Overwhelming Trends and Experiences of International Students Enrolled in Massey Universitys Programmes - Research Paper Example

Executive Summary The study is conducted in response to the emergent overwhelming trends and experiences of international students enrolled in Massey University’s Programmes. Given the pressures brought about by living in a totally alien environment, international students are being confronted with the challenges of adjusting in the university. Their cultural background, contextual matters of their present setting (i.e. finances, accommodation, etc.) and the unfamiliar teaching styles and methodologies influence their levels of satisfaction and therefore, integration into the university. The study is guided by the following objectives: 1. To consider some of the difficulties faced by international students and the processes that they use to adapt and cope with an unfamiliar academic and social environment; 2. To identify adjustment factors that influence the satisfaction of international students; 3. To examine the relationship between adjustment levels and satisfaction among students; and to 4. Enable educators and university organizations to facilitate academic adjustment of students. For many international students, entering the university is their first experience of living away from home and of being away from their homeland. Aside from battling with loneliness and nostalgia, these students also have to cope with language barriers, cultural differences in teaching methodologies, and other pressures brought about by new environments. This “forced exposure to an alien cultural environment can put people under heavy stress” – and this has the potential to create culture shock. Culture shock does not usually happen all at once – it grows little by little as students interact with host nationals and become more aware of the differences rather than the similarities between themselves and host nationals (Hofstede, 1980). Because of these overwhelming trends in international students today, there is now a growing recognition that overseas students have special needs and problems, and that they need to adjust their approaches to learning to suit the New Zealand academic environment. Erin (2002) argues that international students should be given specialized formal training and orientation programs to prepare them for a new culture especially in the transition period. This involves being flexible, being open to new things and finding something in the new culture to feel comfortable with and good about (Bird et al, 1999). In dealing with transition to the new culture, it is helpful to be open to new experiences, be willing to try new food, have a good sense of humor and have the ability not to take yourself too seriously (Adapting to a New Culture 2002). The quality of the student’s transition to the University’s Programme is critical to the students’ academic performance and their satisfaction. However, since the adjustment problems experienced by overseas students may be many and quite varied, different models and approaches should also be taken into account and appropriated according to their needs. Introduction Going to University remains to be an exciting if uncertain experience for most students but all the more so for international students who need to adjust not only to new academic settings but also to new cultures, politics, and social system. The early weeks could be a time of confusion as students match built-up expectations to the reality of their experience (James et al, 1999). Martin & Rorlich (1991) says that aside from gaps between home and host cultures, the students’ experiences are influenced by their expectations; disparities between the strict high school culture and informal college trainings often led students to confusion. Another problem faced by international students is that of the proper integration into the academic system and the new environment (society). In studying abroad a student is trying to become part of an academic system and society that is different from home. This sudden change of the environment poses to the students those notions and assumptions on the academic side and expectations for social relationships that do not match with that which is familiar to the student. The problem for many of them starts with the gap between their expectations and the reality of university teaching. Another problem is the students’ integration into the new academic and cultural environment. This integration is a function of student expectations and perceptions. Differences that arise should thus be duly addressed for the students’ transition into a new learning environment to be successful (Kaplan, 1966). Foreigners’ expectations and their fulfillment are crucial to adjustment. However, adjustment can be achieved not only by the students’ doubled efforts but also through the University providing activities that foster a healthy social environment. “Students must also take on responsibility for preparing themselves and learning all they can in advance to be better prepared to take advantage of their study overseas” (Adapting to a New Culture, 2002). Peer groups among the students’ can also help. Background Marketing research helps businesses identify consumer needs and wants so a company can develop and promote products more successfully. The key to this definition is that the information is gathered, processed, analyzed and interpreted in a systematic and objective fashion. Marketing research stresses how the information is obtained and evaluated as much as what is actually gathered. Such research also provides the information upon which important advertising and marketing decisions are based (Robbs, 2005). However, marketing research is not a perfect science (US SBA, 2006). It deals with people and their constantly changing feelings and behaviors, which are influenced by countless subjective factors. To conduct marketing research, one must gather facts and opinions in an orderly, objective way to find out what people want to buy, not just what firms want to sell them. Market research can also be applied to maximizing the value of experience of the overseas students who tries to integrate into the society and the university. As discussed above, marketing research can enable administrators (decision-makers) of the university to device programs and services that would cater to the needs of the international students. They can also help international students in addressing their need to develop a broader internal adjustment strategy to deal with adjustment strains. Problem Definition / Approach a. Type of Marketing Research Problem In general, the project considers some of the difficulties faced by international students and the processes that they use to adapt and cope with in an unfamiliar academic and social environment. It uses the problem-solving type of marketing research in order to develop strategies especially to address the needs of international students. International students encounter different and various problems in their adjustment to the new culture and academic situation of the host country. These problems are the focus of this proposal. Our aim is to solve these problems to facilitate better adjustment by providing facilities that make the Massey University international students’ integration and adjustment successful. b. Defining the decision-maker’s management or decision problem (MDP) The company “Wellington City Council” wants to create a business catering to the needs of the international students enrolled in Massey University’s Programmes. The business the firm has in mind run along the lines of enabling students to adjust to their new environments by facilitating integration into the university’s system and to allow them to socialize better among their peers especially those of the host country. The informality and apparent casualness of university trainings can give international students some confusion. They will find college to be a little different from high school. Also students past learning experiences as well as their expectations can complicate matters for them. Different cultures have different approaches to learning and this can lead to differences in results and expectations. Culture also plays a big part as Burns (1991) claimed that culture shock can be caused by a combination of problems related to feelings of isolation, transport, accommodation, loneliness, homesickness, helplessness, problems regarding finances, Western food and different values. The business can offer the use of communication technologies among others. The company can offer affordable internet services such as Wi-Fi and/or computer rentals, a website which will auction journals, books and other educational materials that will most likely be used by students. They can also send e-mail, instant messages, and post photos and blogs in the site. The firm can also offer facilities for communicating home such as videophones and international phone services and the firm can also offer tutorial services for language and academic concerns. This will provide the students assistance in their biggest language problems as well as address concerns in the language of their course matters; also this will provide them with an avenue for socialization with students from their host country. c. Restate this as a marketing research problem. In researching the university, the company has found that there is a difficulty among overseas students to integrate themselves into the university because of language barrier, incompatible expectations and the differences in cultural background. The business can help in enabling the students to cope with their academic requirements especially in the transition stage. For the problems mentioned above, more information on international student needs is needed. Also data on economic capacities of these students must be studied as well as socio-demographic data. This information will be useful in determining the marketing strategy that will be used. Also the presence of competition or other providers of the needs of these students are present. As well the existing means by which the students cope with their predicaments. d. Identify at least 6 research questions (RQs) as a consequence of (b) 1) How would the students receive this? 2) What pricing scheme would work best for the students? 3) What other variables or circumstances besides interest rate and the additional income produced by the technology might also affect the returns on the investment? 4) What other actions can management take to ensure a positive return on the investment? 5) What are the implications of this information for starting this business on the Internet? What else can we sell to them? 6) Can the market be expanded to students other than overseas students? e. Hypotheses Communication facilities will be great appreciated and patronized by international students who are far from everything familiar and thus are homesick. Websites being one of the most widely used means of information sharing and communication will be warmly accepted by the students as a means of socialization and communication and also to bridge the gap between them and their home. Tutorials provided by students from the host country will provide healthy and adequate interaction and socialization as well facilitate faster language acculturation. Conclusion: The issues and problems associated with the international students are not unique in Massey University. It happens everywhere, even among local universities. However, some students are integrated into the system more easily than others. And this is where the interplay between the personal, the cultural and the organizational forces could come in. It is important to maintain the balance in the impact of each of these forces, as it is also important for the incoming student and the university’s organization to prepare for anticipatory adjustments, in order to reach the optimum level of satisfaction and learning for all of its students and other constituents. Works Cited: Burns, R. B. 1991, The adjustment of Overseas students: A study of the academic, cultural, social and personal problems of overseas first year students at an Australian university, Conference proceedings of the Internationalization of Industry, Government and Education of Western Australia. International Business Unit. Perth, Western Australia: Curtin University of Technology, 65-112 Hofstede, G. 1980, Culture’s consequences, Newbury Park, Sage Erin, M. 2002, Cross-Cultural Adaptation Among Women: How Living Internationally Affects Your Life [Online], Available: http://sistergoldenhair.com/uponarrival/research.html [May 28]. Adapting To A New Culture: Making Sense of Living Abroad, Living with Uncertainty [Online], Available: http://www.umass.edu/ipo/gidcultr.html [2002, May 28] Bird, A., Osland, J. S., Mendenhall, M. & Schneider, S.C. 1999, ‘Adapting and adjusting to other cultures: What we know but don’t always tell’, Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (2):152-165 James, R., Baldwin, G. & McInnis, C. 1999, Which university? The factors influencing the choices of prospective undergraduates, DETYA, Canberra Kaplan, R. 1966, ‘Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education’, Language Learning, 16:1-2 Martin, J. N. & Rohlich, B. 1991, ‘Testing a Model of Sojourner Expectations’, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Speech Communication Association, Atlanta. Read More