Author : Pratyusha Jawalkar
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (843 download)
Book Synopsis International Students' Experiences of a Cross Cultural Transition by : Pratyusha Jawalkar
Download or read book International Students' Experiences of a Cross Cultural Transition written by Pratyusha Jawalkar and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New Zealand attracts thousands of international students annually. Previous research has shown that international students experience a myriad of stressors upon arrival to their destination and they may have difficulties adjusting. However, individuals will vary in the degree of acculturative stress and adjustment they experience. Studies focussing on international student adjustment have had inconsistent findings about factors that may contribute to adjustment. Moreover, a vast majority of studies have used cross sectional designs that make it difficult to study adjustment patterns over time, and factors that do or do not contribute to better adjustment. Although much of the research in this field has been conducted in other countries, there is a scarcity of research looking at international student adjustment in New Zealand The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in adjustment patterns and health status across four largest groups of foreign students in New Zealand - Germans, Indians, Americans and Asians. One hundred international students enrolled at the University of Auckland participated in this longitudinal study. The participants completed a web survey at first semester, and about fourteen weeks later they completed the follow up survey which was during the second semester. It was expected for ethnic differences to emerge in acculturative stress and psychological distress scores. Gender and ethnic differences were expected to surface from participants' social, academic and personal emotional adjustment. As expected, analyses uncovered significant gender and ethnic differences in adjustment. Consistent with previous research, Asian and Indian participants experienced higher level of acculturative stress and psychological distress while German and American participants reported relatively better adjustment. All groups except the Indians samples reported better adjustment by the follow up period. Further testing using multiple regression indicated that avoidant coping style mediated the poor adjustment of the Indians. The study has highlighted the role of demographic and psychosocial factors in predicting adjustment among an understudied population in New Zealand. The use of a longitudinal study design enabled studying the effects of time, ethnicity and the interaction of the two on adjustment. Adjustment is a process that takes place over time and is heavily influenced by the individual's psychosocial and demographic characteristics.