Challenges Faced by International Students: A Case Study of Jambi’s Institute of Higher Learning
Keywords:
Challenges, Experience, international students, overcoming strategies
Abstract
Although there have been many studies investigating international students, many of them focused on the students who travel in pursuit of higher education in English countries and/or universities. This current qualitative study is intended to explore the experiences of international students, particularly the challenges, and strategies to deal with the challenges and the culture shock while studying in Jambi, Indonesia. In order to collect the data, a semi-structured interview was employed and guided by an interview protocol to stimulate the participants in answering the questions during the interview. The participants of this study were nine international students who studied at one public university in Jambi. Through thematic analysis, we found that international students faced some challenges living and studying in Jambi, such as language issues, academic issues, individual issues, and living style and related issues. To overcome the challenges, international students employed two main strategies, including self-management strategies and seeking help. Moreover, although the culture of international students is quite similar to the culture of the hosting country, we identified a lack of foreigner sense and physical contact as the culture shocks experienced by one international student. Looking at the challenges and culture shocks experienced by international students, this study suggests that preparation is crucial for prospective international students before pursuing their studies overseas.
References
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Basri, B. T. R. (2015). Multicultural Benefits and Challenges for International Students during Period of Their Study: Case Study in Malaysia. Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology, 4(1), 41-54.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Calikoglu, A. (2018). International student experiences in non-native-English-speaking countries: Postgraduate motivations and realities from Finland. Research in Comparative and International Education, 13(3), 439-456. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499918791362
Chambers, F. (1997). What Do We Mean by Fluency?. System, 25(4), 535-544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(97)00046-8
Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2018). Chinese International Students’ Coping Strategies, Social Support Resources in Response to Academic Stressors: Does Heritage Culture or Host Context Matter?. Current Psychology, 40(1), 242-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9929-0.
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Fan, S., & Yeoh, J. S. W. (2012). Overcoming the Challenges with an Optimistic Attitude: A Study on the Perceptions of International Research Students. Internet Journal of Language, Culture and Society, (35), 12-18.
Fauzan, U., & Nadia, N. (2019). The Challenges of Language Learning of the Study-Abroad Students of English Language Department of Islamic Higher Education in Kalimantan. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 4(2), 287.
Girmay, M., & Singh, G. K. (2019). Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States. International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public Health, 3(2), 75-82. DOI: 10.21106/ijtmrph.82
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Hussain, M., & Shen, H. (2019). A Study on Academic Adaptation of International Students in China. Higher Education Studies, 9(4), 80-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n4p80
Indicators, O. E. C. D. (2007). Education at a Glance 2007. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/4/40701218.pdf
Jackson, D. (2017). Exploring the Challenges Experienced by International Students during Work-integrated Learning in Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 37(3), 344-359. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.1298515
Jibeen, T., & Khan, M. A. (2015). Internationalization of Higher Education: Potential Benefits and Costs. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 4(4), 196-199.
Knight, J. (2008). Higher Education in Turmoil: The Changing World of Internationalization. Sense Publishers
Liu, J. (2016). Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences of Intercultural Adaptation of International Students in Canada. Antistasis, 6(2). 1-11.
Li, M. (2016). Learning the Rules of the Game: Issues Affecting Academic Acculturation of Asian International Students in New Zealand Universities. In Exploring the Social and Academic Experiences of International Students in Higher Education Institutions (pp. 38-58). IGI Global.
McLeod, K. D., Eslami, Z. R., & Graham, K. M. (2021). Culture Shock and Coping Mechanisms of International Korean Students: A qualitative study. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 3(1), 14-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46451/ijts.2021.01.02
Neuman, S. B., & Dwyer, J. (2009). Missing in Action: Vocabulary Instruction in pre‐K. The Reading Teacher, 62(5), 384-392. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.62.5.2
Nicholas, M. K., & Blyth, F. M. (2016). Are Self-Management Strategies Effective in Chronic Pain Treatment?. Pain management, 6(1), 75-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt.15.57
Park, H., Lee, M. J., Choi, G. Y., & Zepernick, J. S. (2017). Challenges and Coping Strategies of East Asian Graduate Students in the United States. International Social Work, 60(3), 733-749. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872816655864
Rabia, A., & Hazza, M. (2017). Undergraduate Arab International Students' Adjustment to US Universities. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(1), 131-139. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v6n1p131
Rhein, D. (2018). African American Student Sociocultural Adjustment to Thai International Higher Education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 16(4), 381-394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2018.1440349
Saravanan, C., Mohamad, M., & Alias, A. (2019). Coping Strategies Used by International Students Who Recovered from Homesickness and Depression in Malaysia. International journal of intercultural relations, 68, 77-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.11.003
Tavakoli, P., Nakatsuhara, F., & Hunter, A. M. (2020). Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency. The Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 169-191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12620
Tiwari, S. C. (2013). Loneliness: A Disease?. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55(4), 320. DOI: 10.4103/0019-5545.120536
Tsevi, L. (2018). Survival Strategies of International Undergraduate Students at a Public Research Midwestern University in the United States: A Case Study. Journal of International Students, 8(2), 1034-1058. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1250404
Wahyuningsih, M. B. (2020). Challenges of Foreign Students’ Cultural Adjustment to Indonesian Culture and Impacts on Their Academic Achievements. KnE Social Sciences, 158-170. DOI 10.18502/kss.v4i4.6479
Watkins, P., & Mortimore, P. (1999). Pegadody: What Do We Know? In P. Martimore (Ed). Understanding pedagogy and its impact on learning (Ch. 1, pp. 1-19). Paul Chapman.
Westbrook, J., Durrani, N., Brown, R., Orr, D., Pryor, J., Boddy, J.,& Salvi, F. (2013). Pedagogy, Curriculum, Teaching Practices and Teacher Education in Developing Countries. Final Report. Education Rigorous Literature Review (EPPI-Centre reference number 2110). Retrieved from https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3433
Wu, H. P., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015). International Student’s Challenge and Adjustment to College. Education Research International, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/202753
Yamada, A. (2021). Globalisation in Higher Education: Bridging Global and Local Education. In Third International Handbook of Globalisation, Education and Policy Research (pp. 269-284). Springer, Cham.
Yan, K. (2017). Chinese International Students’ Coping Strategies in the United States. In Chinese International Students’ Stressors and Coping Strategies in the United States (pp. 83-94). Springer, Singapore.
Yin, R. K. (2016). Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. 2nd ed. Guilford publications.
Abrar, M., & Mukminin, A. (2016). International Graduate Classroom Discussion Engagement, Challenges, and Solving-strategies. Asia-Pacific Collaborative Education Journal, 12(1), 5-19. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14580/apcj.2016.12.1.05
Alazzi, K., & Al-Jarrah, A. (2016). Southeast Asian International Students Adjusting to Jordanian Universities: Views from the Field. Journal of College Student Development, 57(6), 730-741. DOI: 10.1353/csd.2016.0071
Alsulami, N. D. (2018). The Challenges of Studying in Australia for Saudis Male International Students. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 8(2), 17-28. DOI: 10.30845/aijcr.v8n2p3
Andrade, M. S. (2006). International Students in English-speaking Universities: Adjustment Factors. Journal of Research in International Education, 5(2), 131-154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240906065589
Baklashova, T. A., & Kazakov, A. V. (2016). Challenges of International Students' Adjustment to a Higher Education Institution. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(8), 1821-1832. DOI: 10.12973/ijese.2016.557a
Basri, B. T. R. (2015). Multicultural Benefits and Challenges for International Students during Period of Their Study: Case Study in Malaysia. Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology, 4(1), 41-54.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Calikoglu, A. (2018). International student experiences in non-native-English-speaking countries: Postgraduate motivations and realities from Finland. Research in Comparative and International Education, 13(3), 439-456. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499918791362
Chambers, F. (1997). What Do We Mean by Fluency?. System, 25(4), 535-544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(97)00046-8
Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2018). Chinese International Students’ Coping Strategies, Social Support Resources in Response to Academic Stressors: Does Heritage Culture or Host Context Matter?. Current Psychology, 40(1), 242-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9929-0.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative (Vol. 7). 4th ed. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Pendekatan Kualitatif, Kuantitatif, dan Mixed. Pustaka Pelajar.
de Wit, H., Hunter, F., Egron-Polak, E., & Howard, L. (Eds). (2015). Internationalisation of Higher Education: A study for the European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/540370/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf
Emehinola, T. T., & Saripah, I. (2020). International Students Adjustment Challenges in Indonesia. Journal of Innovation in Psychology, Education and Didactics, 24(1), 35-50.
Fan, S., & Yeoh, J. S. W. (2012). Overcoming the Challenges with an Optimistic Attitude: A Study on the Perceptions of International Research Students. Internet Journal of Language, Culture and Society, (35), 12-18.
Fauzan, U., & Nadia, N. (2019). The Challenges of Language Learning of the Study-Abroad Students of English Language Department of Islamic Higher Education in Kalimantan. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 4(2), 287.
Girmay, M., & Singh, G. K. (2019). Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States. International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public Health, 3(2), 75-82. DOI: 10.21106/ijtmrph.82
Gong, Y., Gao, X., Li, M., & Lai, C. (2020). Cultural Adaptation Challenges and Strategies during Study Abroad: New Zealand students in China. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 34(4), 417-437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1856129
Hechanova-Alampay, R., Beehr, T. A., Christiansen, N. D., & Van Horn, R. K. (2002). Adjustment and Strain among Domestic and International Student Sojourners: A longitudinal study. School Psychology International, 23(4), 458-474. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034302234007
Hurem, A., Rowan, L., & Grootenboer, P. (2021, August). The link between social wellbeing, belonging, and connectedness of international students in Australian high schools. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 681956). Frontiers Media SA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.681956
Hussain, M., & Shen, H. (2019). A Study on Academic Adaptation of International Students in China. Higher Education Studies, 9(4), 80-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n4p80
Indicators, O. E. C. D. (2007). Education at a Glance 2007. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/4/40701218.pdf
Jackson, D. (2017). Exploring the Challenges Experienced by International Students during Work-integrated Learning in Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 37(3), 344-359. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.1298515
Jibeen, T., & Khan, M. A. (2015). Internationalization of Higher Education: Potential Benefits and Costs. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 4(4), 196-199.
Knight, J. (2008). Higher Education in Turmoil: The Changing World of Internationalization. Sense Publishers
Liu, J. (2016). Internationalization of Higher Education: Experiences of Intercultural Adaptation of International Students in Canada. Antistasis, 6(2). 1-11.
Li, M. (2016). Learning the Rules of the Game: Issues Affecting Academic Acculturation of Asian International Students in New Zealand Universities. In Exploring the Social and Academic Experiences of International Students in Higher Education Institutions (pp. 38-58). IGI Global.
McLeod, K. D., Eslami, Z. R., & Graham, K. M. (2021). Culture Shock and Coping Mechanisms of International Korean Students: A qualitative study. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 3(1), 14-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46451/ijts.2021.01.02
Neuman, S. B., & Dwyer, J. (2009). Missing in Action: Vocabulary Instruction in pre‐K. The Reading Teacher, 62(5), 384-392. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.62.5.2
Nicholas, M. K., & Blyth, F. M. (2016). Are Self-Management Strategies Effective in Chronic Pain Treatment?. Pain management, 6(1), 75-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt.15.57
Park, H., Lee, M. J., Choi, G. Y., & Zepernick, J. S. (2017). Challenges and Coping Strategies of East Asian Graduate Students in the United States. International Social Work, 60(3), 733-749. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872816655864
Rabia, A., & Hazza, M. (2017). Undergraduate Arab International Students' Adjustment to US Universities. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(1), 131-139. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v6n1p131
Rhein, D. (2018). African American Student Sociocultural Adjustment to Thai International Higher Education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 16(4), 381-394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2018.1440349
Saravanan, C., Mohamad, M., & Alias, A. (2019). Coping Strategies Used by International Students Who Recovered from Homesickness and Depression in Malaysia. International journal of intercultural relations, 68, 77-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.11.003
Tavakoli, P., Nakatsuhara, F., & Hunter, A. M. (2020). Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency. The Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 169-191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12620
Tiwari, S. C. (2013). Loneliness: A Disease?. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55(4), 320. DOI: 10.4103/0019-5545.120536
Tsevi, L. (2018). Survival Strategies of International Undergraduate Students at a Public Research Midwestern University in the United States: A Case Study. Journal of International Students, 8(2), 1034-1058. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1250404
Wahyuningsih, M. B. (2020). Challenges of Foreign Students’ Cultural Adjustment to Indonesian Culture and Impacts on Their Academic Achievements. KnE Social Sciences, 158-170. DOI 10.18502/kss.v4i4.6479
Watkins, P., & Mortimore, P. (1999). Pegadody: What Do We Know? In P. Martimore (Ed). Understanding pedagogy and its impact on learning (Ch. 1, pp. 1-19). Paul Chapman.
Westbrook, J., Durrani, N., Brown, R., Orr, D., Pryor, J., Boddy, J.,& Salvi, F. (2013). Pedagogy, Curriculum, Teaching Practices and Teacher Education in Developing Countries. Final Report. Education Rigorous Literature Review (EPPI-Centre reference number 2110). Retrieved from https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3433
Wu, H. P., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015). International Student’s Challenge and Adjustment to College. Education Research International, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/202753
Yamada, A. (2021). Globalisation in Higher Education: Bridging Global and Local Education. In Third International Handbook of Globalisation, Education and Policy Research (pp. 269-284). Springer, Cham.
Yan, K. (2017). Chinese International Students’ Coping Strategies in the United States. In Chinese International Students’ Stressors and Coping Strategies in the United States (pp. 83-94). Springer, Singapore.
Yin, R. K. (2016). Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. 2nd ed. Guilford publications.
Published
2023-06-01
How to Cite
Wachyunni, S., Abrar, M., Istifada, I., Harjono, H. S., & Hendra, R. (2023). Challenges Faced by International Students: A Case Study of Jambi’s Institute of Higher Learning. Dinamika Ilmu, 23(1), 37-52. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v23i1.5995
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