The Effects of Cross-Cultural Competence and Social Support on International Student's Psychological Adjustments: Autonomy and Environmental Mastery

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cross-cultural competence and social support on international students’ psychological adjustment, specifically autonomy and environmental mastery in the host country, the United States. The participants in this study included 94 international students studying in the southeastern region of the United States. A series of standard multiple regression analysis were conducted to predict international students’ autonomy and environmental mastery as measured by Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff & Keyes, 1995). The study revealed a positive relationship between international students’ autonomy and cross-cultural competence as measured by the Intercultural Competence Scale (ICC). A positive relationship was also revealed between environmental mastery and social support as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The results, however, found negative relationship between length of residency in the host country and autonomy and environmental mastery. Relationships between psychological adjustment (i.e., autonomy and environmental mastery) and gender differences and different cultural background (individualistic and collectivistic cultures) were not significant. International students, their parents, and those who work with international students may use research findings to facilitate the psychological adjustment of international students in the host country.I. INTRODUCTION...1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE..3 Cross-Cultural Competence…..…...3 Social Support…......6 Psychological Well-Being and Adjustment…...…..8 Autonomy…..10 Influential Factors on Autonomy........................12 Environmental Mastery..14 Influential Factors on Environmental Mastery…......….....16 Research Questions…....19 III. METHODS…..….20 Participants....20 Procedure….….....23 Measures.......24 Analyses.…...28 IV. RESULTS….29 Predicting Autonomy…29 Predicting Environmental Mastery..…..…...30 V. DISCUSSION…....31 Cross-Cultural Competence and Social Support on Autonomy.…...…32 Cross-Cultural Competence and Social Support on Environmental Mastery…....33 Length of Residency on Psychological Adjustment......................................35 Limitations….….36 Recommendations.…..37 REFERENCES...….......…..40 Appendix A: Tables 1-3…...56 Appendix B: Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval..62 Appendix C: Consent to Participate in Research.64 Appendix D: Recruiting Participants with the Assistance of International Students Program Offices….......66 Appendix E: Email Requesting International Students’ Participation….....................68 Appendix F: Email Requesting International Students’ Participation in Social Media (English Version)...…......…71 Appendix G: Post Requesting International Students’ Participation in Social Media (Arabic Version)…......73 Appendix H: Demographic Information…...…...75 Appendix I: Intercultural Competence (ICC)..............79 Appendix J: The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being…....84 Appendix K: Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support…...….87 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Demographic Information of the 73 Total Participants who Removed from the Sample..…..…..59 Table 2: Variable Coefficients Predicting International Students’ Autonomy…..…62 Table 3: Variable Coefficients Predicting International Students’ Environmental Mastery... 63 Note: Tables are found in Appendix AAdams, Katharine S.Kohn, StevenGrimes, LeeM.S.Psycholog

Resilience, moorings and international student mobilities - exploring biographical narratives of social science students in the UK

Whilst research into the changing landscape of the UK Higher Education (HE) has produced a burgeoning literature on ‘internationalisation’ and ‘transnational student mobility’ over the past few years, still fairly little is known about international students’ experiences on their way to and through the UK higher and further education. Frequently approaching inter- and transnational education as ‘neutral’ by-products of neoliberal globalisation, elitism and power flows, much HE policy and scholarly debate tend to operate with simplistic classifications of ‘international students’ and therefore fail to account for the multifaceted nature of students’ aspirations, mobilities and life experiences. Drawing on the notion of ‘resilience’ and insights from the ‘new mobilities paradigm’, this paper envisages alternative student mobilities which run parallel or counter to the dominant flows of power, financial and human capital commonly associated with an emerging global knowledge economy. Engaging with ‘resilient’ biographies of social science students studying at three UK HE institutions, the paper challenges narrow student classification regimes and calls for a critical re-evaluation of the relationship between international student mobility and other contemporary forms of migration, displacement and diaspora

Supporting students in the transition to postgraduate taught study in STEM subjects

While there has been a wide range of studies examining the transition of undergraduate and postgraduate research students, there are few which concentrate on the experiences of postgraduate taught (PGT) students. This is unfortunate, because PGT students have pressing needs for support: since taught masters courses last for usually one academic year, postgraduate students are asked to adapt and succeed at a far faster rate than undergraduates, who take four years in Scotland to complete an honours degree. PGT students are a minority group amongst the university population, with e.g. more than three times as many undergraduates enrolled at the University of Glasgow than postgraduates. Furthermore, international students represent a high proportion of PGT students. To better understand the needs of PGT students and therefore improve the quality of their education, we need to understand their experiences and challenges as they transition through their course. This paper presents a study focused on PGT students in STEM subjects at the University of Glasgow. Feedback from students in the College of Science and Engineering was gathered using a multi-methodological approach. Surveys, one-to-one interviews and a workshop were utilised to investigate students’ perceptions of support received from staff and services. This data was linked to student academic confidence, social confidence, and overall satisfaction with their experience at the university. Data were gathered at three points in the year to evaluate whether perceptions change as students progress through their course. This data from surveys and interviews was used to direct a workshop, which discussed potential solutions to issues raised. Better online resources were identified as key to feeling prepared before the commencement of a PGT course, and better communication with lecturers and peers was important to the success and satisfaction of students, particularly after beginning PGT study