International Students In Malaysia Research Articles

Similar but Not Same: Language Barriers and the Facet of Life Faced by the Indonesians as International Students in Malaysia

Similar but Not Same: Language Barriers and the Facet of Life Faced by the Indonesians as International Students in Malaysia

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the sociocultural adjustment scale among international students in Malaysia

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.

Cross-Cultural Communication and Co-Directional Theory: Assessing the Impact of Cultural Background on Communication Efficacy Among International Students in Malaysia

The association of intercultural communication (IC) and international students has become increasingly evident in the global expansion of higher education. This study introduces the Cross-Cultural Communication model (CCCM), which explains Cultural Background (CB), Level of Cross-Cultural Adaptation (LCCA), Proficiency in Common Language (PCL), and Communication Efficacy (CE) as distinct stages in intercultural development. Focusing on international students in Malaysia, the research employed a quantitative survey method analyzing data from 215 among multi-cultural students. . Our findings show cultural background’s has positive and significant impact on cross-cultural adaptation, proficiency in common language, and communication efficacy. There was also a direct and significant impact of a level of cross-cultural adaptation and proficiency in common language on communication efficacy. Moreover, the extent to which individuals adapt to different cultures and their proficiency in a common language mediate the association between cultural background and communication efficacy. The findings reveal a progression from acquiring a cultural background (CB) to developing a level of cross-cultural adaptation (LCCA), enhancing proficiency in common language (PCL), and achieving communication efficacy (CE). These findings lend empirical support to the foundational assertions of the CCCM.

The Confronts of Edutourism in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Malaysian Perspective

COVID-19 triggered a crisis and sliced through every facet of humankind. People were advised to practise physical distancing, and most educational institutions have integrated different digital technologies and virtual learning environments (VLE) to limit the likelihood of pandemic pedagogy. This study sought to investigate the challenges of edutourism in Malaysia for sustaining viable education during this delicate time. Therefore, it examines the determinants of sustainable education, perceived value, risk assessment, quality service, and knowledge management in choosing institutions to resume edutourism. Based on a non-probability survey sample of 308 international students in Malaysia, the data were analysed with SPSS for fundamental analyses and SEM-AMOS for hypothesis testing. The results demonstrated that most predictors highly influenced the choice of the institution; thus, the government must acquire appropriate pedagogical knowledge to assure learning coherence. This study has presented a collection of influencing factors that impact how students adjust their objectives when choosing academic institutions in Malaysia.

THE CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA：A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract: With the accelerating process of globalisation, studying abroad has gradually become a common phenomenon. China is the world's largest source of international students, and Chinese students’ adaptation to a foreign country has always been the focus of scholars. Although Chinese students have become the second-largest group of international students in Malaysia, few studies concentrated on the cross-cultural adaptation of this group in Malaysia. This literature review further confirms this situation. From 2010 to 2021, only 14 articles were obtained through both Google Scholar and Scopus databases and manual search. Among the limited literature,4 articles took Chinese international students as samples. In other research, the samples were international students from all over the world, and Chinese students only accounted for a part. Moreover, most of the studies only selected samples from one location, affecting the results' representative. In addition, the research topic was relatively unitary; the 14 studies mainly discussed the factors affecting the cross-cultural adaptation of Chinese students in Malaysia and suggested suggestions to improve their adaptation. In terms of research design, 12 articles applied a cross-sectional survey but onlyinvolved independent and dependent variables without moderating or mediating variables; the research framework was relatively simple. However, cross-sectional studies cannot determine causal relationships between variables and are insufficient to show the dynamic process of cross-cultural adaptation. On this basis, some suggestions for future research are put forward.
 Keywords: Cross-Cultural Adaptation; Psychological Adaptation; Sociocultural Adaptation; Academic Adaptation, International Students

Factors Affecting Adaptability of International Students in Malaysia during COVID-19 Pandemic

It is crucial to investigate adaptability in the context of COVID-19, as evidence suggests that difficulties posed by adaptability can be exacerbated during times of crisis. International students encounter additional pressures during this period, which might impair their capacity to stay and prosper in a new place. In light of this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors that contribute to the adaptability of international university students in Malaysia, namely the academic system, acculturation, and social support. A cross-sectional research design was used, and the research instruments were adapted from a number of previous studies. A total of one hundred thirty online questionnaires were filled out by international students in Malaysia. The research hypotheses were evaluated using SPSS Version 27.0. All predictors were found to have a statistically significant and positive effect on the adaptability of international students. This research aims to shed light on educational management strategies for addressing the adaptability challenges faced by most international students within COVID-19 by illuminating the key drivers that influence adaptability.

Self-Reflection and Transformation Among Ningxia International Students in Malaysia

The study investigated the learning experiences and the adaptation process among Ningxia China international students studying in Malaysia. The paper aims to highlight the researcher’s self-reflection on the learning experience which led to self-transformation. The study employed a qualitative paradigm where a total of the ten participants were interviewed. Through a unique self-reflection during analysis, the researcher placed herself in the study and supported by ten other respondents. The researcher went through a rigorous search within herself. In addition, a set of semi-structured questions was used during the interview. The self-reflection of the researcher was conceptualized, interviews were transcribed and data were triangulated. Coding and constant comparison were adopted during data analysis. The findings showed the sub-themes of the learning experiences which led to self -transformation. The results yielded from this study contributed significantly towards the notion of transformation, study abroad and internationalisation. Thus, this implies that to able to succeed while studying abroad, it is important to understand the learning processes and the outcomes of the transformation within an individual.

Dropout Tendency in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study of International Students in Malaysia

Dropout Tendency in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study of International Students in Malaysia

Mediating Role of Cultural Identity in the Relationship between Social Media Use Intensity and Social Media Use Purpose among Chinese International Students in Malaysia

Social media has become essential for international students adjusting to a new environment. Previous research has shown that social media use purposes influence international students' cognition, psychology, and behavior. Limited studies have explored whether social media use purposes could be modified. This study investigated whether and how social media use intensity could influence use purpose by focusing on the mediating role of cultural identity among 213 Chinese international students studying in Malaysia. Data were analyzed using both SPSS and PROCESS macro. The findings revealed that social media use intensity positively predicted social media use purpose. Cultural identity (both Chinese and Malaysian cultural identity) partially mediated the relationship between social media use intensity and social media use purpose. Therefore, part of the impact of social media use intensity on social use purpose is achieved through cultural identity. By comparing the proportion of the mediating effect to the total effect, Malaysian cultural identity had a larger mediating effect than Chinese cultural identity. The results of this study could help improve the cross-cultural experience of Chinese students in Malaysia.

Moderation in Islam: A Comparative Case Study on Perception of International Students in Malaysia

Moderation in Islam was defined by Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the ‘Way of Islam’. He has emphasized on opening a man’s heart to communal welfare and peace by avoiding scepticism. Moderation reifies faith, rejects extremism, and paves all roads to peaceful conflict resolution. Islamic moderation balances democratic social development in the face of restraints and boundaries to purchase sustainable peace. However, some schools of thought that appeal to Middle East and African Muslims hold forth the extremist ideology that has tarnished Islam globally. They ignore fundamental Islamic principles and archetypal Muslim characteristics thus they completely ignore Islam’s path of moderation. This study compares thoughts on Islamic moderation from the West Asian students (WAS) with the rest of Asian students (AS) studying in Malaysia. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, we have tried to achieve research objectives and found that WAS understood less of Islamic moderation than did the students from the rest of Asia. The Chi-square statistic was used to critically test the unique results of this study. The overall findings have revealed bigoted and negative WAS opinions towards Islamic moderation as well as towards non-Muslim societies. The Chauvinism appeared to be consequent to Arab permeated cultures and indoctrinations. Such perceptions and ignorance of authentic Islam affects the entire world with deeply negative overtones.
 Keywords: Social-religion Insight, Islamic Moderation, Chauvinism, Scepticism, Indoctrinations, Fundamental Islamic principles, Archetypal Muslim Characteristics, Communal Welfare, Sustainable Peace

Influential factors contributing to the understanding of international students’ choice of Malaysian higher education institutions: Qualitative study with a focus on expected benefits

This research aimed to identify the influential factors contributing to the international students’ choice of Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), focusing on the expected benefits. Additionally, the study contributes to the development of the higher education sector in Malaysia by providing recommendations to the HEIs based on the students’ perceptions. To achieve this purpose, the researchers utilized a qualitative approach through interviews where the study targeted the international students in Malaysia; 18 students were interviewed until saturation was reached. The thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the interviews where five major influential factors were highlighted and investigated: reliability, assurance, tangibility, empathy, and responsiveness. The results showed that the Malaysian universities provide higher than average services to international students, which met most of their expectations; this is clear through the international students’ answers to questions under different constructs such as reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsibility. The international students believe that the brand image and reputation of HEIs have a positive impact on their choice and expectations, and they believe that Malaysian HEIs are among the world’s top universities. The study contributes to Malaysian HEIs in terms of the students’ feedback that could be an advantage for existing efforts to develop the academic services of the country.
 Received: 17 January 2021Accepted: 18 February 2022

The Effect of Satisfaction on Trust, Social Identification and Loyalty Amongst International Students in Malaysian Public Universities

This study was conducted to examine the effects of student’s satisfaction on student’s trust, social identification, and loyalty amongst international students in Malaysian public higher institutions. It was conducted due to low research outputs on these variables among international students in Malaysia. A theoretical literature review was conducted, and an adapted survey of Student Loyalty Model was used to collect the data from four public universities in Malaysia, while regression analysis was performed to check for the effect of satisfaction on other variables. The findings showed that student’s trust, social identification, and loyalty can predict student’s satisfaction. International student satisfaction has a strong effect on trust (B=0.401), but a weak effect on social identification (B=0.220) and loyalty (B=0.131). The results indicated that the gaps in international students’ satisfaction can be minimized by improving the aspects of student loyalty and identification with the university through campus engagement and non-academic programs. The study also recommended carrying out further research within a larger population of students in public and private universities to compare their perceptions and to benefit from the experiences and successes of other international education destinations.

Perceived Social Support and Psychological Well-Being of International Students: The Mediating Effects of Resiliency and Spirituality

Abstract: International students are a significant resource for many host countries because they increase cultural diversity within the community, offer talent and innovation to universities, and make notable economic contributions. Many studies, however, have shown that international students have lower psychological well-being. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the associations between psychological well-being as a dependent variable and perceived social support as an independent variable, and test the mediating roles of resiliency and spirituality in the link between perceived social support and psychological well-being. This is a cross-sectional study with a random sampling method. A total of 300 Chinese international students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) participated in this study and completed four questionnaires, namely the Perceived Social Support scale, Psychological Well-being scale, the Spiritual Values scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience scale. The results from PLS-SEM showed that greater levels of social support are associated with greater levels of psychological well-being. Resiliency and spirituality partially mediated the relationship between social support and psychological well-being. The findings of this study not only revealed an association between perceived social support and psychological well-being among Chinese international students in Malaysia but also expanded our knowledge of the mediating roles of resilience and spirituality in the relationship.
 
 Keywords: International students, Perceived social support, Psychological well-being, Resiliency, Spirituality.

GOING FOR ADVANCED DEGREES? A STUDY AMONG THE CURRENTLY ENROLLED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA USING A SEQUENTIAL APPROACH

Malaysia has positioned itself to be a regional higher education hub and targeted to increase its number of international students to 250,000 by 2025, from 81,424 students in 2013. In the face of COVID-19, Malaysia is expected to experience stiff competitions with other countries in attracting international students. In essence, apart from attracting new students to come and study, pursuing the currently enrolled international students to stay on for advanced degrees is equally crucial to achieving the objective of the internationalisation agenda. Many studies have been done on factors affecting the decision of international students in choosing a host country. However, the retention and its sequential nature have been largely ignored. This paper aims to examine the probability of retention using a sequential approach. The descriptive statistics analysis found that Malaysia could expect that around 42% of its currently enrolled international students will remain in Malaysia. Results of the estimated sequential logit model reveal that university services are the significant factor that influences the probability of retention, whereas the education cost is found to be insignificant. Thus, consumption motives dominate the investment motives in terms of the probability of retention. Based on the findings, various policy implications are suggested to improve the retention rate of international students in Malaysia.

AWARENESS, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARDS COVID-19 AMONG IIUM STUDENTS

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than two million people within a year. The deadly virus brings chaotic problems to every layer of society, including university students. The main goal of this study is to investigate the awareness regarding COVID-19 among International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) students. This study examines the awareness, perception, and involvement of the IIUM community to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the scare. A qualitative research design was employed, using an interview method through purposive sampling procedure as the research instrument used for the data collection. A total of eight respondents, including international and local university students, participated in the study. The study adopted the situational theory of publics by Grunig (1966) to guide the study. This study found that IIUM local students have adequate information and awareness regarding COVID-19. However, future efforts should be aimed at enhancing awareness campaigns among the IIUM international students in Malaysia. The findings of the study will have implications on awareness, perception, and behaviour during a virus outbreak.

Is all well? Academically successful international students in Malaysia

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the adjustment experiences of academically successful international students in living and learning in a private Malaysian higher education institution (HEI).Design/methodology/approachA total of 53 international students participated in a mixed-method study, where they completed a survey (close- and open-ended questions). Also, 12 international students were interviewed.FindingsThe findings diverge from other studies, in that issues with respondents' English language proficiency were minimal, but for some of the students, social and cultural adjustment was problematic. However, these students were proactive in improving their situations. These findings indicate foci for university improvement in study and living experiences for all students.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to one group of academically successful students at a private university in Malaysia.Practical implicationsThere are benefits to HEIs and international students in enabling students to reflect upon and share their successful strategies. These not only enable students to recognise and value their achievements but also contribute to the development of more inclusive practices that will enhance future students' adjustment and overall learning experience.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature with its focus on academically successful students at a private university in Malaysia, both of which are areas of limited research coverage.

Academic resilience among international students: lived experiences of postgraduate international students in Malaysia

In previous studies, scholars have noted that challenges experienced by international students have an impact on their academic success. However, limited research has been conducted on how international students overcome the challenges they face in non-Western countries, such as Malaysia. This paper aims to fills this gap by investigating essential resilience strategies adopted by international students in overcoming academic obstacles, thus contributing to the literature regarding international student development. To achieve this, it adopts a qualitative approach based on 33 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate international students that were analyzed thematically. The results reveal that international students develop resilience strategies through group assignments, in classroom settings, and by seeking university and personal support services. Understanding the resilience strategies adopted by postgraduate international students in Malaysia has imperative implications for all universities as it influences the manner in which they develop guidelines to promote international students’ resilience strategies and help them cope with academic adversity and difficulties.

PREVALENCE, ASSOCIATED FACTORS, AND HELP SEEKING BEHAVIOR RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA

Depression, anxiety, and stress are associated with decreased role functioning, productivity, and quality of life. International students are more prone to psychological distress as they face many stressors while studying abroad. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among international students, their help-seeking behavior and their awareness of the available on-campus mental support services. A cross-sectional study with a purposive sampling method was performed on 280 international students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between the age of 18 and 35 years. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was used anonymously to assess the mental health of students. Soci-demographic, help-seeking behavior, and awareness data were obtained. Independent sample t-test, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, and Multiple Linear Regression were used to explore associated factors. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among international students was 58.9%, 71.8%, and 53.9% respectively. Age was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Ethnicity showed a significant association with depression and stress. No other factors were found to be significantly associated with psychological distress. Only 9.6% of the international students had sought help from on-campus mental support services. Students who were aware of the presence of such services were only 21.4% of the participants. In conclusion, the recent study showed a high prevalence of psychological distress and low help-seeking behavior among international students in Malaysia. This provided data that could be used in intervention programs to improve the mental health of the increasing number of international students in Malaysia.

Factors of Code-Switching among Bilingual International Students in Malaysia

The present study aims to identify the factors that can potentially affect code switching in a college classroom in Malaysia. The participants were twenty bilingual international students enrolled in an English course in Malaysia. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the participating students. The findings of the study indicated that the main factor behind code switching among the students was incompetence in the second language. Other factors that could account for code switching were maintaining privacy, the ease of speaking in the first language compared to speaking in English, avoiding misunderstanding, and unfamiliarity with similar words in English. Therefore, code switching was found to be an effective strategy used by the students to make their intended meaning explicit and to transmit some knowledge to other students in classroom interactions. This study provides some implications for English teaching community including language learners, teachers, and curriculum developers.

TO COOK OR NOT TO COOK; INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ FOOD CHOICE STRATEGY

The important role of food choices in symbolic, economic and social aspects of life leads to the increased attention given to this area. This role became increasingly important and complicated for international students living in a foreign country for the first time, away from their families, as they are now required to make individual decisions on food choice. Therefore, the food choice strategy as practiced by the international students will receive dedicated attention to this study. This study is set within the academic environment at a local university in Northern Malaysia. Several qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and observation were used to assess the international students’ food choice strategies and how the local food environment influences their food choice decision. Six international students took part in this study. The findings indicated that most international students resorted to preparing and cooking their own food, mainly to satisfy their cravings and as a cure to homesickness. The food choice strategy also depended on their level of knowledge in food preparation, convenience, and resources available to them. These finding advances the food choice decision process and explicates the food acculturation among international students in Malaysia. Moreover, the findings have direct implications for institutions’ management of international students in assisting and improving their overseas experience.