Challenges of International Higher Education Students in a Foreign Country

Khodabandelou, Rouhollah; Karimi, Leila; Ehsani, Maryam

doi:10.1177/2347631115584121

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 3 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Apparently, with growing pressure to complete their thesis within the stipulated time (MOHE, 2016), students in this study tended to prioritise completing their thesis, rather than publishing during their candidature. Financial strain appeared the be the most influential factor in this, with both supervisors and students being mindful of financial pressures, which can cause a lot of stress and anxiety (Khawaja & Stallman, 2011;Khodabandelou et al, 2015;Umar et al, 2014). The dilemma students have between striving for a timely completion and publishing, therefore, needs to be acknowledged by universities and supervisors (Manathunga, 2019), and discussed more explicitly with students.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alignment of Doctoral Student and Supervisor Expectations in Malaysia

Collins

Saadi

2021

IJDS

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Aim/Purpose: This paper compares doctoral student and supervisor expectations of their respective roles and responsibilities in doctoral research supervision relationships in Malaysia. It identifies the areas, and the extent to which expectations align or differ. Background: Incongruence of expectations between doctoral students and their supervisor has been cited as a major contributor to slow completion times and high attrition rates for doctoral students. While researchers urge the need for explicit discussion of expectations, in practice doctoral students and supervisors rarely make their expectations explicit to each other, and few researchers have examined the areas of alignment or misalignment of expectations in depth. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were held with fifteen doctoral students and twelve supervisors from two research-intensive universities in Malaysia. An inductive thematic analysis of data was conducted. Contribution: This paper provides the first in-depth direct comparison of student-supervisor expectations in Malaysia. A hierarchical model of student-supervisor expectations is presented. Findings: Expectations vary in the degree of congruence, and the degree to which they are clarified by students and supervisors across four different areas: academic practice, academic outcomes, skills and personal attributes, personal relationships. A hierarchical model is proposed to describe the extent to which both students and supervisors are able to clarify their mutual expectations arising throughout the doctoral student-supervisor relationship. Recommendations for Practitioners: Institutions should support discussions with both doctoral students and supervisors of expectations of their student-supervisor interactions, and encourage them to be more proactive in exploring their mutual expectations. Recommendation for Researchers: Data is recommended to be collected from students who have recently completed their studies, given the observation that some student participants were uncomfortable speaking about their supervisors while still in the student-supervisor relationship. Impact on Society: Opening opportunities for discussions of expectations by students and supervisors, supported and encouraged by the institutions within which they work, can help set the scene for positive and productive relationships. Future Research: Findings indicate there is need to examine in depth the impact of gender, and the competing pressures to publish and graduate on time, as they relate to the student-supervisor relationships and experience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alignment of Doctoral Student and Supervisor Expectations in Malaysia

Collins

Saadi

2021

IJDS

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“…She worked part-time but it was still very difficult for her to make both ends meet. Similar problems were experienced by the international students who participated in Khodabandelou et al ’s (2015) study. The researchers described how the economic crisis in Malaysia caused a lot of difficulties for the Iranian international students studying there; some of them had to return home because their parents could not pay for the tuition and living expenses in Malaysia, and the students themselves could not find part-time work in that country because of the government’s restrictions.…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…For instance, Poyrazli and Grahame (2007) found that the miscommunication between the host university administration and international students resulted in students’ experiencing difficulties that could have been avoided if the university were more responsive to their students’ circumstances. In a similar vein, Khodabandelou et al (2015) stated that the lack of communication and accurate information about the host university regulations was the main cause of academic challenges the participants in their study encountered. Although Poyrazli and Grahame (2007) and Khodabandelou et al (2015) did not report that the experienced challenges with the administration of the host universities led to the international students’ feeling frustrated and ignored as it happened in my study, we can see that the role of the administration in providing timely information to students and engaging them in the socio-cultural life is very important.…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

International students in Kazakhstan

Mukhamejanova

2019

IJCED

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Purpose Kazakhstan has taken considerable steps to improve the incoming mobility of international students; however, despite these measures, the number of international students studying in Kazakhstan is still very low. Research indicates that in order to attract and retain international students it is necessary to build a thorough understanding of their experiences in the host country. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of international students’ experiences in Kazakhstan by exploring how they exercise their human agency while adapting to the academic and socio-cultural life in Kazakhstan. Design/methodology/approach The author used a purposeful criterion sampling to select six international students from Afghanistan, Great Britain, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine and the USA studying at Kazakhstani universities to participate in this research. The primary data collection was semi-structured in-depth interviews. Supportive methods included a demographic questionnaire and a researcher journal. Findings The study revealed that the international students actively employed their human agency to negotiate their studying and to adapt to their life in Kazakhstan. They did not simply adjust to the host environment, but also learned from it and attempted to transform it according to their circumstances and goals. Research limitations/implications The implication is that Kazakhstani universities and any other higher education institutions that seek to increase the number of their international students should consider not only how to attract these students, but also how to adapt their institution’s practices and regulations to create an inclusive learning environment for their diverse student population. It is also very important for higher education institutions to provide international students with the necessary conditions to exercise their human agency because as it was revealed by this study, international students’ human agency is a very powerful mechanism helping them live and learn comfortably in their host country. Originality/value Taking into consideration the reviewed previous research, this was the first attempt to use Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory for the purpose of building an understanding about how international students exercise their agency while adapting to the academic and socio-cultural life in the host country. The social cognitive theory allows investigating international students as active and self-sufficient agents of their own adaptation process who can and do change themselves, and have the potential to navigate and alter their host environment to achieve their own goals. This study encourages researchers and practitioners to think about international students outside the dimension of internationalization as a means of improving country’s economic capital.

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“…Tong, Sainsbury and Craig (2007) indicated that qualitative methods have an explorative nature and enable scholars to explore and investigate the intricacy of phenomena happened in the research area. Data collection method in qualitative research design in contrast with quantitative research design leads to a more in-depth understanding of the intended phenomenon (Khodabandelou, Karimi, & Ehsani, 2015). Focus groups have been identified as a special type of group interview that is structured to gather detailed opinions and knowledge about a particular topic from selected participants (Bader & Rossi, 2002, p 6).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Main Barriers of Technology Integration in the English Language Teaching Classroom: A Qualitative Study

2016

IJELS

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The abundance of technology in recent years has contributed to development in the societies, industries, and education. It is proven from the current trend of technology such as the emergence and rise of smart phones, tablets, laptops and wireless internet connection that the present and future world will be heralded by technology. The integration of technology into the teaching and learning process is idealistic with the existence of vast information and multimedia on the internet and innovative inventions of devices that serve as great assistance. However, the available technology has not been put to good use in the English language teaching and learning classroom for some reasons, especially in developing countries like Malaysia. Thus, this research is conducted to determine the hindrances faced by the education community in Malaysia. The current qualitative research involved seven individuals who discussed issues relating to the hindrances of technology integration in English language teaching and learning. This paper presents the results of the discussion and provides suggestions on some possible solutions to the identified obstacles faced by the education community in using technology in a more efficient and resourceful manner for the teaching and learning development.

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Challenges of International Higher Education Students in a Foreign Country

Cited by 7 publications

References 3 publications

Alignment of Doctoral Student and Supervisor Expectations in Malaysia

Alignment of Doctoral Student and Supervisor Expectations in Malaysia

International students in Kazakhstan

Exploring the Main Barriers of Technology Integration in the English Language Teaching Classroom: A Qualitative Study

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