relationships between members of culturally stigmatized groups may also influence professional identity construction: pursuing certain occupations or attending to certain tasks within an occupation 11 . For instance, for a migrant student, it might be difficult to be a person from the ex-Soviet Central Asia associated with a dominant professional role of a service worker (stigmatized cultural identity) and his attempt to acquire a profession of luxury goods sales manager (professional role identity). ...
Introduction. In the context of the export of educational services, it is of particular importance to design an efficient system of foreign students’ psychological adaptation. Owing to the ethnocultural background, foreign students feel that they are stigmatized minorities in the host society. Negative images and stereotypes are often internalized, resulting in stable low self-esteem in the stigmatized. Since self-esteem acts as a key parameter of the professional self-concept, social stigma and the experience of social identity threat activate the stigmatization of primary professionalization, thereby drastically reducing the efficiency of the received vocational education at the university. The purpose of the study is: to outline the phenomenon of primary professionalization, to reveal the nature of the relationship between the social stigma of foreign students and their self-esteem, and to describe the levels of primary professionalization.
Materials and Methods. The study involved 124 foreign students. Participants were asked to answer questions of the Short Form of the Stigmatization Scale and Rosenbergʼs Self-Esteem Scale in order to track the relationship between social stigma and self-esteem. Further, in order to identify the basic barriers to primary professionalization and the participants’ perception of their stigmatized status, the respondents answered the questions of a semi-structured interview supported with the critical incident technique in a focus group format.
Results. There is a correlation between the degree of obviousness of social stigma and self-esteem of foreign students. The categorization of the data obtained allowed the authors to substantiate the phenomenon of stigma of primary professionalization, to systematize the determining factors, and to describe its levels.
Discussion and Conclusion. Despite the fact that social stigma has attracted active attention of world science for decades, we have not been able to find focused studies into primary professionalization in the format of education export. Studying the factors that lead to the development of stigma of primary professionalization, understanding its levels will help to design a system for its prevention, optimize the system of adaptation of foreign students to the realities of the educational system of the host university.
... The Higher Education Statistics Agency (2020) states that universities in the UK contributed £470,226 million to the economy in 2018-2019 through various services, including the commercialisation of new knowledge, professional training, and international diplomacy and trade. International students worldwide not only contribute to the cultural diversity and academic enrichment of university life but also enhance society's adaptability by enabling understanding of alternative ways of living and social contexts (Khan et al. 2015;Chaiyasat 2020;Shu et al. 2020 (Hussain et al. 2020) suggests that Pakistani students leave their country for higher education to gain political, economic & social stability and educational opportunities. The UK is viewed as a favoured destination to improve skills and qualifications that can give students a competitive edge over other graduates in securing employment. ...
... Hussey and Smith (2010) define transition in higher education as a 'significant change in a student's life, self-concept and learning: a shift from one state of understanding, development and maturity to another' (156). International students often struggle in their transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies as they must adapt not only to a new education system but also acculturate and assimilate into multi-cultural expectations and practices, which impacts on their psychological wellbeing and academic growth in the host institution (McKimm and Wilkinson 2015;Chaiyasat 2020;Shu, 2020). However, there is scant research that specifically considers the challenges of postgraduate Pakistani female students' transition to UK higher education. ...
The article explores female Pakistani students’ narratives of transition on moving to the UK and into post-graduate higher education. It draws on a qualitative longitudinal study with six female Pakistani students at one university to reveal the complex ongoing transformation of their thinking, feeling and believing. An analysis of troubles of identity during the year are suggestive of their seizing a ‘modicum of control’: a kind of agency that doesn’t resist power structures, but does make an individual feel that they are choosing. As a result our participants went on to make profound changes to some of the ways they thought about and lived their lives. The results have implications for Universities, policy makers and tutors to transcend an institutional focus into a broader enculturated view that highlights an irreversible change to their past identities, which needs support both for students’ transitioning to the UK University and on their return.
... In the context of the export of educational services, foreign students as the main barriers denote stereotypes 1 [6], acculturation challenges [7], pressure to assimilate culturally [8; 9], native-born hostility towards immigrant students 2 [10]. In addition, higher levels of stress 3 [11], depression [12; 13], and language barriers 4 serve as a barrier to successful adaptation. Also, the problem of employment remains a common one both for foreign students and students of the host society, since they seek to reduce the financial burden on the family budget [14; 15]. ...
... Relationships between members of culturally stigmatized groups may also influence professional identity construction: pursuing certain occupations or attending to certain tasks within an occupation 11 . For instance, for a migrant student, it might be difficult to be a person from the ex-Soviet Central Asia associated with a dominant professional role of a service worker (stigmatized cultural identity) and his attempt to acquire a profession of luxury goods sales manager (professional role identity). ...
Introduction. In the context of the export of educational services, it is of particular importance to design an efficient system of foreign students’ psychological adaptation. Owing to the ethnocultural background, foreign students feel that they are stigmatized minorities in the host society. Negative images and stereotypes are often internalized, resulting in stable low self-esteem in the stigmatized. Since self-esteem acts as a key parameter of the professional self-concept, social stigma and the experience of social identity threat activate the stigmatization of primary professionalization, thereby drastically reducing the efficiency of the received vocational education at the university. The purpose of the study is: to outline the phenomenon of primary professionalization, to reveal the nature of the relationship between the social stigma of foreign students and their self-esteem, and to describe the levels of primary professionalization.
Materials and Methods. The study involved 124 foreign students. Participants were asked to answer questions of the Short Form of the Stigmatization Scale and Rosenbergʼs Self-Esteem Scale in order to track the relationship between social stigma and self-esteem. Further, in order to identify the basic barriers to primary professionalization and the participants’ perception of their stigmatized status, the respondents answered the questions of a semi-structured interview supported with the critical incident technique in a focus group format.
Results. There is a correlation between the degree of obviousness of social stigma and self-esteem of foreign students. The categorization of the data obtained allowed the authors to substantiate the phenomenon of stigma of primary professionalization, to systematize the determining factors, and to describe its levels.
Discussion and Conclusion. Despite the fact that social stigma has attracted active attention of world science for decades, we have not been able to find focused studies into primary professionalization in the format of education export. Studying the factors that lead to the development of stigma of primary professionalization, understanding its levels will help to design a system for its prevention, optimize the system of adaptation of foreign students to the realities of the educational system of the host university.
... culturally and acculturation challenges (Balante et al., 2021;Karim et al., 2021), native-born hostility towards immigrant students (Murillo, 2021). Such psychological problems as depression (Kamalova et al., 2021), high level of stress (Chaiyasat, 2020), loss of self-efficacy (Céspedes et al., 2021) and self-stigmatization (Harvey, 2001;Glace et al., 2021) are also associated with the barriers to successful adaptation. Foreign students mention facing problems with job seeking and problems related to integration and adaptation to the new context of life (Gonta & Bulgac, 2019;Baker et al., 2021), also they noted as a barrier for their future career planning absence of specific campus programming aimed at helping foreign students make the transition from academic life to employment (Tikhonova et al., 2021). ...
... Similar problems of adaptation are highlighted in a number of studies (Bethel et al., 2020;Chaiyasat, 2020;Ladum & Burkholder, 2019), which emphasize students' experience in culture shock and associated acculturative stress, cultural adjustment, negative emotional responses and others, strategies that could enhance student-host connectedness during cross-cultural transitions. At the same time, it is obvious that foreign students today demonstrate a demanding attitude towards members of the host society, noting the need to jointly create a cooperative environment that can benefit both representatives of the newcomers and the host society (Bethel et al., 2020). ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed nowadays life in every aspect so irreversibly that there is no doubt that the educational landscape must be continuously re-evaluated and revised. In this regard, particular emphasis is given to the issues of academic mobility and adaptation of foreign students. The aim of the study is to clarify a new understanding of the issues traditionally faced by foreign students in universities in the host country and to analyze new barriers that have arisen as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reports on a narrative research study exploring the experiences and perceptions of 42 first-year bachelor and master foreign students having come to Russia for the first time. Taking into account that human behaiviour can be predicted through language patterns, we analysed language features to compare the participants’ rational and emotional perception of the barriers to adaptation highlighted from their narratives. The findings suggest that almost all issues traditionally faced by foreign students have received a new understanding or have changed their hierarchy in their perception. Contemporary challenges have also created new barriers to adaptation. Temporalities and restrictions in physical movement received special emphasis as an obstacle to adaptation of foreign students. In the context of the total transformation that awaits higher education after the end of the pandemic and its transition to a hybrid format, the results of this study can be used by academic developers to establish a system of foreign students’ psychological adaptation.
... Explained by (Berry, 2006) this theory provides the right framework for analyzing complex and multidimensional cultural adaptation processes. Berry's theory identifies four main strategies of cultural adaptation: assimilation, integration, segregation, and marginalization, which can be used to understand how Thailand students navigate cultural differences and existing education systems (Chaiyasat, 2020). In this context, integration strategies, which incorporate active participation in a new culture while maintaining the identity of the culture of origin, are considered the most effective and psychologically sound. ...
This research aims to understand the self-adaptation management of students from Thailand who are pursuing teacher training study programs in Indonesia. The focus of the research includes: 1) cultural differences between Thailand and Indonesia that affect students' self-adaptation, 2) the self-adaptation strategies used by Thai students, and 3) their expectations for self-adaptation management at the university. The method used was qualitative with a narrative inquiry approach through interviews and observations of 9 respondents. The results showed that Thai students at the Islamic University of Indonesia observed cultural differences in social values, norms, and religious aspects that influenced social interaction, responses to authority, and understanding of dominant cultures as well as lifestyles and perceptions of time. They develop adaptation strategies through Indonesian language courses, international communities, technology, lecturer guidance, and local friendships. Students expect the university to provide orientation programs, guidance, comfortable dormitories, cultural exchange, inclusive activities, and community support, as well as ensure the quality of higher education, competent lecturers, and relevant curriculum. This research provides insights for universities to develop more effective orientation and mentoring programs and shows the importance of technology support in the adaptation process. The limitation of this study is that its scope is limited to one university with a small number of respondents, so it is recommended for future research to include more universities and a wider range of respondents for a more comprehensive understanding. Keywords: Students, International, Environmental Adaptation, Universities, Indonesia.
... It has been found that representatives of Individualistic cultures studying in Collectivistic countries (or vice versa) experience a variety of challenges requiring ER. For example, French exchange students studying in Thailand, like Chinese students in the UK, face challenges such as language barriers, academic miscommunication with lecturers and other students, acculturation stress, etc. (Chaiyasat, 2020;Cheng et al., 2019). Cultural emotion norms (e.g., emotion evaluation norms, emotion display rules) are thought to be important for motivation in ER (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). ...
The main aim of our qualitative research is to find out how foreign students from different Collectivistic countries perceive interpersonal emotion regulation (IER). Using semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection and thematic analysis as a method of data analysis, we found that the majority of participants used IER to provide psychological support to their colleagues and friends in a variety of contexts—64% of participants highlighted cognitive strategies as key in emotional regulation, especially the use of temporal perspective shifting—and that, finally, the majority of the participants highlighted the evident results of the interventions, the most common of which was the increased adaptive behavior of the targets of IER. These findings highlight the persistence of cultural orientation in heterogeneous settings and suggest situational flexibility in IER strategies. They also highlight the importance of designing culturally sensitive interventions in international educational contexts.
... Moreover, both participants from these researches also adapted themselves significantly between stage adjustment and adaptation by the time international learners started acclimatizing to their new environment. Lastly, Chatchawan Chaiyasat also emphasized the most important factor of culture shock: barriers leading to several misunderstandings for overseas learners at school and home (Chaiyasat, 2020). Many French respondents in this work noted that the inadequate English language proficiency of Thai students and teachers posed significant challenges, especially in the classroom setting where English was primarily utilized for learning, instruction, and assessment. ...
This paper aims to examine the phenomenon of culture shock experienced by international students studying in Thailand for their master’s degree and explore their strategies for adapting to Thai culture. This research employed a semi-structured interview with eight international students at King Mongkut’s University of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand. The participants completed the open-ended questionnaires and provided responses via a Google Docs link. The writer will use Kalervo Oberg's four stages of culture shock to better understand culture shock and the adaptation process of overseas students studying in Thailand. The research illustrates the causes behind international students' desire to pursue educational institutions in Thailand and their experiences with culture shock across the four stages, along with their adaptation process. The findings suggest that overseas students suffer from culture shock in relation to their surroundings, language, cultural norms, and academic areas.
... One can meet others with similar experiences and cultural backgrounds by joining clubs, organizations, or groups relevant to their interests or background. To improve their performance and adapt to new academic requirements, international students can use academic support services like study groups and tutoring (Al-Sowygh, 2013;Ashton-Hay et al., 2022;Chaiyasat, 2020;Joseph et al., 2023). ...
This study explores the specific challenges faced by Saudi students studying in Malaysia, particularly the pressures related to achieving their academic goals abroad. Previous research has often looked at the general factors affecting international students' experiences but has not deeply examined the unique challenges faced by Saudi students who are studying abroad on scholarships. This research aims to identify the difficulties these students face in adapting to a new culture, understand how these challenges relate to their academic stress, evaluate the role of social support in easing this stress, and consider how this knowledge could help develop better support strategies for Saudi students in Malaysia. The research was conducted using a questionnaire given to a group of Saudi students in Malaysia. The findings indicate that social support helps lessen the link between cultural adaptation difficulties and academic stress, which is an important factor affecting their academic success and overall well-being. These results are significant as they can help improve the academic achievement and well-being of international students.
... This is consistent with existing research that highlights the complex nature of sociocultural adaptation, influenced by various cultural, psychological, and educational factors (Mwangi, 2016;Yeo et al., 2019). We also found positive connections between socio-cultural adjustment and quality of life as well as the perception of an international-friendly campus environment (Almeida, 2020;Chaiyasat, 2020;Yılmaz and Temizkan, 2022;Zhang et al., 2022). This makes sense because when people adapt to new cultures, it significantly affects their overall wellbeing. ...
The sociocultural adaptation scale is a tool commonly used to assess how international students adjust to new cultures. Although it has been shown to be useful, there's little proof that it works well for students in non-Western countries. Our study aimed to create and test a version of this tool for international students in Malaysia, with 428 participants. We looked at whether the tool worked the same way for people of different genders, ages, and academic majors. At first, our results showed that the tool was not a perfect fit, but after careful adjustments, including removing items that did not fit well and improving how items were linked, we significantly improved how well the tool worked. The updated tool effectively measures how well international students adapt to new cultures. Moreover, our study found that the tool worked consistently across different demographic groups, offering new insights into how gender, age, and academic major affect students' sociocultural adaptation. These findings make the tool more useful in various settings and help us better understand the complex factors that influence how international students adjust to living in multicultural environments.
... I also reviewed research concerning cross-cultural adjustment (e.g. Brown & Holloway, 2008;Cena et al., 2021;Chang et al., 2006;Chaiyasat, 2020;Dunne, 2016;Wang et al., 2018;Yan and Noels, 2013;), diversity interactions (e.g., Bowman, 2013;Hurtado, 2001;Kimmel and Volet, 2012;Lyon & Guppy, 2016;Nelson, 2005;Reid & Garson, 2017;Osmond & Roed, 2010;Sawir et al., 2008), friendship formation and social connectedness (e.g., Hendrickson et al., 2011;Hotta & Ting-Toomy, 2013;Li & Zizzi, 2021;Smith et al., 2016;Renties & Nolan, 2014;Robinson et al., 2020;McKenzie & Baldassar, 2017) and intercultural communication (e.g., Jacobi, 2021;Kobayashi, 2010;French-Sloan, 2015;Sptzman, 2014;Zaharna, 2000). ...
The main purpose of this review was to intensively review literature about to international students’ intercultural interaction with Canadian domestic students. More specifically, the review intends to (1) examine the status of international students’ intercultural interaction with domestic students at Canadian post-secondary schools. (2) identify the major challenges that limit the intercultural interaction between international and Canadian domestic students. To this end, various research documents, such as published and unpublished government documents, peer- reviewed articles, PhD dissertations, and empirical studies were consulted. In this review, studies conducted in other most popular study destinations for international students were also thoroughly reviewed to provide additional insight. The findings of this review indicate that at Canadian post-secondary institutions, the intercultural interactions between international and domestic students are few. The review findings further uncovered that English language proficiency and culture qualify as the main challenges for international students to make intercultural interactions with their domestic counterparts. Based on these findings, conclusions and implications were forwarded to hosting countries and institutions.
... To be specific, most studies have focused on the acculturative stress, socio-cultural adaptation, and satisfaction of international students in English native-speaking or Anglophone contexts (Brown 2009;Mahmood 2014;Wilson 2013). There is less literature focusing on intercultural acculturation, adaptation, and adjustment of specific ethnic groups of international students within the Thai higher education context (Chaiyasat 2015(Chaiyasat , 2016(Chaiyasat , 2020Vergara, Smith, and Keele 2010). Although the findings of these studies provide valuable insights into the experiences of acculturative stress of international university students from Asia, America, and Europe, they are often limited in providing both qualitative and quantitative insights. ...
... In Elemo and Türküm's (2019) experimental study, international students assigned to the experiment group were found to have experienced higher levels of increases in coping self-efficacy due to the acquired successful and new coping skills, compared to those assigned to the control group. According to Chaiyasat's (2020) qualitative study, international students with a better knowledge of the host cultures gradually developed active coping styles to overcome social/academic hassles. Thus, socially adjusted international students may have more confidence in coping with stressors and challenges in the host society. ...
International students are featured by having to rebuild social relationships and cope with various sojourn-related challenges in the host society. Therefore, the social use of social media and coping self-efficacy can be constructs that are highly relevant to this population and may facilitate their sociocultural adjustment, but no prior study examines their relationships. The present study aimed to fill in the research gap by conducting a three-wave longitudinal study to investigate their reciprocal links, as well as the mediating role of coping self-efficacy, among international students in China. Results from cross-lagged panel analyses revealed the unidirectional links from prior social use of WeChat (i.e., a popular social media in China) to subsequent coping self-efficacy and from prior coping self-efficacy to subsequent sociocultural adjustment, as opposed to the bi-directional links. Furthermore, coping self-efficacy was found to longitudinally mediate the link from prior social use of WeChat to subsequent sociocultural adjustment.
... The Germanic influence has been witnessed in borrowing words from German, such as Kindergarten and Zeitgeist. The Romance influence has led to borrowing words from French, such as cuisine and ballet (Chaiyasat, 2020). ...
As the population continues to diversify, and English is used as the universal language, providing opportunities for students to learn about language diversity is considered critical. One way to achieve that is through the study of language’s structure, history, and meaning of words. Linguists use this knowledge to understand how language works and how it can be used to communicate effectively. The concept of World Englishes is particularly important for English teachers and educators, who need to be aware of the existence of different English dialects spoken and that these varieties are becoming increasingly important as global communication increases. Although the concept of World Englishes is relatively new, studying different varieties of English is not. Cross-cultural communication is essential for any institution that has diverse operations or plans to expand internationally. Linguistic barriers include differences in spoken and written language, as well as differences in the way that language is used in different cultures. Understanding the aspects of cross-cultural communication, language diversity, and World Englishes is the main focus of this study. Received: 5 October 2022 / Accepted: 26 December 2022 / Published: 5 January 2023
... In the works of various authors, some individual factors are more highlighted against the background of other analyzed barriers: acculturation challenges [25], pressure to assimilate culturally [26], [27], stereotypes [28], [29], nativeborn hostility towards immigrant students [30], [31], higher levels of stress [32], [33], depression [34], [35]. However, almost all authors somehow emphasize the factors we have identified as basic challenges with the maximum emphasis on the language barrier influence on all other factors. ...
... Having obvious benefits for migrant students, the export of education is accompanied by a number of barriers, such as acculturation challenges [1], pressure to assimilate culturally [2] [3], stereotypes [4] [5], native-born hostility towards immigrant students [6] [7], higher levels of stress [8] [9], depression [10] [11], language barriers [12]. Moreover, some scientists consider one more barrier, the opportunity of employment due to the desire / need to improve their own well-being, to reduce the financial burden on the family budget. ...
Chinese students participating in programs taught in Chinese offered by Thai universities are at risk of experiencing culture shock because of their lack of familiarity with Thailand’s language and culture, which can adversely affect their life satisfaction. This study investigated the associations between conational peer support, culture shock, and life satisfaction among such students. Elements of acculturation theory were used to examine whether conational (i.e., from the same country) peer support mitigates the effect of culture shock on outcomes such as life satisfaction and whether this mediating effect differentially affects male and female students. A total of 613 students from three private universities in Bangkok completed questionnaires involving a conational peer support scale, a culture shock scale, and a life satisfaction scale. Structural equation modeling in AMOS 21.0 was used to determine the validity of these scales, the mediating role of culture shock, and the influence of gender on the aforementioned mediating effect. The findings revealed that culture shock partially mediated the association between conational peer support and student life satisfaction. Furthermore, culture shock partially mediated the association between conational peer support and life satisfaction for female students but not for male students. Therefore, the Thai government should allocate funding to universities offering programs in Chinese to support bilingual staff training, offer mental health resources, and develop peer support systems. In turn, administrators of these universities should provide peer support services for female Chinese students and acculturative stress management classes for male Chinese students to mitigate the effects of culture shock on their life satisfaction.
This study explores the experiences of international students from Thailand in pursuing Islamic Religious Education in Indonesia, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced. Using a qualitative approach with a case study design, data were obtained through observation, interviews, and case study analysis using the Cresswell (2016). The results of the study revealed that students faced major obstacles in the form of limitations in understanding the language of instruction, local cultural differences, and difficulties in understanding contextual religious terminology. Barriers to integrating technology into Islamic Education learning also exacerbated the existing challenges. However, significant opportunities also emerged, such as enriching religious knowledge through comparing theological perspectives, openness to religious interpretations, and learning experiences in an inclusive multicultural environment. In addition, limited support from peers and lecturers also helped Thai students overcome these obstacles. The contribution of these findings lies in a deeper understanding of the dynamics of religious learning in a cross-cultural context and the importance of adapting more inclusive teaching strategies. The results of this study can be a basis for educational institutions in designing learning programs that support international students, especially in overcoming linguistic, cultural, and technological challenges, in order to improve the quality of their learning experience in Indonesia.
Background: Nowadays the number of students studying abroad increases rapidly. Migrant students represent a highly motivated and achieving category and contribute a lot to the economies of the host countries. Coming to the host country they face different challenges, one of them being employment. Previous studies reveal that migrant students during the period of their acculturation undergo various difficulties, and even after graduation, there are such hurdles as pressure, immigration policies, and an uncertain future. If they want to pursue a career in the host country, new barriers such as documentation requirements, problems with language and discrimination could appear.
Purpose: The necessity to create a safe environment that can help them acquire the necessary skills needed at a job interview made the research authors consider the use of a VR tool.
Materials and Methods: 171 migrant students took part in the research. Based on a needs analysis to depict the barriers migrant students face while seeking a job in a host country the architecture of a computer simulator “Employment navigator” was designed.
Results: The identified needs of migrant students, as well as the main barriers to their adaptation, can influence the optimization of the system of adaptation of foreign students in the conditions of host universities. The ‘Employment Navigator’ virtual reality simulator can be used as a tool to assess the readiness of a migrant student to undergo a job interview successfully.
Implication: Virtual reality simulators make it possible to repeat actions as many times as necessary to achieve the desired result and proved their efficiency applied to all vulnerable categories of citizens.
This article centres on female students’ reasoning about their emotional (re)actions during the process of academic becoming. It builds on an ethnographical study of students’ subjectivity processes at a jointly run Sino-Danish university in Beijing. The article draws on a theoretical framework called emotional reasoning, bridging Sara Ahmed’s notion of emotionality and Thomas Popkewitz’ rules of reasoning, to investigate the affective structuring of students’ reasoning about academic identities in transnational education. The study elucidates how students’ reasoning about their opportunities for academic transformation is connected to racialising hierarchies of gendered and aged emotional characteristics. These interlockings can be read as reflections of the unequal interlocking of power relations in a transnational educational space. The study illustrates that, within this space, the students gain differentiated affective opportunities to act, depending on whether their bodies are surfaced as white-young-female or Chinese-young-female.
Permintaan terhadap produk kosmetik halal dalam kalangan pengguna Muslim
semakin meningkat dari hari ke hari kerana mereka perlu tampil segar dan menarik
ketika bertugas atau bersosial di luar rumah. Tujuan kertas penyelidikan ini ialah
untuk mengkaji tahap pengetahuan kosmetik halal dengan mengadaptasikan
kerangka literasi kewangan yang diperkenalkan oleh OECD dalam menilai hubungan
antara faktor-faktor demografik pelajar pascasiswazah beragama Islam yang
mengikuti pengajian Sarjana dan Doktor Falsafah bagi sesi 2019 / 2020 seperti
jantina, umur, latar belakang pengajian, penaja pendidikan dan taraf perkahwinan.
Soal selidik dijalankan menggunakan teknik ‘Convenience Sampling’ secara atas
talian kepada semua mahasiswa yang sedang menuntut ilmu di 14 fakulti dan dua
akademi pengajian di Universiti Malaya. Hasilnya, daripada 300 soal selidik yang
berjaya dikumpulkan, hanya 106 data yang sah dan dapat digunakan untuk analisa
seterusnya. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah silang tabulasi untuk mendedahkan
corak dan trend pelajar pascasiswazah serta pengetahuan kosmetik halal,
menggunakan ‘Mann-Whitney Test’ dan ‘Kruskal-Wallis Test’ untuk menguji
hipotesis kajian. Ujian kolerasi pula dilaksanakan bagi mengenalpasti faktor
demografik yang mempunyai hubungkait dengan pengetahuan kosmetik halal. Silang
tabulasi berjaya mendedahkan corak atau trend pelajar pascasiswazah yang berusia
26-30 tahun dan masih bujang yang paling ketara mendapat skor pengetahuan
kosmetik halal yang tinggi. Ia dilihat seiring dengan laporan pengkaji lepas yang
mengatakan bahawa kelompok usia 27 tahun memiliki kuasa memilih dan membeli
produk kosmetik yang mereka sukai. Tetapi ujian hipotesis menunjukkan sebaliknya,
apabila dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pelajar pascasiswazah lelaki, yang
berlatarbelakangkan pengajian Islam dan sudah berumahtangga yang lebih memiliki
tahap pengetahuan kosmetik halal yang tinggi. Manakala, ujian kolerasi
menunjukkan kekuatan kolerasi yang lemah antara faktor demografik dan
pengetahuan kosmetik halal, tapi umur dan taraf perkahwinan menunjukkan arah positif dengan nilai signifikan <0.05. Latar belakang pengajian pelajar pascasiswazah
menunjukkan arah negatif memberi isyarat bahawa pelajar pascasiswazah yang
berlatarbelakangkan pengajian Islam dari Timur Tengah menguasai pengetahuan
kosmetik halal. Secara keseluruhan, limitasi kajian berlingkar dalam menerangkan
ralat dalam merekabentuk instrumen kajian dan ralat pensampelan yang sepatutnya
menggunakan ‘Purposive Sampling’. Namun begitu, kajian ini dapat menyediakan
informasi berguna tentang bagaimana kerangka literasi kewangan OECD dapat
diadaptasikan dalam kajian kosmetik halal. Perkaitan antara kedua-duanya ialah
pembelian dan penggunaan kosmetik halal juga melibatkan wang pengguna.
Sekiranya pengguna produk kosmetik halal terdiri daripada mereka yang tergolong
dalam kumpulan yang amat terdedah dengan risiko kesempitan wang, maka
pembelian kosmetik halal dianggap satu bentuk pembaziran. Kajian ini juga berjaya
mendedahkan corak pemahaman dan pengamalan pelajar pascasiswazah yang
berlatarbelakangkan pengajian dari Timur Tengah di mana rata-rata mereka lebih
gemar mengamalkan produk kosmetik yang pernah digunakan oleh Rasulullah
S.A.W. dalam penjagaan dan perapian diri.
Artikel ini adalah berkaitan dengan kos sara hidup. Ia
berdasarkan dengan laporan Ikatan Mahasiswa Darul Naim
(NAIM), organisasi mahasiswa yang menjadi nadi pelajar
Kelantan bahawa kebanyakan mahasiswi Kelantan di seluruh
negara sering mengadu mempunyai masalah berkaitan dengan
kewangan. Faktor-faktor tekanan lain yang diadukan oleh
mahasiswi Kelantan ialah kegagalan mendapat penempatan di
kolej kediaman. Maka, artikel ini bertujuan untuk memahami
punca utama terhadap tekanan ini yang menganggu pengajian
mahasiswi Kelantan sepanjang menuntut ilmu. Artikel ini
dimulakan dengan isu-isu yang diketengahkan kepada NAIM,
kemudiannya kajian literatur untuk mengenalpasti sama ada
tekanan yang serupa dialami juga oleh mahasiswa seluruh dunia
agar kepelbagaian solusi dapat dicadangkan. Kemudian, analisa
demografik mahasiswi Kelantan dijalankan dengan
menggunakan Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Sebanyak 1,313 data dibekalkan oleh NAIM melalui kaedah soal
selidik atas talian pada Mac 2020 tapi hanya 1,029 data berkaitan dengan mahasiswi Kelantan yang menuntut di peringkat Ijazah
Sarjana Muda di universiti awam seluruh Malaysia. Dapatan
kajian menunjukkan majoriti mahasiswi Kelantan menuntut di
UPSI dan UiTM, di negeri Perak dan Selangor, di semester
keenam, semester kedua, dan semester keempat dalam jurusan
pendidikan, bidang sains teknologi dan ekonomi kewangan.
Temubual dengan Yang Dipertua Persatuan Mahasiswa
Kelantan juga turut diadakan bagi menguatkan keputusan
demografik. Daripada 20 orang YDP yang dijemput untuk sesi
temubual ini, hanya 4 orang sahaja yang sudi untuk ditemubual.
Menurut YDP, masalah utama mahasiswi Kelantan ialah
masalah kewangan terutamanya melibatkan mahasiswi yang
menuntut ilmu di Lembah Klang. Mereka yang terpaksa
menetap di luar kampus dibebani kos sewa rumah, kos internet,
makanan dan pengangkutan yang tidak mampu ditampung
hanya dengan wang biasiswa yang mereka perolehi. YDP juga
mengaitkan masalah kewangan dengan masalah-masalah
mahasiswi banyak dihadapi oleh mereka yang berada di luar
kampus dengan isu keselamatan siswi luar kampus. Kajian ini
menyarankan agar Pusat Mahasiswa Kelantan yang
mengadaptasi model Malaysia Hall di luar negara dilaksanakan
di negeri-negeri yang berpendapatan tinggi seperti Lembah
Klang. Melalui kajian ini, diharapkan pelbagai pihak dapat
memahami bahawa permasalahan utama mahasiswi Kelantan
yang belajar di negeri lain adalah masalah kewangan. Bantuan
kewangan berbentuk PTPTN atau pun biasiswa tajaan kerajaan
negeri dilihat tidak mencukupi bagi mahasiswi Kelantan yang
terpaksa menyewa di luar kampus terutamanya di kawasan
seperti Lembah Klang.
Artikel ini adalah berkaitan dengan kos sara hidup. Ia berdasarkan dengan laporan Ikatan Mahasiswa Darul Naim (NAIM), organisasi mahasiswa yang menjadi nadi pelajar Kelantan bahawa kebanyakan mahasiswi Kelantan di seluruh negara sering mengadu mempunyai masalah berkaitan dengan kewangan. Faktor-faktor tekanan lain yang diadukan oleh mahasiswi Kelantan ialah kegagalan mendapat penempatan di kolej kediaman. Maka, artikel ini bertujuan untuk memahami punca utama terhadap tekanan ini yang menganggu pengajian mahasiswi Kelantan sepanjang menuntut ilmu. Artikel ini dimulakan dengan isu-isu yang diketengahkan kepada NAIM, kemudiannya kajian literatur untuk mengenalpasti sama ada tekanan yang serupa dialami juga oleh mahasiswa seluruh dunia agar kepelbagaian solusi dapat dicadangkan. Kemudian, analisa demografik mahasiswi Kelantan dijalankan dengan menggunakan Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Sebanyak 1,313 data dibekalkan oleh NAIM melalui kaedah soal selidik atas talian pada Mac 2020 tapi hanya 1,029 data berkaitan dengan mahasiswi Kelantan yang menuntut di peringkat Ijazah Sarjana Muda di universiti awam seluruh Malaysia. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan majoriti mahasiswi Kelantan menuntut di UPSI dan UiTM, di negeri Perak dan Selangor, di semester keenam, semester kedua, dan semester keempat dalam jurusan pendidikan, bidang sains teknologi dan ekonomi kewangan. Temubual dengan Yang Dipertua Persatuan Mahasiswa Kelantan juga turut diadakan bagi menguatkan keputusan demografik. Daripada 20 orang YDP yang dijemput untuk sesi temubual ini, hanya 4 orang sahaja yang sudi untuk ditemubual. Menurut YDP, masalah utama mahasiswi Kelantan ialah masalah kewangan terutamanya melibatkan mahasiswi yang menuntut ilmu di Lembah Klang. Mereka yang terpaksa menetap di luar kampus dibebani kos sewa rumah, kos internet, makanan dan pengangkutan yang tidak mampu ditampung hanya dengan wang biasiswa yang mereka perolehi. YDP juga mengaitkan masalah kewangan dengan masalah-masalah mahasiswi banyak dihadapi oleh mereka yang berada di luar kampus dengan isu keselamatan siswi luar kampus. Kajian ini menyarankan agar Pusat Mahasiswa Kelantan yang mengadaptasi model Malaysia Hall di luar negara dilaksanakan di negeri-negeri yang berpendapatan tinggi seperti Lembah Klang. Melalui kajian ini, diharapkan pelbagai pihak dapat memahami bahawa permasalahan utama mahasiswi Kelantan yang belajar di negeri lain adalah masalah kewangan. Bantuan kewangan berbentuk PTPTN atau pun biasiswa tajaan kerajaan negeri dilihat tidak mencukupi bagi mahasiswi Kelantan yang terpaksa menyewa di luar kampus terutamanya di Kawasan seperti Lembah Klang.
International tertiary student mobility will continue to rise as governments and universities support diversity in education and prioritize international experience. With this mind, it should be a priority to study the impacts and impediments of student adjustment in their chosen countries. The authors advance a line of inquiry, which seeks to explore personal experiences of four distinct groups of tertiary students and identify the positives, and in particular the negative aspects of their study abroad experience. The central argument which heretofore has been understudied is that student ethnicity and incompatibility of ethnic group identities and their expressions mark the central feature inhibiting student adjustment within the Thai context.
This study adopted experiential learning theory to examine the role of leisure in socio-cultural adaptation among international students from China. It explored how international students integrated the four steps of experiential learning: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation, into culture learning in the leisure context. Two rounds of semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 first-year Chinese international students attending a large Midwestern university. The findings revealed that leisure could be an effective facilitator of socio-cultural adaptation. Experiential learning strategies such as reflective observation and abstract conceptualization (i.e., seeing beyond stereotypes) and active experimentation (i.e., taking initiative and imitating host nationals’ behavior) were used by the students in the leisure contexts to learn about the host culture. International students also encountered confusions and frustrations during the culture learning process.
Newly arrived international students who are participating in their semester aboard may face a lot of difficulties in adapting to the new culture. This study aims at exploring and analyzing German exchange students’ perceptions towards Thai culture, society, people’s way of life and their perception towards the difficulty factors which they encountered during participating in Buddhist-related activities and ceremonies at a rural Dhamma Center. A total of nine German exchange students participated in this study. Data were gathered by means of a qualitative approach including open-ended questions,
semi-structured interviews, and reflective reports. The thematic analysis techniques and qualitative data analysis (QDA) software package (NVivo 10) was employed to analyze the data. The finding showed that exposure to such extra-curricular activities had a positive impact on German exchange students’ understanding and perception towards Thai culture, society, and people’s way of life. However, there were two factors which caused exchange students to feel uncomfortable whilst participating in Buddhist-related activities and ceremonies: the Thai language barrier and practicing of the morning chant. These extra- curricular activities appeared to have beneficial effects on German exchange students regarding their cultural adjustment in Thailand. The results of this study might benefit the International Affairs Offices in all Thai tertiary educational institutions in order to enhance opportunities for international students to understand more comprehensively Thai culture, society, and its people.
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.
The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship between leisure satisfaction and acculturative stress. Chinese immigrants to Canada were surveyed six months apart. Four kinds of acculturative stress (all at Time 2) were each hierarchically regressed on: age and gender, years in Canada, the corresponding stressor, and six types of leisure satisfaction (all at Time 1). Results indicated that: (a) social leisure satisfaction lessened loss/nostalgia-based stress; and (b) social, psychological, and aesthetic leisure satisfaction mitigated, while physiological leisure satisfaction exacerbated, perceived discriminationbased stress. These results suggest that, while facilitating certain types of leisure satisfaction (e.g., social) may be beneficial, fostering others (e.g., physiological) could have undesirable consequences.
The main focus of this study was to refine our understanding of the link between English proficiency and mainstream acculturation in adolescent Chinese immigrants. The sample consisted of 112 adolescents in grades 7–12 living in urban areas in southern Ontario, Canada. English proficiency was assessed individually using standardised tests of vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and reading fluency. Mainstream acculturation was measured by the Vancouver Index of Acculturation. The results of structural equation modelling support a reciprocal relationship between English proficiency and mainstream acculturation after controlling for age, length of residence in Canada, and nonverbal reasoning. The results suggest that learning English may be one important variable affecting motivation for cultural immersion in immigrant youth.
This study sought to determine the relationship of acculturative stress with emotional intelligence, coping responses, and length of stay in Thailand, and to identify the best predictors of acculturative stress. The participants were 216 foreign students with the majority attending undergraduate courses from seven universities in Thailand. The findings showed that stress due to change or culture shock, perceived discrimination, and homesickness defined participants' experience of acculturative stress. Low levels of acculturative stress were found to be significantly correlated with length of stay in Thailand, emotional intelligence, active coping responses (logical analysis and seeking guidance), and passive coping responses (cognitive avoidance, acceptance/resignation, emotional discharge). However, emotional intelligence and acceptance were significant predictors of acculturative stress. Implications for enhancing adjustment to acculturative stress among international students and future research directions are discussed.
Every year, millions of students travel abroad in order to pursue higher education. When exposed to an international environment, students undergo an acculturation process that may impact their well-being and educational experience. This study explores the acculturation and its outcome, adaptation, of international students in Switzerland. Data were collected through interviews from three groups of indigenous students from Panama. The findings show that students suffered from acculturative stress in terms of physical, social and psychological problems. Furthermore, this study found that intercultural experience can be a transitional and transformative learning process leading to a journey of personal growth.
1. Introduction Part I. Similarities and Differences in Behavior across Cultures: 2. Individual development: infancy and early childhood 3. Individual development: childhood, adolescence and adulthood 4. Social behavior 5. Personality 6. Cognition 7. Emotion 8. Language 9. Perception Part II. Relationships between Behavior, Culture and Biology: 10. Contributions of cultural anthropology 11. Contributions of evolutionary biology 12. Methodology and theory Part III. Applying Research Findings across Cultures: 13. Acculturation 14. Intercultural relations 15. Intercultural communication and training 16. Work and organizations 17. Health 18. Culturally informed and appropriate psychology Epilogue Glossary of key terms.
This paper reports on the adjustment of East Asian Master’s level students who came to study at a campus-based university in the UK during 2004–05. International students face challenges in respect to language proficiency, academic expectations and social participation. In this longitudinal study the experiences of a group of students from East Asian countries were surveyed, with a sample of eight students from five countries tracked through regular interviews. The paper describes the level of satisfaction that students experienced and the challenges they faced. It was found that students largely enjoyed their sojourn and achieved satisfactory levels of academic success. They encountered ‘culture bumps’ rather than culture shock. Adjustment was facilitated by adequate preparation, appropriate academic attainment and satisfying levels of social participation with other international students. It is suggested that these students were experiencing an ‘international postgraduate student culture’ rather than integration into local culture.
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.
Research and practice in the field of acculturation psychology is continually on the rise. Featuring contributions from over fifty leading experts in the field, this handbook compiles and systemizes the current state of the art by exploring the broad international scope of acculturation. The collection introduces readers to the concepts and issues; examines various acculturating groups (immigrants, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, expatriates, tourists, refugees and asylum seekers); highlights the global contexts for acculturation in a variety of societies; and focuses on acculturation of a number of special groups, such as young people, the workplace, and outcomes for health and well-being. This comprehensive new edition addresses major world changes over the last decade, including the increase in global migration, religious clashes, and social networking, and provides updated theories and models so that beginners and advanced readers can keep abreast of new developments in the study of acculturation.
This quantitative descriptive study analyzed levels of acculturative stress and sociocultural adaptation among international students at a non-metropolitan university in the United States related to certain demographic characteristics. Surveys were used to measure international students’ levels of acculturative stress and sociocultural adaptation, including five subscales of sociocultural adaptation (N = 413). Demographic questions included gender, age, and country of origin, length of stay in the United States, degree level, and English language comfort. Results indicated a negative correlation between students’ levels of sociocultural adaptation and acculturative stress. Particularly, increased competency among the five sociocultural adaptation subscales (interpersonal communication, academic/work performance, personal interests and community involvement, ecological adaptation, and language proficiency) decreased levels of acculturative stress among the students.
This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences in a Thai international programme. This study employed a qualitative case study to explore the adjustment process of African American international students in Thailand. The participants included 15 African American students who were selected through a snowball sampling technique in 2014–2016. The data were collected through semi-structured one on one interviews and analysed through content analysis. The participants reported adjustment difficulties related to their sense of isolation in Thailand, the excessive attention received from their hosts, the appropriate response to said attention, Thai culture and adjustment to academic differences. An analysis of the source of stress, anxiety and conflict among the participants is intended to provide insight into international recruitment practices and facilitating more progressive pre-departure orientation sessions among impending international students.
The aim of this study was firstly to describe the experiences of international students living and studying in a UK university, to understand and explain their responses to those experiences and to make recommendations to stakeholders in the light of the findings. The research found that international students’ two biggest concerns are their English language skills and their detachment from domestic students. International students were surprised at the size of the challenges they faced and worked hard to bridge the gap between their academic and sociocultural skills and those needed in the UK. International students provided emotional, practical and academic support to each other, but the academic support they offered to each other was not always reliable. International students engaged in a process of identity change during which they gained the skills they needed to be academically successful. Recommendations in regard to the academic and pastoral support of international students are made.
Culture shock tends to be an occupational disease of people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad. Like most ailments, it has its own symptoms, cause, and cure. Many missionaries have suffered from it. Some never recovered, and left their field. Some live in a constant state of such shock. Many recover beautifully. As will be clear from the implications of Dr. Oberg's article, the state of culture shock in which a Christian lives will have great bearing on his temperament and witness.
In this contribution to Part II, concerned with research on international
students’ transition experiences, we discuss the experiences of Chinese students
whose transition to higher education takes them to other countries. Our focus is
on their perceptions of their teaching–learning environment and the approaches
to studying that they adopt in that environment. We begin by reviewing the
evidence about approaches to learning in higher education, especially evidence
that has been obtained through the use of questionnaires. We then discuss some
stereotypes about ethnically Chinese learners before considering the experience
of Chinese students studying in mainland China itself. That provides the
necessary background to evaluate the research evidence about the experience of
Chinese students in other countries.
This exploratory study examined acculturation strategies of Karen refugees who resettled in London, Ontario, Canada after initially being displaced from their villages in Burma and subsequently settled in refugee camps on the Thailand–Burma border. Developing and utilising Karen acculturation measure, the study found that Karen refugees had diverse orientations regarding customs and values, social relations, and leisure activities. The analysis grouped acculturation strategies of these individuals into three segments: segregation, integration, and assimilation. Karens adopting assimilation strategy overwhelmingly endorsed Canadian values and customs and engaged in social relations and leisure activities with members of Canadian society. While open to change and willing to experiment with new leisure activities and social relations, Karens in the integration strategy cluster preserved their values and customs. Karens adopting segregation strategies clung to their old ways of life, values, and practices.
My paper uses theories of acculturation in order to analyze the attempts of transnational individuals to synthesize original and host cultures, Eastern and Western identities. I demonstrate that in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis and the relating film adaptation the narrating self assumes the role of a mediating person who maintains the integration strategy of acculturation. Nevertheless, Satrapi only partly explains how the experiencing self acquires the necessary in-between position which makes the integration or synthesis between the two cultures possible. The memoir details only how the protagonist experiences the superficial aspects of Western culture, the initial honeymoon and culture shock phases of acculturation, and maintains a sharp distinction between the narrating and experiencing selves of the narrator. Thus, Persepolis leaves the question unanswered in which way she synthesizes her Iranian and Western identities. To explain this conundrum, I apply contemporary theories of exile and place the memoir in the context of Iranian exilic cultural production. Such theories and memoirs stress that the oscillation between various cultures does not only drive exiles into depression, but it also contributes to their intellectual and artistic activities by positioning the narrator as a privileged individual with a unique, in-between point-of-view and liminal position.
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In this paper we describe the efforts of foreign university teachers in graduate schools in Thailand as they incorporate cultural knowledge into their classroom teaching styles and methodology. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews we have gathered qualitative data on the teachers’ concerns, mindsets and their proposed solutions. We build up our discussion in several stages. We set the scene by discussing the importance of cultural sensitivity in settings where teacher and learners have different cultural backgrounds. We then introduce the concept of cultural intelligence and use this to help us examine the literature on cultural sensitivity in teaching from a new perspective. We then describe the cultural context of teaching in Thailand and offer empirical data from our respondents’ experiences. From our research data we identified five main aspects of Thai culture where teachers felt the need to expand/adapt their existing teaching repertoires. These aspects are: fun/sanuk; hierarchy/kreng jai; authority with a kind heart/jai dee; collectivist group activities; and localized class content. We discuss our findings in relation to cultural adjustments that the teachers sought to make and, in conclusion, link this discussion to our earlier examination of cultural intelligence.
http://www.ajel.info/Abstract/Challenges%20and%20opportunities%20for%20higher%20education%20in%20asia%20in%20the%20era%20of%20globalization%20case%20of%20thailand.pdf
This article seeks to consider the consequences that overseas students experience having studied at a university in the United Kingdom. With the implementation of the United Kingdom policies, the number of international students studying in the United Kingdom is increasing.A study of Thai students studying in the United Kingdom has been used to explore the reality of studying overseas. A case‐study approach was used, as well as personal interviews with students and questionnaires with their parents and grandparents. The data were analysed using a ‘categorical‐content perspective’ narrative method.The article concludes that Thai students still see real advantages to studying at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. However, as a result of studying overseas in the United Kingdom, the Thai students experience and have to resolve various social and cultural tensions. They have become more individualistic in their attitudes and opinions, which are at odds with the traditional collectivist values held by their families, and deeply entrenched in Thai society.
The ability to communicate well in a foreign culture is considered as a set of learnable social skills. The notion of culture shock is introduced to cover a broad range of psychological and social reactions to immersion in another culture, many of them detrimental to communication. Programmes aimed at reducing the harmful effects of culture shock are examined in terms of the strategies adopted: (1) information giving, (2) cultural sensitisation, (3) isomor‐phic attribution, (4) learning by doing, and (5) social skills training (SST). The latter, it is argued, is the most effective
Research examined psychological and sociocultural adjustment during cross-cultural transitions in two groups of sojourners. One hundred and forty-five Malaysian and Singaporean students in New Zealand and 156 Malaysian students in Singapore participated in the studies. In line with past sojourner research, results revealed that locus of control, life changes, social difficulty, and social support variables predicted psychological adjustment during cross-cultural transitions. In contrast, length of residence in the host culture, cultural distance, interaction with host nationals and co-nationals, extroversion, acculturation strategies, and mood disturbance predicted sociocultural adaptation. In addition to these general findings, culture-specific results also emerged; high host national contact and cultural integration were associated with mood disturbance in Malaysian sojourners in Singapore. As expected, Malaysian and Singaporean students in New Zealand experienced greater social difficulty than Malaysian students in Singapore although there was no significant difference in mood disturbance. Also consistent with the hypothesis, the magnitude of the correlation between psychological and sociocultural adjustment was significantly greater in the Singapore-based compared to the New Zealand-based sample.
The study further explores the distinction of psychological and socio-cultural adjustment during cross-cultural transitions. One hundred and seventy-eight New Zealand American Field Service (AFS) students residing in 23 different countries completed questionnaires which contained assessments of the following: Personality (extraversion and locus of control); life changes (Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire); homesickness, cultural distance, acculturation (cultural identity and cultural integration-separation); attitudes toward host country; language ability; amount of contact with host and conationals; relationship satisfaction with co-nationals, host nationals and host family; and outcome measures of socio-cultural (social difficulty) and psychological adjustment (Profile of Mood States). Stepwise repressions revealed that homesickness, external locus of control, life changes, and social difficulty accounted for 55% of the variance in psychological adjustment. In contrast, cultural distance, language ability, satisfaction with host national contact, cultural separation and mood disturbance explained 52% of the variance in socio-cultural adaptation. In the second part of the research, psychological and socio-cultural adjustment of AFS students was compared with a sample of 142 home-based New Zealand secondary school students. Although there were no significant differences in psychological adjustment between the two groups, the students who were resident abroad experienced greater socio-cultural difficulties than the students resident in New Zealand (P < 0.0005), and, as hypothesized, the correlation between psychological and socio-cultural adjustment was significantly greater in the home-based students compared to the AFS group (P < 0.0001).
This exploratory study examined the relationship between coping styles and psychological adjustment with 113 British expatriates living in Singapore. The Coping Humor and COPE scales were used to measure coping styles and to predict psychological adjustment. Higher order factor analysis of the COPE resulted in four factors: Approach, Avoidance, Acceptance and Social Support. Stepwise regression revealed that Avoidance (β = .40), Coping Humor (β = -.24) and Approach (β = -.19) emerged as significant predictors of depression (R = .33). Limitations of the study are mentioned, and avenues for future research are suggested.
The respondents were 30 foreign students at the University of Hawaii (6 each from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand), and 6 host national (American) students, balanced for sex. The subjects identified their 5 best friends, and the 5 people with whom they spend most of their time. The subjects were then presented with a list of 15 activities, and identified a preferred companion for each of the situations. The data were used to test a functional model of the academic sojourn, which predicts that foreign students will belong to three social networks, in descending order of salience: a) a conational network whose function is to affirm and express the culture of origin; b) a network with host nationals, whose function is the instrumental facilitation of academic and professional aspirations; and c) a multinational network whose main function is recreational. The results confirmed the existence, predicted differential function, and salience hierarchy of these three social networks, and reconciled previous conflicting reports regarding the social relations of foreign students.
begin . . . by considering some general definitional and conceptual issues [on social identification], including notions of multiplicity, varying forms of identity, the distinction between personal and social identity, and the general concept of collectivity / this review sets the stage for an analysis of social identification framed by the following questions / what are the specific psychological mechanisms or processes involved in identification / what are the consequences of social identification / why are people motivated to identify with another individual or social category / how do social identities change over time (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
International students, intercultural learning, and international exchange are becoming vital to higher education and dealing with them is becoming one of the essential roles of student affairs.
In recent years the exporting of higher education, predominantly through the hosting of international students, has become a major activity for several developed economies. Those countries that have become substantial net importers of higher education, predominantly developing and transitional economies, have usually supported, or acquiesced in, this process since returning students enhance their domestic human capital stocks, whilst temporary emigration has frequently become an acceptable means of ensuring the short-term sustainability of their current account deficits. Here we bring together the findings of recent studies to reassess the impact of this growth of international students on the extent and pattern of global income inequality. We conclude that the benefits from the growth of trade in higher education accrue predominantly to developed countries, with the costs being disproportionately borne by the poorest countries.
This qualitative case study was an examination of a team-based faculty/mentor-led International Doctoral Student Support Group
(IDSSG) designed specifically around issues in preparing and mentoring international doctoral students for careers in academia.
Twelve participants were selected to participate in a support/focus group that met twice a month for an academic year to attend
workshops and discuss their lives as doctoral students. The data set was comprised of two pre- and post-surveys and two in-depth
pre- and post-interviews. Findings in the themes of international doctoral students’ graduate school experiences and the impact
of the faculty-led support group are presented and discussed.
This study builds on earlier research by Searle and Ward on the prediction of psychological and sociocultural adjustment during cross-cultural transitions; however, this investigation is extended to a more diverse sample of sojourners and additionally examines cultural identity and value discrepancies as predictors of adjustment. One hundred and fifty-five sojourners (tertiary students from 42 countries, resident in New Zealand) completed a questionnaire which assessed psychological (mood disturbance) and sociocultural (social difficulty) adjustment in relationship to the following variables: cultural knowledge, cross-cultural experience and training, attitudes toward host culture, personality (extraversion and locus of control), cultural distance, loneliness, amount of contact with host and co-nationals, cultural identity, and values. Multiple regression analysis indicated that loneliness and cultural distance combined to account for 27% of the variance in mood disturbance. Cultural identity and cultural knowledge, by contrast, were significant predictors of social difficulty (14% of the variance). Contrary to expectations, value discrepancies were not significantly related to either psychological or sociocultural adjustment.
The research examined cross-cultural transition and adjustment of sojourners in a longitudinal study of psychological and sociocultural adaptation of Japanese students in New Zealand. Thirty-five newly arrived students completed questionnaires which monitored depression (psychological adjustment) and social difficulty (sociocultural adaptation) at four time periods: within 24 hours of arrival in the country and at 4, 6 and 12 months in New Zealand. Neither psychological nor sociocultural measurements of adaptation demonstrated the popular U-curve of adjustment. Contrary to the U-curve proposition and in line with our hypotheses, adjustment problems were greatest at entry point and decreased over time. The magnitudes of the correlations between psychological and sociocultural adjustment were also examined over the four time periods. As hypothesized, the relationship between the two adjustment indicators was insignificant at the first testing (r=−0.05); however, the magnitude significantly increased (r=0.36, p<0.05) after 12 months in New Zealand. The distinction between psychological and sociocultural adaptation, their relationship and variation over time and the importance of longitudinal research with sojourners are discussed.
A study of international Vietnamese undergraduate students’ psychological, sociocultural and academic adaptation and adjustment at a higher education institution in Thailand (Unpublished doctoral dissertation)
- N Srisakda
Srisakda, N. (2018). A study of international Vietnamese undergraduate students' psychological,
sociocultural and academic adaptation and adjustment at a higher education institution in
Thailand (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), Newcastle University.
Transnational education in Thailand: Exploring opportunities for the UK
- British Council
British Council. (2018). Transnational education in Thailand: Exploring opportunities for the UK.
Retrieved from https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/sites/siem/files/field/file/news/
ThailandReport_2018.pdf
Acculturative stress, perceived social support, and nationality differences: Factors affecting Thai and international exchange students' cross-cultural adaptation
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Chaiyasat, C. (2015, December). Acculturative stress, perceived social support, and nationality
differences: Factors affecting Thai and international exchange students' cross-cultural adaptation. In K. Sena Ed., Proceedings of the 7th International conference on language and communication (33-49).
Qualitative analysis. Routledge
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Ezzy, D. (2002). Qualitative analysis. Routledge.
Why Asian nations should invest in cross-border education: The Thailand opportunity
- E Hajiyev
Hajiyev, E. (2019, February 25). Why Asian nations should invest in cross-border education: The
Thailand opportunity. Bangkok Post. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/
1634802/why-asian-nations-should-invest-in-cross-border-education-the-thailand-opportunity
Cultures and organisation
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Hofstede, G. (1994). Cultures and organisation. Harper Collins.
Multi-dimensional transitions of international students to higher education
- D Jindal-Snape
- B Rienties
Jindal-Snape, D., & Rienties, B. (2016). Multi-dimensional transitions of international students to
higher education. Routledge.
International students' adjustment in Thailand
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- S Limprasert
Rujiprak, V., & Limprasert, S. (2016). International students' adjustment in Thailand. ABAC Journal,
36(1), 34-46. Retrieved from http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/abacjournal/article/view/2278
3-5 months Institut de Préparation à l'Administration et à la Gestion (IPAG)
- C Chaiyasat
C. CHAIYASAT
3-5 months
Institut de Préparation à l'Administration et à la Gestion (IPAG)