International Students In Higher Education Research Articles

The global space of international students in 2010

ABSTRACTInternational students have become an increasingly important research object – not only on the basis of the overall expansion and importance of international students in higher education and in national economic policies, but also since they constitute a strategic research object for understanding the global landscape of higher education. By using correspondence analysis on a data set on countries of destination and regions of origin, the global space of international students is depicted. The analysis reveals a structure with three main poles, a Pacific pole, a Central European one and a French/Iberian one. The three poles correspond to three different logics of recruitment: a market logic, a proximity logic and a colonial logic. The three poles and logics are also related to linguistic structures. The Pacific/Market pole is dominated by English, while the Central European pole has German and Slavic languages as a common denominator, and the French and Iberian pole has French, Spanish and Portuguese in common with their former colonies. It is argued that the Pacific/Market pole is the dominating pole in the space due to the high concentration of resources of different sorts, including economic, political, educational, scientific and not least, linguistic assets.

Exploring the Social and Academic Experiences of International Students in Higher Education Institutions

This edited book explores the multifaceted experiences of international students in higher education. With an increasing presence of international students in universities across the globe, there is a need for a greater awareness of such a diverse student population. Although the studies in this book are mostly based in North American educational settings, the range of topics reflects important ongoing and emerging issues.

From Isolation to Inclusion: Learning of the Experiences of Chinese International Students in U.S.

I examined the experiences of Chinese international students in higher education and inquire about American domestic students' perspectives on the trend of increasing numbers of Chinese international students in their institutions. In this paper, I also aim to provide suggestions on encouraging multiculturalism and inclusive academic settings within higher education.

Bridging continents, cultures, and crip theories: teaching Comparative and International Disability Studies in education and sociology

ABSTRACTThis article deals with the question how to teach Disability Studies and Inclusive Education to international student populations in higher education (HE). It provides a glimpse into an example of teaching practice, namely a workshop on experiences and expectations of disabled international students in HE, organized by the second author. By referring to the notion of bridging, it reflects how various understandings of what disability is, can be linked up and made fruitful in the classroom. The proposal of this article is twofold: for the theorization of disability, that a variant of ‘Comparative and International Disability Studies’ shall come into being; and for the practice of inclusion in HE, that the time is ripe for a concrete and constructive discussion about the access, participation and educational achievement of international students with disabilities in universities abroad, as well as about appropriate forms of assistance for their mobility.

Social Media Challenges and Affordances for International Students

Many higher education institutions around the world are increasingly motivated to incorporate social media for pedagogical benefit. At the same time, many institutions are also attracting an ever-growing number of students from overseas countries. With this in mind, researching how the use of social media applications impact on international students’ experiences of new cultural and pedagogical contexts in the host country is relevant. This article is a systematic review of current literature on international students in higher education and their use of social media, focusing on both the personal and educational aspects of use. This analysis reveals three central themes related to the role of social web technologies for international students, that is creating bridges, boundaries, or hybrid spaces.

Predicting study success of international students

AbstractThe study success of international students in Higher Education (HE) in English speaking countries has been a major concern for both the students and the host universities. However, studies on the predictive validity of established language tests, such as IELTS, are inconclusive (for an overview see Daller and Phelan 2013, Predicting international student study success.Applied Linguistics Review4(1). 173–193). The present study explores the predictive validity of new test formats that could be used in the admissions process alongside the established tests to identify students who are at risk. In the long-term these new test formats have the potential to form the basis of a stand-alone admissions test. The formats under investigation are a gap-filling test (C-test) as test of general language proficiency and several measures of lexical richness (Guiraud, Guiraud Advanced, “D”; see also methodology). All measures were taken at the beginning of an academic year to predict the average grades at the end of the academic year (General Points Average/ GPA). In total 107 international students, mainly from China, with a wide range of subjects participated in the study. A multiple regression analysis including hierarchical models shows that the C-test and “Guiraud” have the highest predictive validity. Given the fact that these two measures can be administered quite easily in a short period of time, we conclude that they have clear advantages over IELTS in the prediction of international student’s study success.

Chinese Postgraduate Students’ Perspectives on Developing Critical Thinking on an UK Education Masters

Statistics on enrolment of international students in higher education, and studies on limitations of their adaptation to other (usually Western) cultural and learning norms dominate literature. There is much less emphasis on a specific aspect of the student experience. This study examined Chinese postgraduate students’ perspectives on how they develop critical thinking during a one year postgraduate programme in Education. Semi-structured interviews conducted with six Chinese students illuminate key occurrences over the study period which impacted their learning. Findings suggest that participants needed to adjust to the concept of critical thinking and the expected level of critical thinking on their programme. A key factor identified in the study suggests that a trigger event: coursework feedback, affected how the participants develop critical thinking. The study concludes with suggestions for timely pedagogical support to enhance the learning experiences of Chinese students who encounter unfamiliar academic requirements during their study abroad.

First Year Experience: How We Can Better Assist First-Year International Students in Higher Education

While many American colleges and universities are providing a First Year Experience (FYE) course or program for their first year students, those programs are not often customized to take into account international students’ (IS) unique challenges. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study evaluated a FYE course that was customized for IS in a college setting. Nineteen IS and eight domestic students (DS) who attended FYE classes completed a survey; 18 of the 19 IS were interviewed. Overall, the FYE class was successful in terms of helping IS to familiarize themselves with academic resources and expectations, understanding American culture, making more American friends, and improving their English language skills. Suggestions for future integration of IS into FYE programs are discussed.

“Yeah, I Like the Fact That It’s So Multicultural”: Reasons Higher Education Students Choose Singapore

A gap exists in the research literature as to why international higher education students from Europe choose to study in Singapore. This paper aims to make a contribution to the research literature by presenting the findings of interviews conducted with students from Europe studying at a large Australian higher education campus in Singapore. Findings from the research show that higher education institutions in Asia have become a viable alternative for some European higher education students to the traditional study destinations of their home countries in Europe. Factors influencing students' choice of study destination as well as reasons for their choice of a higher education institution are discussed. Based on the analyses of these findings, suggestions for future policy and practice are offered to strengthen this growing area not only in Singapore but also throughout Asia as well.

Rethinking the employability of international graduate migrants: Reflections on the experiences of Zimbabweans with degrees from England

The last decade has seen the rise of literature focused on the rapid expansion of international students in higher education globally and the growing policy discourse around improving graduate employability. However, both, inevitably, have limitations. Together, they tend to homogenise international learners and see them narrowly as simply economic actors. More recently, however, there have been signs of important new developments in both literatures, drawing on interactive employability and capability accounts that stress both agency and structure in more satisfactory ways. We seek to further the development of an account that bridges the new wave of student mobility research and capability–employability research. In doing so, we offer two further elements to the literature. First, we aim to bridge the gap between accounts of international higher education and those of migration and diasporic studies. Second, we deliberately focus on a group that is marginal to the mainstream discourse but who are migrants that have engaged in international higher education in order to improve their labour market prospects, amongst other motivations. We do this through examining the stories of five Zimbabweans who embarked on additional higher educational studies in England after migrating to the country. Through this unique approach, we offer an important new perspective on how the debates on international higher education, employability and migration can be taken forward through closer articulation between these accounts.

Influence of multiculturalism on the study programs in Malaysian public universities: international students' perceptions

In response to the emphasis on the benefits of enhanced multicultural educational experiences of international students in higher education, this study examined international students' perceptions of the influence of multiculturalism on the study programs in Malaysian public universities. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The respondents were 794 international students from 11 Malaysian public universities. Results show that international students perceive that the content of the courses had little consideration for including topics from countries of international students. In addition, the results reveal that the presence of international students in the study programs can be one of the factors to encourage lecturers to bring updated contents from international materials. Furthermore, the results reveal that motivation for learning, encouragement for active participation, and improvement of intellectual atmosphere in the study programs can be enhanced by the presence of international students. Practical implications for universities are provided.

The impact of placements on the academic performance of UK and international students in higher education

Motivated by an increasing number of international students in UK higher education, this study investigates the effect of year-long placements on the academic performance of 268 accounting and finance students enrolled between 2006 and 2009. The results show differences between UK and international students although both statistically and significantly increase their final-year marks and their chance to obtain a good degree (first or 2.1) following placements. UK sandwich students outshine international sandwich students in the final year, while UK full-time students significantly underperform international full-time students in the first year only. The academic performance of UK students can be partly explained by prior academic achievement and gender but that of international students is not related to any of these individual factors. There is evidence of self-selection among UK sandwich students since they outperform UK full-time students at all levels, while no such a pattern is found among international students.

Making academic research accessible

In 2010, more than 4 million students were studying outside their home countries. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, this number may rise to 8 million international higher education students by 2025. This globally mobile population of mainly young people seeking education represents an investment in crucial assets for sending countries, which is essential for future development, prosperity and welfare, as students return home with increased knowledge and skills prepared for global citizenship. For receiving countries, these students bring cultural and intellectual diversity to the institutions and the countries they visit, often representing a source of revenue for those institutions and communities, and in other cases a source of skilled labour in the current knowledge based economy. For sending countries, however, this might be a cause of brain drain and increased dependence.

International Higher Education: The Attraction of Singapore

There has been a marked increase in the number of international higher education students studying at Australian universities in Singapore while during the same period, there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of such students choosing traditional study locations such as Australia. The study aimed to understand why one current group of international higher education students studying in Singapore chose to study at an Australian campus in Singapore rather than study in Australia or elsewhere in the world. The research design employed both a qualitative and quantitative approach using a focus group interview and a survey. The study found that most international higher education students left their home country to study aboard to gain a global perspective of the professional field which they hoped to work on the completion of their degree. Singapore was chosen over other locations because of its reputation for safety, comparatively lower cost of living, cultural similarity to students' home country, nearness to students' home country and the perception that Singapore offered better job prospects on the completion of students' degrees compared to other locations. Most students chose an Australian university because of its reputation, its fast tracking of degree programs and for Indian international students, a similarity of curriculum content and learning approaches. The study highlights future recommendations for universities in attracting and catering for students from overseas countries.

Understanding Stress in International Students of Higher education in a Mexican Private University

This study presents the background of the theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education. The Stress and Stressors that might be experience by these students is measured by the Perceives Stress Scale 10-Item version and Focus Groups and Interviews to Faculty and Staff Members of a Mexican Private University. Guidelines and procedures to Counselors are shared as well as the results and data obtained of this Mixed-Method Approach Study.

Utilising an Internationalised Curriculum to Enhance Students’ Intercultural Interaction, Engagement and Adaptation

This article focuses on a comparative study of how diverse subject disciplines in different higher education institutions in Australia and Hong Kong approached the challenge of internationalising the curriculum (IoC). Case study analysis identifies five conditions conducive to improving intercultural student interaction, engagement and adaptation through an internationalised higher education curriculum. The findings suggest that opportunities for IoC, such as those outlined, afford multiple benefits for both domestic and international students in higher education. These include, better cross-cultural mixing, intercultural competency development and adaptation to different higher education contexts. Implications for higher education institutions interested in creating conditions that facilitate an internationalised curriculum are discussed.

Assessing policies for attracting international students: case of Malaysia

While the world market for international students in higher education is dominated by traditional major players such as the US, UK and Australia, Malaysia has emerged as a recent contender with a market share of 2%. There is a gap in the literature in assessing the contributions of policy initiatives, including trade agreements, towards attracting inbound international students, especially from emerging contenders such as Malaysia. The objective of this paper is to compare and assess the policy initiatives at the unilateral, multilateral, regional and bilateral level and their impact on the host environment which is defined in terms of the key pull factors that have attracted international students to Malaysia. The main findings show that domestic policy initiatives have enhanced the host environment for attracting international students by providing a governance system that protects the interests of international students through its regulations. Efforts to improve quality assurance and accreditation also serve to attract international students. The regulation of fees contributed towards competitively priced programmes that are also pull factors. Multilateral, regional and bilateral commitments are relatively new, emerging only after 2006, and have less potential influence on inflows of international students as these commitments reflect, at best, existing practices in this sector.

Promoting Physical Activity Among International Students in Higher Education: A Peer-Education Approach

International students have become an important and growing group in U.S. higher education. Although many universities offer various types of support to international students, little attention is given to preventive health services or health promotion efforts, such as the promotion of physical activity. This article outlines a theory-based peer-education program that may facilitate physical activity participation among international students, provide social support for their successful transition into American culture, develop positive intercultural exchanges among students, enhance students' cultural competency, and align the academic interests and goals of health, physical education, recreation, and dance.

Chinese students' complaining behavior: hearing the silence

PurposeDespite the competitive internationalization of higher education, international students' responses to dissatisfaction (consumer complaining behavior or CCB) are not well understood in New Zealand. While studies show that many factors, including culture, influence CCB, the None‐Action mode in particular has been largely overlooked by researchers. The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese student's CCB.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a qualitative exploratory focus group design examining Chinese students' CCB. Data were analyzed in two stages. First, data were coded into various CCB modes. Next, data relating to the specific mode of None‐Action were thematically analyzed. Five key themes for None‐Action were revealed: Futility, Inadequate Information, Fear of Consequences, Complexity, and Internalization.FindingsThis exploratory research found a high level of None‐Action responses. It was apparent that culture was highly influential in participants' CCB responses and that these None‐Action responses had an affective dimension.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding None‐Action responses to dissatisfaction among international students in higher education is critical if universities are to avoid adverse funding consequences. There are cultural and personal implications for students and strategic implications for higher education institutions in understanding Chinese students' Non‐Action. The exploratory nature of the research means that it is designed to stimulate thought and debate on how to expand the body of knowledge on this mode of CCB.Originality/valueThe research highlights the importance to higher education institutions of understanding the cultural and service‐specific explanations for Non‐Action as a response to student‐consumer dissatisfaction.

Finding common ground: enhancing interaction between domestic and international students in higher education

A feature of Australian Higher Education over the last 10 years has been the increased numbers of international students. This feature has been perceived to have great potential for enhanced learning for all students – both international and domestic. Yet, student surveys and research clearly indicate that there is very little interaction occurring between domestic and international students. This article reports on a study that investigated the extent to which university teaching can promote interaction between students from diverse cultural and linguistic background. Using an innovative video-analysis methodology, the research found that academics engage in a variety of activities to encourage interaction between student groups. In order to assist academics in planning interaction, one of the main findings of the study was the development of ‘The Interaction for Learning Framework (ILF)’, that identifies key dimensions for curriculum design that can be used by academics to inform ways that they can enhance interaction between diverse student groups within teaching and learning contexts.