To read this content please select one of the options below:

Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK

Toyin Ajibade Adisa (Department of Business and Law, University of East London, London, UK)
Mashood Baderin (SOAS University of London, London, UK)
Gbolahan Gbadamosi (The Business School, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK)
Chima Mordi (Brunel Business School, Uxbridge, UK)

Education + Training

ISSN: 0040-0912

Article publication date: 25 July 2019

Issue publication date: 1 November 2019

1502

Abstract

Purpose

The UK is a popular educational hub for international students from different parts of the world. These students often face different transitional challenges, which have a significant impact on the success or failure of their studies. The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the issues and challenges confronting international students in the UK in their efforts to acquire academic knowledge and achieve personal development.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 104 UK-based international students in five higher education institutes in London from 25 countries participated in this study. The study was undertaken qualitatively through 21 semi-structured and 13 focus group interviews.

Findings

The findings reveal that the process of transitional adjustment is affected by various issues, all of which determine the duration of the students’ involvement in each stage of the transitional process. International students in the UK experience language/accent-related difficulties; impaired communication; and a difficult adjustment to the British education system and culture.

Research limitations/implications

The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited scope of the research.

Practical implications

In choosing to study in the UK, international students primarily seek to obtain a qualification, other life experiences, and cultural assimilation. The students’ parents, institutions and the UK authorities (such as the Department of Education) have an important role in ensuring that the students achieve success. While the roles of parents and the UK authorities are not the focus of this paper, their supportive roles certainly allow students to complete the different stages of the process of transitional adjustment quickly and smoothly.

Originality/value

The study offers valuable insight into understanding the challenges facing international students in acquiring knowledge in a foreign land. The paper contributes to the pedagogic literature on this topic by proposing a three-stage scaffolding model.

Keywords

Citation

Adisa, T.A., Baderin, M., Gbadamosi, G. and Mordi, C. (2019), "Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK", Education + Training, Vol. 61 No. 9, pp. 1100-1122. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2018-0177

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles