Emerging empowerment of international students: how international student literature has shifted to include the students’ voices

Abstract

Social isolation has been a central focus within international student research, especially with regard to international/host national relations. While a worthy area of study, we argue that the sheer volume of such research stems from the fact that universities' recruitment of foreign students is often justified by the claim that a more international campus will engender crosscultural skills. The main argument of this paper is that, from this perspective, the Bpoint^of such sojourns is seen as social, and any lack of interaction becomes problematic. This is an intellectually respectable position, but it is problematic that it has come to dominate the field to such a degree that the students' own experiences and goals are rarely heard. This paper calls for a de-muting of international students in research, so that more research is oriented by their stated priorities. While there has been a shift in this regard around the turn of the millennium, presumptions as to the purpose of educational sojourns remain and continue to colour research.

The Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (SF-40): Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version

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Concerns of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Thematic Perspectives from the United States, Asia, and Europe

“…A female student from the Netherlands said: Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching Vol.4 No.1 ( 2021) not unexpected in that international students generally have greater barriers to contact with loved ones in their home countries, such as travel bans, travel safety, and the need for visas. Recent research has recommended that international students themselves be surveyed about their priorities, as these may not be the same as those of educational institutions (Page & Chahboun, 2019). Identifying these concerns is a necessary step for developing emergency/ crisis response for this population.…”

Toward a Framework for (Re)Thinking the Ethics and Politics of International Student Mobility

“…Earlier educational research on international students, apart from those focused on pedagogy or teaching/learning, paid significant attention to international students' experiences of "acculturation"/"adaptation"/"adjustment" in the host countries (see Page & Chahboun, 2019, for a critical review). This line of work stemmed from prevalent observations about international students' cultural maladjustment and social isolation in the host environment, especially their apparent failure to establish meaningful engagement with host communities.…”