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1 – 10 of over 91000Melissa Brevetti and Dayna Ford
This paper aims to theorize observations as an American professor that schools are a morally formative culture for all students, but international students especially. Formative…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to theorize observations as an American professor that schools are a morally formative culture for all students, but international students especially. Formative because schools mold students’ right or wrong behaviors as dictated by the culture. The purpose of the authors’ examination into international students’ experiences is to explore and understand particular struggles that they may encounter while living within a society that adheres to considerably dissimilar beliefs and ways of life.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is empirical in nature (case study) as the authors share their experiences and observations while working with international students.
Findings
The authors’ extend their voice to this idea that schools become a morally formative culture and create harmony for different societies through teaching multicultural issues and respectful education. This connection begins when teachers feel the calling to produce well-adjusted, respectful and compassionate citizens of the world. In the absence of this, people would not care about others in foreign places. The final argument, the beauty of schools as a morally formative culture is to protect and love our global neighbors. It is the authors’ strong belief that failure to provide a caring culture in educational contexts could be dangerous to our ever-shrinking global existence.
Research limitations/implications
A research limitation may include little quantitative data, but this study utilizes a qualitative, case-study manner of observations of years and years of working with international students.
Practical implications
The practical implications of this original paper are endless: schools are morally formative, especially the international student experience. This manuscript shows that moral development is very much connected while teaching English language learners (ELL).
Social implications
The authors’ comment on the debates about how students develop a strong moral identity if exposed to multiple cultures. A clear understanding of these issues may serve as the first step for educators to recognize and consider how curriculum and behaviors within a school can impact international students in moral ways during their new cultural experiences. In conclusion, the authors argue that a respectful and multicultural education can contribute to international harmony, as well as develop caring global citizens.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that there is much moral development within the international student experience, as these students must navigate both education and culture. Yet little research has examined the moral impact of teaching international students from a professor’s perspective.
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Mai Thi Kim Khanh and Chau Huy Ngoc
Cambodian and Laotian students (CLS) are among the largest groups of international students in intra-ASEAN student mobility as well as in Vietnamese higher education institutions…
Abstract
Purpose
Cambodian and Laotian students (CLS) are among the largest groups of international students in intra-ASEAN student mobility as well as in Vietnamese higher education institutions (HEIs). However, little has been researched on the factors influencing CLS’s decision to choose Vietnam as destination country. The purpose of this study is to investigate why CLS decide to go overseas and choose Vietnam as their host country among other opportunities as well as their perceptions of the decision.
Design/methodology/approach
Using qualitative methods and employing purposive sampling, data were collected by semi-structured interviews from CLS studying in a HEI in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The data were analysed against the push–pull framework to understand factors influencing the participants’ decision.
Findings
The findings show that CLS in the study were “pushed” by the perceived higher value of a foreign qualification and family encouragements. In terms of pull factors, they were attracted to choose Vietnam as the host country most observably due to scholarship opportunities. However other pull factors were also significant, especially the lack of certain skills in home countries and its congruence with Vietnam’s competitive strength in offering courses for those skills. In retrospect, the participants expressed a sense of optimism, though there was also certain reservation.
Research limitations/implications
The small sample restrict the generalisability of the findings.
Practical implications
As an exploratory study, the findings can lay the ground for largerscale studies investigating CLS mobility in Vietnam and be employed for inbound student mobility policymaking reference for HEIs in Vietnam as well as in other developing countries.
Originality/value
This study investigates why Cambodian and Laotian international students decide to go to Vietnam, a developing country in the lesser-known part of international student mobility landscape. This is a topic that remains under-researched in the Asia-bound student mobility literature. Insights from the study can not only contribute to the scholarly gap but also offer implications for HEIs in Vietnam and other Asian countries.
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Sónia Cardoso and Cristina Sin
Internationalisation is one of the significant manifestations of the ongoing transformation of doctoral education. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the perspectives of…
Abstract
Purpose
Internationalisation is one of the significant manifestations of the ongoing transformation of doctoral education. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the perspectives of Portuguese universities and doctoral students regarding the importance of internationalisation and the strategies to achieve it in doctoral education.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 118 doctoral programme websites from 27 universities (15 public, 12 private) served as the data source of university perspectives of internationalisation. Doctoral students’ perspectives on the same topic were collected through 31 interviews, 27 conducted in seven focus groups and four individually, with first-year doctoral students from three Portuguese public universities. Content analysis was performed on the two sets of data.
Findings
According to university and doctoral students’ perspectives, internationalisation assumes an important role in Portuguese doctoral education and is being integrated through specific strategies. Strategies for attracting and recruiting international students appear to take a back seat compared to strategies which offer students international experience through immersion in international environments in their home institutions. While expressing the potential impediments, undesirable side effects and conditions that internationalisation must meet, students seem to take a critical stance towards it and towards the institutional strategies designed to promote it.
Originality/value
This paper addresses a topic which does not appear to receive much attention in doctoral education research and, to this extent, advances knowledge on the internationalisation of doctoral education.
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Drawing on diverse findings in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Language Teaching research, but centering on the unique needs and contexts of international students in…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on diverse findings in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Language Teaching research, but centering on the unique needs and contexts of international students in post-secondary education, this paper aims to develop a working theory of international students’ continued language development.
Design/methodology/approach
As a critical review, the paper focuses on the most relevant concepts that have important bearings on the research topic, such as attitude, motivation and willingness to communicate; the age and biological factor, namely, the critical period for SLA; the learning environment and methodological factors, such as the input hypothesis; and finally, the larger sociocultural factor, i.e. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory of student development.
Findings
This paper has developed a comprehensive theory of second language development for international students by synthesizing all relevant research findings in SLA and language teaching research.
Research limitations/implications
Linguistic factors, i.e. how students’ different first languages impact their pace and difficulty in learning a second language, though important, are not included in this paper.
Practical implications
The paper can better inform international students, faculty members, support staff and even members of the larger community about the attributions, the processes and the possible outcomes of second language development for international students.
Originality/value
Second language development is an immensely important part of international students’ international education journey. But currently, there is no comprehensive and coherent understanding of this issue among stakeholders of international student success.
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Shahrokh Nikou and Monika Luukkonen
Due to high demand for international talents and skilful workforces, many countries around the world, especially the ageing populations are now looking for new ways and strategies…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to high demand for international talents and skilful workforces, many countries around the world, especially the ageing populations are now looking for new ways and strategies to attract more international talent. Drawing on push-pull factor theory, integrated with theory of reasoned action (TRA), this research examines international students' intention to stay or to leave the host country after completion of the students' studies.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model has been proposed and evaluated aimed at understanding the factors that influence the decision-making of international students studying in Finland. Data were collected from a sample of 292 international students in Finland and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and examine the relationships between various constructs in the model.
Findings
The SEM results show that several factors influence students' decision to stay or leave the host country after graduation. Aspects related to host country, institutional and economic factors and social influence (norms) directly impact students' attitude towards staying. In addition, attitude towards staying not only has a direct impact on the intention to stay, but also mediates the relationship between different pulling factors and students' intention to stay in the host country. Moreover, challenges and barriers (such as local language, challenge of finding employment and challenge of assimilating into the community or making friends) have a negative impact on the decision to stay in the host country.
Originality/value
This study uses push-pull theory in the Finnish context, contributing to the growing body of literature on international education policies and practices. The findings highlight the need for a more holistic approach to supporting international students, one that considers the students' unique needs and experiences in the host country and provides the students with the necessary resources and support to succeed.
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The purpose of this study is to examine Chinese international students' narrative stories, experiences and racial dynamics while studying in the United States to argue that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine Chinese international students' narrative stories, experiences and racial dynamics while studying in the United States to argue that Chinese international students navigate multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in different stages. This study uses an AsianCrit lens to address the gap in existing research focusing on Chinese international students' narratives and experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
Narrative inquiry with a social constructivist paradigm was used to provide an in-depth exploration of Chinese international students' navigation and negotiation in multi-dimensional experiences. Three phases of semi-structured interviews and journal entries were utilized to examine participants' experiences and struggles while studying in the United States. Descriptive coding, deductive coding and restorying were used to analyze and feather narrators' voices and stories for interpretation.
Findings
The findings in this qualitative study demonstrate that Chinese international students have unique backgrounds, and their backgrounds shape their multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in the present and the future. The findings address students' nuanced experiences in academic transitions and non-academic transitions with an AsianCrit lens.
Practical implications
The study calls for higher education institutions to promote intercultural and international training for faculty and staff to better understand and support the unique needs of international students.
Originality/value
Using Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions theory with an AsianCrit lens helps make sense of the intersection of international student status, geopolitical tensions, racial dynamics and international student experiences.
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Marina Iskhakova and Sofia Kosheleva
This study contributes to the conversation on international career development and its antecedents. Drawing on experiential learning theory and social cognitive theory, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study contributes to the conversation on international career development and its antecedents. Drawing on experiential learning theory and social cognitive theory, the current comparative study investigates the extent to which students' pre-existing international experience (IE) drives their cultural intelligence (CQ) development and influences global career intention for human resource planning purposes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has a comparative nature and adopts quantitative research methodology, which includes survey measures of CQ index, IE and intention to work abroad variables. Quantitative data are collected from a sample of more than 400 business students of leading Australian and Russian universities.
Findings
This study showed that IE variables are positively related to the level of CQ facets; the authors showed that Motivational CQ is the strongest predictor for the Intention to work abroad for both countries; the authors proved that students' IE is positively related to an Intention to work abroad for both countries and is partially mediated by CQ for Australia; and study showed that geographical isolation facilitates higher intention to work abroad than political isolation.
Practical implications
Deeper understanding of students' international career intentions and its antecedents will allow practitioners to provide better preparation for local/global careers and will allow students to make more informed and decisions. Companies would benefit from the ability to predict applicants' intention to work abroad. Stronger awareness of own preferences and available trajectories will allow students to select the best fit for them.
Originality/value
This study extends the conversation on international career development and its antecedents in the students' domain by strengthening measurements of IE and advancing the understanding of relationship between previous IE and individual facets of CQ. An empirical data from isolated locations – Russia (politically) and Australia (geographically) – bring a new timely contribution about a role of the isolation in shaping international career intentions.
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David McCollum and Hebe Nicholson
This paper aims to stimulate the nascent research agenda on the environmental sustainability of the ongoing mushrooming of international student mobility (ISM). The higher…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to stimulate the nascent research agenda on the environmental sustainability of the ongoing mushrooming of international student mobility (ISM). The higher education (HE) system in the UK and elsewhere is increasingly predicated upon the hosting of international students. Whilst this drive towards internationalisation undoubtably has multiple benefits, little attention thus far has been paid to its potentially very considerable environmental impact. The drive for internationalisation within HE thus potentially sits at odds with ambitions and strategies to promote sustainability within the sector and beyond.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews with 21 students and representatives of 14 university international offices offer insights into how the environment features in the decisions that young people and HE institutions make with regards to partaking in and promoting education-related mobility.
Findings
The results find that students take environmental considerations into account when undertaking education-related mobility, but these aspirations are often secondary to logistical issues concerning the financial cost and longer travel times associated with greener travel options. At the institutional scale, vociferously championed university sustainability agendas have yet to be reconciled with the financial imperative to recruit evermore international students.
Originality/value
This paper identifies a thus far neglected contradiction within HE whereby the sustainability agenda that it so rightly espouses is potentially undermined by the drive towards internationalisation. The paper uses the anthropause concept to consider the future environmental sustainability of ISM.
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Fernando Garcia, Stephen Ray Smith, Amy Burger and Marilyn Helms
This study aims to provide a case example of two partner institutions and business faculty who creatively used a collaborative online international learning (COIL) experience…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a case example of two partner institutions and business faculty who creatively used a collaborative online international learning (COIL) experience during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online learning to internationalize an undergraduate business class and use existing technology to offer a case study project to further students’ global mindset.
Design/methodology/approach
Using open-ended qualitative comments from an American college and a Peruvian university, researchers uncovered key themes from a virtual COIL-based learning experience offered as part of an international business class.
Findings
Student end-of-course evaluation comments from both countries validated the success of the learning experience and value of working together with other students and faculty in a virtual setting.
Research limitations/implications
Areas for future research are provided to extend these initial exploratory findings. However, the implications are clear that the methodology is also appropriate in nonpandemic situations and can quickly bring a global mindset to remote corners of the globe and ensure all students experience the “virtual” study abroad, even when there are travel limitations or budget restrictions for students or the institutions.
Practical implications
The implementation detail provided can be easily replicated by other institutions with a global mindset and internationalization goals.
Social implications
The proliferation of COIL-based experiences will impact how study abroad experiences are defined and offered in the future.
Originality/value
While researchers have documented COIL experiences in the academic literature, their use during the COVID-19 pandemic, as often the only solution for on-going internationalization, has not been thoroughly studied or documented. In addition, the class activities further used team-based international workplace pedagogy, authentic engagement and technology.
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Tim Mazzarol and Geoffrey N. Soutar
Examines the factors motivating international student choice of the host country. It describes a “push‐pull” model motivating the student’s desire to seek overseas education and…
Abstract
Examines the factors motivating international student choice of the host country. It describes a “push‐pull” model motivating the student’s desire to seek overseas education and influencing the decision process in selection of a final study destination. Drawing on the findings from research studies undertaken in Indonesia, Taiwan, China and India, the paper examines the factors influencing host country selection and additional research that examines the factors influencing choice of final host institution. Based on these findings the paper argues that economic and social forces within the home country serve to “push” students abroad. However, the decision as to which host country they will select is dependent on a variety of “pull” factors. After drawing together the findings, the paper then examines the implications for governments and education institutions seeking to recruit international students.
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