Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK

Authors: Adisa, T.A., Baderin, M., Gbadamosi, G. and Mordi, C.

Journal: Education and Training

Volume: 61

Issue: 9

Pages: 1100-1122

ISSN: 0040-0912

DOI: 10.1108/ET-08-2018-0177

Abstract:

Purpose: The UK is a popular educational hub for international students from different parts of the world. These students often face different transitional challenges, which have a significant impact on the success or failure of their studies. The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the issues and challenges confronting international students in the UK in their efforts to acquire academic knowledge and achieve personal development. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 104 UK-based international students in five higher education institutes in London from 25 countries participated in this study. The study was undertaken qualitatively through 21 semi-structured and 13 focus group interviews. Findings: The findings reveal that the process of transitional adjustment is affected by various issues, all of which determine the duration of the students’ involvement in each stage of the transitional process. International students in the UK experience language/accent-related difficulties; impaired communication; and a difficult adjustment to the British education system and culture. Research limitations/implications: The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited scope of the research. Practical implications: In choosing to study in the UK, international students primarily seek to obtain a qualification, other life experiences, and cultural assimilation. The students’ parents, institutions and the UK authorities (such as the Department of Education) have an important role in ensuring that the students achieve success. While the roles of parents and the UK authorities are not the focus of this paper, their supportive roles certainly allow students to complete the different stages of the process of transitional adjustment quickly and smoothly. Originality/value: The study offers valuable insight into understanding the challenges facing international students in acquiring knowledge in a foreign land. The paper contributes to the pedagogic literature on this topic by proposing a three-stage scaffolding model.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/32405/

Source: Scopus

Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK

Authors: Adisa, T.A., Baderin, M., Gbadamosi, G. and Mordi, C.

Journal: EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Volume: 61

Issue: 9

Pages: 1100-1122

eISSN: 1758-6127

ISSN: 0040-0912

DOI: 10.1108/ET-08-2018-0177

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/32405/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Understanding the Trajectory of the Academic Progress of International Students in the UK

Authors: Adisa, T., Baderin, M., Gbadamosi, G. and Mordi, C.

Journal: Education + training

Publisher: Emerald

ISSN: 0040-0912

DOI: 10.1108/ET-08-2018-0177

Abstract:

The UK is an important educational hub for international students from different parts of the world. These students often face different transitional challenges which have a significant impact on the success or failure of their studies. This study systematically investigates issues and challenges confronting international students in UK in their efforts to acquire academic knowledge and achieve personal development.

A total of 104 UK based international students in five higher education institutes in London from 25 countries participated in this study. The study was undertaken qualitatively through 21 semi-structured and 13 focus group interviews.

The findings reveal that the process of transitional adjustment is predicated on issues such as language/accent difficulties, impaired communication, and adjustment to the British education system and culture, all of which determine the duration of the students’ involvement in each stage of the transitional process.

The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited scope of the research.

International students primarily seek to obtain a qualification in addition to other life experiences and cultural assimilation. The students’ parents, institutions, and the UK authorities (such as the Department of Education) have an important role in ensuring that the students achieve success. While the roles of parents and the UK authorities are not the focus of this article, their supportive roles will certainly allow students to complete the different stages of the process of transitional adjustment quickly and smoothly.

The study offers a valuable insight into understanding the predicament of international students in acquiring knowledge in foreign land. The article contributes to the pedagogic literature by proposing a three-stage scaffolding model.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/32405/

Source: Manual

Understanding the Trajectory of the Academic Progress of International Students in the UK

Authors: Adisa, T., Baderin, M., Gbadamosi, G. and Mordi, C.

Journal: Education and training

Volume: 61

Issue: 9

Pages: 1100-1122

ISSN: 0040-0912

Abstract:

The UK is an important educational hub for international students from different parts of the world. These students often face different transitional challenges which have a significant impact on the success or failure of their studies. This study systematically investigates issues and challenges confronting international students in UK in their efforts to acquire academic knowledge and achieve personal development. A total of 104 UK based international students in five higher education institutes in London from 25 countries participated in this study. The study was undertaken qualitatively through 21 semi-structured and 13 focus group interviews. The findings reveal that the process of transitional adjustment is predicated on issues such as language/accent difficulties, impaired communication, and adjustment to the British education system and culture, all of which determine the duration of the students’ involvement in each stage of the transitional process. The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited scope of the research. International students primarily seek to obtain a qualification in addition to other life experiences and cultural assimilation. The students’ parents, institutions, and the UK authorities (such as the Department of Education) have an important role in ensuring that the students achieve success. While the roles of parents and the UK authorities are not the focus of this article, their supportive roles will certainly allow students to complete the different stages of the process of transitional adjustment quickly and smoothly. The study offers a valuable insight into understanding the predicament of international students in acquiring knowledge in foreign land. The article contributes to the pedagogic literature by proposing a three-stage scaffolding model.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/32405/

Source: BURO EPrints