International Student Adjustment
Introduction
International students experience a variety of adjustment concerns such as academic problems due to new educational systems, personal issues, cross-cultural problems, adjusting to new social norms. This project is specifically designed to integrate the international students. Interaction with host students and spending leisure time with American’s could be highly interrelated with international student’s perception of their relationship to American’s life. The biggest barrier considered during international student relationship was the lack of opportunity to interact socially and there is a surprising fact that many international students do not make friendship with an American friend. This factor results in a big program in which they fail to adapt to the new environment. Hence, the project named IPP (International Peer Program) was taken on International Student Relationship adapting the five practices of Exemplary Leadership as per James Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner(Kouzes et al., 2012). Leadership traits personality, forward-thinking, competency, inspiration described in the book “Leadership Challenge” was followed during the program. The program was implemented to enhance significant interactions between international and U.S. students. Our team had 60 international students to participate in this Peer Programs and this program’s potential positive influences the relationship to international students with overall adjustment.
Objective
The main objective of this program was to create long and short term benefits to the individual students. This program will be constructed through motivating both international and non-international students and pair both students together to get them involved in this program for student success. Short term benefit could increase the safety of international student to arrive into the United States. And, assist them with the travel, place of residence, food banks and other living resources. The long-term benefit could be getting involved in the college life, increase the feeling of belonging and acceptance that could increase student success and involvement.
Methodology
As everyone needs a support system hence, a program construction was geared up to ensure students support. Five theories “Model the way” “Encourage the heart” “Inspire a shared vision” ”Challenge the process” “Enable others to Act” were adopted under excellent leadership.(Kouzes et al., 2012)SACQ and Demographics and Campus Resources Questionnaires were the two instruments developed for this study. These two techniques yield 28 survey packets from IPP participants and render 75% return rate. Our team members collected all the survey packets within 2-week period before the holiday semester begins. Below are the top three theories adopted in this project for the study;
Model the way Theory – Our team established a clear value in a transition of our own cultures to American cultures to maintain friendly atmosphere between international and American students. The value represents each member in our group where we explain our own stories to the constituents to bring a common understanding of what we are doing. Investigation of existing organizations was performed to make some cooperation plans to facilitate the international students by setting up our joint value into practice. In order to build the support system and process to keep our value living our team executed this program, collected feedbacks to make the appropriate improvements.
Encouraged the Heart – Our team respected the constructive effort made the people for this program. Positive appreciation was provided for the personal contribution through various formal and informal ways. Periodic celebrations were achieved to enhance the spirit and value of the team.
Inspired the Shared Vision - Our team illustrates their own stories to express the reason on why they launched this program. By sharing our own feelings, we guide the constituents to make a change for the future upcoming international students. Upon the success of this program, the constituents could face less unnecessary burdens and prepare for better future. This program was open for all where everyone can be part of this program and contribute their suggestions and feedback for the better of the world. We inspired the team members by emphasizing the common vision as it can keep confident and motivated them during the program.(Kouzes et al., 2012)
Research
A research study from Heikinheimo (1986) suggests that intercultural adjustment could be identified as the social concern for international students. A research study suggests significant relationships between social interaction and adjustment of international students. Further, research highlighted that As Asian students are largest international group studying in U.S. hence Asian students will encounter more difficulty while trying to create a relationship when compared to the students from other countries. Three-page demographics and campus resource questionnaire were designed during the study of this project. During research, it was found there exists three main groups to assist the international students and integrate their life in a local community.
OISS
ISA
I-Buddies
Observation
In 1997, the public university in Midwest namely, Office of Residence Life (ORL) and Office of International Student Services (OISS) implemented International Peer Program with approximately 26,000 international students and 2,000 universities representing 97 international countries. Out of which over half of the international students belong to Asia. 36 interested incoming international students where, majority of student belong to Asia participated during IPP. The role of the international students was to increase their knowledge and adopt foreign cultures and customs. After participating in a brief training, host university students exchanged their contact information and set-up plans for future interactions. The majority of the participated students attended monthly campus activities hosted by ORL and OISS.
Participants
Out of 60 International students, 28 involved in the semester-long IPP and a group of 32 students did not participate in this program. The sample was nearly evenly distributed by gender and academic status.. The age range was between17-35 with a mean age of 23 years.
Techniques
SACQ and Demographics and Campus Resources Questionnaires the two instruments were developed for this study.
SACQ was divided into four areas;
Academic Adjustment Subscale measures student’s success in copying various educational demands.
Social Adjustment Subscale measures student’s success in copying with interpersonal societal demands.
Personal Adjustment Subscale measure student’s intrapsychic state or psychological stress.
Institutional Adjustment Subscale measures student’s degree that’s committed to educational-institutional goals.
Subscale reflects the quality of relationship established between the student and the institution. The scale indicates better self-assessment adjustment.
Demographics and Campus Resources Questionnaires include three – page questionnaire during this study. Demographic data includes Gender, Age, and Academic Status. The questionnaire requests the student to indicate the reason on why they chose to attend this particular university. Our team requested the international students who participated in this study to sign a consent form and complete two surveys. This survey packet was sent to the IPP participants who were not able to attend the event. These two techniques yield 28 survey packets from IPP participants and render 75% return rate. Each mailed survey packet consists of consent form and letter information.
Analysis
The comparison was performed between U.S. and international students on adjustment subscale score on student adaption by Kaczmarek, 1994 and the outcome was that social adjustment and institutional attachment subscales for international students were lower than their U.S. counterparts.
Based upon the collected demographic information such as Sex, Academic, housing arrangement, 28 IPP participants and 32 students completed the control group survey. 35% of students lived in U.S, approximately 61.7 % international students come from Asian countries where 18.4% from Europe, 10% from South America, 6.7% from Africa and 3.3% from the Middle East. For the question – why they chose to attend this particular university – 30% Accepted, 11.7% on the overall cost of living, 11.7 – availability of financial aid.
The frequency of the usage of campus resource was 71.7% reported that never use career services, 78.3% ever use counseling center, 78.3% student employment office, 71.7% student employment office, 83.3% student volunteer programs. Also, international students indicated that 45.0% never used health center or 51.7 participated in student organizations. International students used below resources during their semester; 50% on student recreation center, 63.3% on book-store, 63.3% on university book-store, 85.0% of the university library and 86.7% on computer labs. During the co-relation analysis between the use of campus resources and degree of participants in IPP, no significant relationships found.
Limitations
The Limitations that was derived through IPP program was revealed to the team that SACQ should never be normed for use with international students. Two other potential limitations were related to the sample. First, the small sample size was taken for the study that limits the types of analysis that could be conducted with the larger sample. Isaac indicated that small samples are appropriate for pilot studies. Secondary, nonrandom selection of the IPP sample could be recognized limitation by the researchers. The sampling and distribution of IPP participants proved that two groups were not significantly different.
Implications
Social interactions were focused during Peer Program to have a significant impact on the integration of international students. If the team has planned properly during the peer programs it could have positively influenced other areas of adjustment that includes the development of academic skills. The pairing students with academic interests could enhance academic adjustment of international students. The team member should target specific adjustment goals such as social, academic, personal-emotional or institutional attachment and achieve certain outcomes the peer programs should have shaped intentionally. Defining specific adjustment outcomes in evaluation by the team will help researchers to understand which adjustment needs are by met by the peer program. The team should undergo further research on “Why and how Asian students are challenged in the college settings” will help to understand regarding the differences between the international and minority groups.
Discussion
Our team has identified that unused campus resources were student volunteer programs, counseling center, student employment office, and career services. A study by Bergman and Misa, J. stated that computer labs, university library were used frequently rather than counseling and career centers. The significant comparison during the program was that IPP participants used student recreation center more often than students in the control group. IPP participants scored higher than a control group on social adjustment subscale which recommends that organized interaction created by IPP enhanced the interpersonal skills of the international students which are crucial for success in the campus environment.
Recommendations
We will continue to uphold the theories described in this project on exemplary leadership. During open-ended comments, most of the international students mentioned the importance of interactions with friends, professors, roommates. Many students indicated that they needed more chance to develop their English conversation skills, require information on career services, academic skill center, counseling services. Host students should also be trained to teach international students about academic skills and resources needed for success. Strategies should be applied to increase the sense of institutional attachment. Involvement in this type of program will help the international students to recognize their impact on the campus community. United states students scored high on social adjustment and institutional adjustment subscales hence it is recommended that united states students with previous experience are equipped to handle social and institutional demands of campus life and could create strong bonds with the university they were attending. Further, detailed exercise will be performed to improve our program. Learned theories not alone applicable to the program but does apply to everyone life.
References
Kouzes,M. and Barry Z. Posner. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 199.
Heikinheimo, P. S. (1986). The adaptation of foreign students: Students views and institutional implications. In Journal of College Student Personnel (pp. 399-406)
