Information Provision for International Students: A Study of Gap Identification at a Selected Australian University

Abstract

Higher education in Australia is one of the largest exporting sectors of the country. Every year, more than half a million international students come to Australia for further education. It is estimated that about 80 per cent of inbound international students arrive from Asian countries. However, not everyone has a pleasant experience while studying in Australia. There is evidence that the majority of international students faces some type of difficulty during their education period, including language difficulties, cross cultural barriers, understanding Australian-English, financial difficulties and falling into depression. In this paper, we analyse and find evidence that there are significant gaps in information provision in Australian universities; specifically for international students who recently arrived in Australia. We also found that female students articulated more difficulties than male students, and a large number of international students also suggested that they faced some type of discrimination. Although, the results vary across discipline, gender and level of education, this research provides an inside story about the complexity of an international student's life. This is a unique research of its kind as well in the context of Australia.