Increase Of International Students Research Articles

A case study on the effects of campus climate to the cross-cultural norms of Taiwanese students

The dawn of the age of globalization has brought forth the trend in cross-border mobility of population, more specifically for educational purposes, commerce, employment opportunities, and relocation. These phenomena fostered the development of a more diverse culture and multi-language global society. In Taiwan, an increase in international students is observed. In addition, the recent heightened volume of new migrant spouses has triggered the rise in emphasis on cross-cultural related researches. However, most studies are geared towards the cross-cultural adaptability of the visiting individual. In light of these issues, this case study details an empirical analysis of the cross-cultural norms of a host country’s individuals. Participants are 100 randomly selected English as Foreign Language (EFL) students of a Science and Technology University in Taiwan. The mixed-method research paradigm was adapted, with focus-group interviews accomplished to gather insights from Taiwanese students regarding the factors that influenced their cross-cultural flexibility. A survey questionnaire was then generated from the focus-group results and later administered to the participants. Descriptive data analyses were accomplished using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, while the multivariate analysis method Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) was achieved using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software to analyze the causal relationships between the students’ campus environment and cross-cultural norms. Results show that the students’ exposure to a cross-cultural accepting environment has greatly enhanced their cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility. In addition, results of SEM show a significant path from the students’ campus environment, individual perspective, and cross-cultural flexibility. Implications suggest that EFL students in Taiwan should be exposed to more cross-cultural opportunities, in order to enhance their cross-cultural competencies.

International students in the higher education classroom: initial findings from staff at two post‐92 universities in the UK

A significant body of work has emerged over the last 10 years investigating the experiences of international university students. These studies have covered various challenges faced by some groups of international students relating to culture, language and integration and have been prompted by the increase in international students studying in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. A smaller strand of research has also begun to focus on the experiences, perspectives and reactions of academic staff who have seen the composition of their cohorts change substantially over recent years in terms of numbers of international participants. This article reviews relevant literature in this field, reporting on a questionnaire study based at two UK post‐92 universities. Respondents associated a range of traits with international students and suggested that the increasing number of international students enhanced the environment, but also required a higher level of support. This study also found that staff resorted to informal methods when developing means of adapting their practices to the increasing number of international students, preferring discussion with colleagues and students themselves to formal development programmes or advice from specialist departments such as student support. The article concludes that in order to encourage diversity in a meaningful way, universities need to recognise the challenge of increased numbers of international students and support staff accordingly.

留学生の急増からみたメルボルン市の変容

留学生の急増からみたメルボルン市の変容

Coping With Demand: Managing International Student Numbers at New Zealand Universities

Export education in New Zealand dates from the 1950s, with international students coming to study through the Commonwealth Colombo Plan. There has been a dramatic increase of international students studying in New Zealand. This research asks the questions: Are New Zealand public universities having to manage the international student numbers they face? If so, by what processes are they managing the numbers, and to what target number or percentages are these New Zealand education institutions aspiring? Selected for the study were the eight public universities in New Zealand. Of all respondents, seven have a target or quota of international students at their institution, ranging from 12% to 20% of the total enrolment. New Zealand public universities, although recognising the important contribution international students make to revenue streams and the internationalisation of their institution, saw it as important to consider other objectives and to manage international student numbers.

Cultural Issues in Online Learning — Is Blended Learning a Possible Solution?

The emergence of cross-cultural classrooms has been steadily increasing in Australian tertiary institutions, due to the growing population of international students enrolling to complete their degrees. This increase in international students has signified a change in the student demographics, thus recognizing the differences in students' learning styles, and indicating that a more flexible approach is needed for learner content delivery. Research has suggested that students from different cultures have varying compatibility with different learning environments. With tertiary institutions now expanding towards the online forum for delivery of units, these compatibilities of students are even more evident. Hence, in order to ensure that all students are able to participate in this domain, preparations are needed to accommodate all cultural types. Therefore with the emphasis on creating flexible learning environments for all students the blended learning approach has been suggested as a solution.