International Student Success: A Multilevel Perspective on Factors That Contribute to the Success and Quality of the Experience Abroad

Abstract

The international higher education market is currently witnessing a fast growth. As a vital component in the sector, international students aspire to be successful in their higher education endeavours. Within this context, student success, already a highly contested term in the field, takes a different outlook when discussed in relation to international students. This paper focuses on the meaning of international student success and the mechanisms through which this concept has been made functional by the higher education sector. Working with definitions of student success, the paper first looks at student success as it means to international students, in line with their distinctive circumstances. In the second half, factors that impact international student success are reviewed in relation to current policy instruments across leading international higher education markets. The paper concludes by pointing out important implications and quality assurance challenges in enhancing the international students’ experience abroad.

1 Introduction

International education has become one of the fast-growing sectors in the higher education industry. Data show that students moving to a different country for the purpose of studying reached 4.6 million in 2015. 1 Led by China and India, Asia is the most prominent region of origin and alongside popular student destinations, there are upcoming host countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and China. 2 Although current international student numbers in the upcoming countries are low compared to leading host countries, there are several emergent trends where an increasing number of international students seeking to study in non-popular and non-western destinations and national governments of such countries taking initiatives to invest money on attracting more and more international students. 3 The focus of this paper, however, is primarily on international student success in major host countries because, despite the fact that most attention in international student research was placed on major receiving countries, quality and international student success is a topic that has not been adequately explored.

In light of these developments, as an integral part of the international education sector, international students contribute to the host country economy, diversity in university campuses and internationalisation of the university, thus making it important than ever before to pay adequate attention to the success and quality of their experience abroad. Although extensive research has been carried out on international students, focusing on and analysing different aspects of the international student experience, researchers have not treated international student success in much detail, particularly in relation to mechanisms used by university policymakers and administrators to improve success and overall quality of international student experience.

There are several areas in international student research that have been well-studied, such as international student experience, student characteristics and sociological and psychological adaptation of students living and studying in a foreign country, 4 brain drain and brain circulation and the role played by diaspora, 5 student finances, 6 socio-psychological adjustment of international students 7 and language issues of international students. 8

While together these studies provide important insights into our understanding of international students, less is known about international student success and mechanisms and operational strategies/policies that relate to international student success. Limited literature available on this topic treats factors contributing to international student success and mechanisms undertaken to improve the quality of the international student experience as two separate bodies of literature. Not much attention has been paid to an integrative analysis of the two dimensions, where exclusive consideration is paid to what specific mechanisms can be operationalised to enhance international student success. This is an indication that as important as it may be, this is still an area that has not been well-researched, hence not completely understood by policymakers and administrators. Thus, given the vital role played by international students as an essential resource in higher education institutions and as a means of addressing the gap in literature regarding international student success, this paper looks at factors that contribute to international student success and examines quality assurance challenges associated with meeting the expectations of international students to ensure the success of their experience in host countries. Main issues addressed in the paper are a) importance of international students and defining international student success, b) academic and social factors that impact international student success, and c) international student success and extant quality assurance mechanisms. The paper concludes by discussing recommendations and implications of the issues reviewed in the paper.

2 Why International Students are Important

In many universities in the world, especially in leading host countries such as the United States, United Kingdom (UK), Canada and Australia, there is a sizeable fraction of their student community coming from overseas countries. International students contribute to the higher education field in host countries in a variety of ways, one of the primary contributions being the revenue international students bring into the host country in terms of tuition fees and as consumers of the host country. The constantly increasing number of international students and the revenue they bring into host countries is exemplified in data published in a recent report by the Australian government, where it was estimated that in 2014-15, international students contributed a total of 17.1 billion to Australia’s GDP. The breakdown of the total value shows that $12.1 billion of the total was from fees paid to education providers and direct education-related goods and services provided for students and $5.0 billion in direct value added intermediate inputs related to education or other services and goods provided to students. 9

In addition, international students are an important human capital resource as they possess several traits that match the human capital requirements in host countries. Most international students are young and already acculturated in the host country and can communicate successfully in the language of the host country. Adding to that, they also have gained professional training and/or work experience that are easily recognized by host country employers. These characteristics make international students ideal candidates for fulfilling the labour market needs of host countries, especially when they are facing issues such as demographic contraction and labour shortages.

Additionally, they are a valuable resource that brings in a global perspective and help enhance the cultural diversity in university campuses and among student communities. Presence of international students helps boost and broaden domestic students’ understanding about foreign cultures. The amalgamation of multicultural aspects of diverse cultures, religions, belief systems as well as sociocultural and political realities brought in by international students not only makes university campuses diverse and vibrant, but also creates an environment of shared experience and understanding and appreciation of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 10 The global dimension of thinking this interaction brings in, in return helps both domestic and international students strengthen the global perspective necessary to compete and survive in the increasingly diverse global environment and international labour market. 11

Furthermore, international students contribute to the academia and nourish the research atmosphere of host universities by working as teaching assistants and research assistants in classrooms and research projects and collaborating in academic publications. 12 For example, it is reported that for every 100 students who got a Ph.D. from an American university in engineering or the physical sciences, the United States got 62 patent applications 13 and that a 10 percent increase in international graduate student intake correlates to a 4.5 percent increase in patent applications. 14

Overall, international students’ education outcomes help enrich the research culture in host universities and their achievements help forge new international collaborations and add revenue to the economy of the host country. Culturally, they bring diversity into the classroom as well as society in general and enhance intercultural ties. As such, given the important role they play in the field of international education, international students can no longer be considered an optional or a marginal group of students and “how to improve international students’ study experience is a strategic issue faced by most universities given the growing competition between each other.” 15

3 International Student Success

Compared to the extent to which different other aspects of international students such as student experience and adjustment have been examined, there is a limited body of literature that examines international student success. Extant discussion and analysis of international student success mostly point towards factors that need to be considered when discussing international student achievement and retention and fails to provide a clear definition of international student success. Understandably, this is primarily due to an inherent complexity in studying international students; the difficulty of arriving at a generalizable conclusion that is applicable to an inherently heterogeneous group of students. To elaborate, international students are fundamentally diverse, belonging to different national, cultural, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and their circumstances further vary depending on their gender, subject, level of study etc. Therefore, it is challenging to arrive at an overarching definition that is generalizable to cover idiosyncrasies of this vastly diverse student group.

Although no clear definition per se has been given, attempts have been made to discuss international student success in relation to student needs, academic performance and achievement, retention and degree completion, issues faced by international students and factors that affect their success. 16 Collectively, these studies outline that international student success can be understood either in pure academic terms, i.e. based on cognitive variables such as academic achievement and assessment of pure academic output or by incorporating non-academic aspects such as students’ cultural experience and adaptation and engagement. In this paper, building on previous studies, factors that influence students’ academic as well as non-academic experience are used as a premise in understanding international student success.

We define international student success in this paper as a multilayered construct that consists of factors influencing international students’ academic success and success in social integration. As such, international student success is the collective success of international students’ academic endeavours AND integration into the society and culture of the host country, that would culminate in the overall satisfaction of their experience abroad.

Using recurrent ideas in extant research on international students, the following section of the paper categorizes the key elements that we have identified as impacting international student success in each layer, related to academic success and social integration.

4 Student Success Impact Factors: Academic Experience

The literature identifies several key factors as having an influence on enhancing international students’ academic experience. While no conclusive data is available, the majority of studies highlight English language competence as a key factor that affects both academic performance as well as the social integration of international students. 17

Although universities usually have a minimum English language standard as an admission requirement, and a variety of support services such as language editing, writing workshops, and language advising sessions are usually provided by universities, effective use of English language in academic settings is still a hindrance when it comes to academic achievement of international students who are second language speakers of English. 18 Thus, in spite of having received the required scores in standardized English language tests such as IELTS and TOEFL, international students still struggle in understanding lectures and academic content, writing reports and presenting ideas in lecture rooms and among colleagues in settings such as academic conferences. 19 It is also important to note that although English language competence is widely cited in the literature as a factor affecting international students’ academic achievement, evidence regarding this is not conclusive. 20 Furthermore, the impact of English language competence also varies depending on contextual factors such as discipline of study and the academic institution students are enrolled in. 21

Learning strategies and classroom dynamics is another prominent factor that has been recognized in existing research as impacting international students’ academic performance and success. 22 This is primarily due to different learning practices and strategies used by international students that are culture and country-specific. More than 50% of international students come from countries in the Asian region such as China, India and South Korea 23 and teaching and learning styles in these countries vary greatly from that of host country institutions which are mostly based on Western culture. Most international students are from collectivist cultures where the education system is teacher-centred, and teachers are treated with a higher level of gratitude and respect. Thus, when faced with student-centred learning environments in individualistic countries such as the United States, Canada, UK and Australia, international students find it difficult to adapt to and navigate the differences in the two education systems. 24 As such, coming from a practice where the student-teacher relationship is formal, and teacher/lecturer is an authoritative figure and students mostly take notes and memorise content, international students face difficulties in participating in classrooms discussions with the teachers and among their colleagues. In literature this is commonly referred to as ‘academic culture shock’ and viewed as related to “the learning environment of an academic institution, including the education system, lecture style, assessment, relationship between students and lecturers, and so on.” 25 Due to these differences in educational environments, international students, particularly those who come from countries in the far East, face adaptational difficulties in Western countries where the classroom environment is more independent and informal with minimum guidance from the lecturer. They tend to become less participatory and teachers may view them as inactive and distant, which creates an unhealthy environment for the student to succeed in his/her academic activities.

Challenges of this nature, in return, can trigger a negative impact on student motivation and attitudes, student engagement and their perceptions of the faculty and services they receive as well. 26 As such, not only do these obstacles create adjustment issues, they also further complicate international students’ classroom experience and impede academic success.

5 Student Success Impact Factors: Social Integration

As in adapting to a new educational environment, international students face a variety of obstacles in integrating to the society and culture of the host country. Cultural adaptation is the primary non-academic factor that can impact international student success and literature on international student experience highlights it as a common issue faced by international students that can influence their academic performance. 27 When commencing their studies in a foreign university, along with the differences in the educational environment, international students are also faced with dealing with culture-related differences related to language, belief systems, values, and identity. 28 These cultural differences between home country and the host country span across all levels from personal (language, identity) to social (values, lifestyle) which makes cross-cultural adaptation and social integration further difficult. As a result, literature cites feelings of isolation, homesickness, stress, and loneliness as common experiences faced by international students. 29

Meanwhile, although previously identified as an aspect related to academic outcomes, language and culture are closely related and lack of competence in the language of the host country also makes social integration cumbersome. Social integration of international students is further complicated by issues such as isolation and identifying with and being part of the campus community, and personal challenges such as health and finance related issues. 30

In literature, the two processes of adjustment (academic and social) that international students have to go through is termed as “double load.” 31 Taken together, getting used to a new educational environment and dealing with social and emotional challenges that come with creating new social interactions and adapting to a lifestyle and value system that operates in a foreign language are challenges and psychological strains that interfere with the overall educational experience and success of international students.

Having discussed international student success and factors that impact the success of international students’ experience in the host country, the following section of the paper addresses current quality assurance mechanisms that are in place in countries in different parts of the world to enhance international students’ experience abroad.

6 Importance of International Student Success to the International Higher Education Market

While international higher education in its form of student mobility follows an upward trend, it becomes increasingly attractive for both governments and providers to aspire to a place in this market. However, achieving and maintaining an international profile is something challenging as it involves matters related to resource allocation and coordination of strategies across various levels, in particular, those tending to protect the reputation and build trust among the international actors. 32

In higher education domestic domains, the prevalent trend towards the issue of reputation and trust has been to ensure the quality of the educational services through different mechanisms, which depending on the contextual conditions may be more or less instrumental to the forces of the market. 33 But regardless of specific particularities, bridging the gaps between different stakeholders’ expectations and the services that are delivered by the providers appears to be one of the main general purposes. 34

Thus, in international higher education contexts, and in what concerns specifically to international students, the question that arises in terms of reputation and trust links to how the international students’ expectations are interpreted. And then, how the receiving countries translate those expectations into their policy and practices. As such, drawing on an understanding of international student success is vital for making informed decisions about addressing the needs of international students.

In the main, as pointed out by relevant literature, the aspects associated with international activity in higher education, such as student mobility and the manner in which particular needs of international students are dealt with, are usually covered by general quality assurance arrangements. 35 But, evidence can also be found of instances where specific interest and investment have been placed into strengthening the overall international higher education framework by incorporating the differentiated nature of international students and therefore their particular visions and expectations. 36

7 International Developments

Given the dominant position of the highest performing countries in internationalisation, predictably, developments with an integrative approach to addressing international student needs can be mostly identified in their frameworks. However, in recent years, countries developing ambitious plans to attract international students, such as Japan or Malaysia, are also accounting capacity building in the area. As stressed by the OECD, “the most highly internationalised systems are fully aware that poor educational quality, support services, pastoral care or business failure by a minority of rogue providers could put the whole sector at risk through adverse reputational effects.” 37 Consequently, developments focus on the protection of students against malpractices and the quality assurance of the academic services delivered to them as well as, on the different structures to support the overall strategy towards overseas students.

Reported mechanisms comprise, for example, codes of practice, as in the case of Australia 38 and Germany, 39 as well as guidelines like those provided by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in the UK 40 or the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia. 41 Even, general principles by non-governmental organisations working in international higher education as those stated by the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) in the United States. 42

With regard to support structures, these include regulatory frameworks to assess compliance as illustrated by the case of Australia. 43 Also, information for international students are provided by official authorities, education agents, study-in websites and organisations promoting international exchange like the British Council or the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Sometimes, these mechanisms operate in conjunction with financial support through scholarship programs such as those managed by the Fulbright Commission in the United States or the Erasmus Program in Europe, along with immigration and health insurance arrangements.

Albeit the above concentrates upon macro and intermediate structures, the role of the micro-level: higher education providers, faculty etc., cannot be left unnoticed in implementation. The next section aims to identify the extent to which the factors previously identified as impacting international student success are taken into account by the outlined quality assurance mechanisms.

8 Quality Assurance Mechanisms and International Student Success

If one reviews the macro-level mechanisms from the perspective of international student success, it is made clear that both academic and social factors have been considered to varying degrees. It is also true however that strong contextual factors are involved in every approach, particularly those that couple with the way governmental structures, market, and academia find pathways toward the coordination of their own interests in higher education. 44

The United States’ approach, for example, has been perceived as embracing, comparatively speaking, a lower dependency on federal governments with rationales that go beyond state-centred perspectives. 45 In this context, for example, NAFSA and others non-governmental associations “play a vital role” in what is called “the public policy aspect of international education.” 46 In this respect, they provide a space to share good practices and provide recommendations, but it is the members who interpret those in accordance with their own purposes and strategies. In some cases, the academic quality is assured by accrediting bodies, but in others, the international students’ expectations are subject to market-based conditions.

Conversely, a more centralised approach can be found in Australia where a national Act 47 regulates the education services that are delivered to international students and sets out a national code that, among other things, pursues “to ensure education services meet the needs and expectations of overseas students.” 48 All the compliant providers are registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), 49 which is understood in conjunction with the overall Australian higher education standards framework. 50

In the United Kingdom, the UK Quality Code for Higher Education 51 is complemented by guidelines for higher education providers to support the international student experience, 52 while in Germany, the German Rector’s Conference has adopted a code of conduct that is joined, on voluntary bases, by universities to provide evidence of quality support and advise to international students. 53

In contrast with western leading destinations, countries such as Japan and Malaysia, have drawn on their own centralised but particular approaches. The Global 30 Project in Japan, for example, focuses on 13 core universities that have been implementing a variety of strategies to internationalise their academic systems and campuses. 54 Malaysia, on the other hand, aiming to become an educational hub in the region, has strengthened its overall quality assurance and qualification frameworks, established a one-stop centre for international student services 55 and also, introduced guidelines to public and private higher education institutions for international student management practices. 56

Integrating the two discussions of international student success and current quality assurance mechanisms introduced above, the following section of the paper presents a review of how different quality assurance mechanisms embrace and draw on the factors in the two layers (academic experience and social integration) that construct international student success.

9 Quality Assurance Mechanisms and Academic Experience

Regarding language competence, codes and guidelines in Australia, UK, Germany, and Malaysia point out, first, the need of setting out in advance the language entry requirements and second, the importance of providing continuous support for the duration of the academic program by putting in place language assistance programs. In both Malaysia and Japan, great emphasis is put on English language requirements as they pursue to promote internationalisation by developing degree programs conducted in English. 57

Concerning learning strategies, codes and guidelines remark the need of educating academic staff, especially around intercultural awareness. Additionally, complementing learning strategies by assistance programs is perceived as a crucial element. As this is an area at the heart of external quality assessment, specific standards are found there, as illustrated by the UK Quality Code, Part B, “Chapter B4: Enabling Student Development and Achievement.” 58 With reference to retention and degree completion, it can be stated that, as in the case of learning strategies, this is an area of general quality assurance. Nevertheless, in the case of international students, the academic support programs can play a relevant and focalised role.

In relation to student motivation and attitude, both seem to be more elusive as they depend heavily on the student’ beliefs and emotions towards the international experience. But it is perceived that codes and guidelines invite to maintain an inclusive and supportive environment and some of them expand on themes as employability and careers, which might be contributor elements towards the eventual success of the experience abroad.

10 Quality Assurance Mechanisms and Social Integration

In the same vein of motivation and attitude, social factors are highly determined by individual perceptions. However, it is seen that providers might play a role by promoting networks and intercultural awareness, in conjunction with the efforts that can be displayed by the institutional structures that provide support, advise and counselling.

But, this can be seen as a complex area because it involves not just the institutional voluntarism to act accordingly but also the contribution of the community as a whole to offer a hospitable, safe and secure environment, which certainly becomes a challenge for every host country.

11 Implications and Recommendations

In the light of the reviewed mechanisms that are in place to facilitate international student success, it can be said that attention has been paid and several quality mechanisms are put in place to make international student experience a positive one that leads to successful achievement rates. However, as mentioned above, due to the inherently heterogeneous nature of the international student community, while some feel welcomed and accepted in their higher education institutions and host countries at large, there are some who require further assistance and support services to make their educational experience successful.

With regards to academic experience, making policy level changes to incorporate more inclusive and culturally sensitive teaching styles into the classrooms can help international students manage their academic workload better. Raising faculty awareness to be more linguistically sensitive and accommodating to different learning styles of international students in presenting academic material and assessments can be helpful. Enhancing institutional practices to reflect multiculturalism via workshops and advisement sessions for lecturers and university staff, and quality enhancement interventions to international student functioning and practices of international student organizations where international students tend to create strong ties with are some recommendations for enhancing the quality and overall success of international student experience.

Although social integration is widely recognised by all the reviewed destination countries as an area in which higher education providers recruiting international students need to develop strategies, it remains a daunting and difficult task. This is mostly because social integration does not depend solely on the institutional actions, but also on a vast and diverse external community and certainly on the attitudes of international students as well. The challenge is to integrate the community and be able to recognise the cultural differences to help in the integration process.

The several reported developments have shown that the most highly internationalised countries and those seriously intending to take part in the international market have made progress in building an understanding around the international student expectations and have drawn on certain mechanisms aiming to meet them. This has been associated with protecting the reputation and building trust among this community in order to maintain, as well as improve shares in the market. There are also systems that are situated at a less mature stage that must deal with the internationalisation trends, especially international student mobility, that can extract lessons from the current experiences, particularly in terms of acknowledging the differentiated nature of factors impacting international student success that contrast with those that explain domestic student success.

In conclusion, given the priority status international students receive in terms of income generation and other associated benefits they take with them to the host countries, a successful and satisfied international student community is certainly a marketing advantage in the highly competitive international student market.