Birds of a feather end up flocking together when studying abroad. Can a university bridge the cultural differences that challenge friendships between Pacific Island students and New Zealand students?

Vaccarino, Franco; Feekery, Angela; Matanimeke, Vivita

doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.01.012

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…These findings align with Vaccarino et al's (2018) study, which confirmed that a low-level English language proficiency impeded Chinese international students from social contact with domestic students in New Zealand. Different findings were reported, however, in the study of Vaccarino et al (2021), as Pacific Island students were more likely to use English regularly in their home country. Therefore, in their study, the English language was not reported as a major barrier when interacting with host New Zealanders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Omani international students' social connection and friendship at a New Zealand university

Al-Tamimi

Edwards

2022

WJE

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This is a qualitative study that explored the experiences of friendship formation of Omani international students at a university in New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data from 12 Omani participants and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Utilising Bochner et al.’s (1977) Functional Model, the study found that Omani students were generally satisfied with how they were developing friendships with co-national and international students but revealed dissatisfaction concerning forming friendships with New Zealand students. The perceptions of Omani students revealed six factors that influenced their formation of intercultural friendships: (1) willingness to establish intercultural friendships, (2) frequent communication and social interaction, (3) English language proficiency, (4) capability to engage with host nationals, (5) cultural differences, and (6) personality traits. The data suggest that host-national contact is lacking and that international students prefer to contact co-national and multinational friends, which indicates that highly supportive co-national and international social ties significantly predominate. Higher-education providers in New Zealand and receiving countries addressing one cohort of international students will find these findings particularly useful.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Omani international students' social connection and friendship at a New Zealand university

Al-Tamimi

Edwards

2022

WJE

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“…Students who engage in social activities such as study organizations and sports clubs tend to perform better academically and socially integrate more effectively (Rienties et al, 2012). Receiving universities should implement well-planned interventions that promote both formal and informal integration to facilitate interpersonal interaction (Vaccarino et al, 2021). These findings highlight the need for receiving universities to view service quality and customer satisfaction as critical strategic objectives, as student satisfaction directly impacts their willingness to participate in exchange programs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of College Students’ Perceived Service Quality in the Context of Regional Integration of Education

Chen,

Yang

2023

Sage Open

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Exchange programs have been found to have a positive impact on regional economic growth, university cooperation, and student academic, and professional development. However, there has been limited analysis of the factors that influence the quality of these programs. In this study, a mixed-methods approach was used to examine regional exchange programs in China. Qualitative research was conducted using Octopus Big Data Crawler software, Timdream.org software, and 33 interviews to develop a questionnaire that covers student expectations, service quality, and satisfaction. Using SPSS 22 and Amos 21, the study analyzed the interactive relationships among expectations, perceived service quality, and satisfaction in the context of regional education integration based on a sample of 246 questionnaires. The results demonstrate that perceived service quality plays an intermediary role in the relationship between expectations and satisfaction, with students’ perceptions of learning quality and interpersonal quality at the receiving university influencing their satisfaction levels. This study provides important insights into the factors that impact the quality of regional exchange programs in China.

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International students' intercultural sensitivity and academic adaptation in Chinese universities: The mediating role of general health

Takyi Mensah,

Chen,

Ntim

et al. 2024

Psychology in the Schools

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The quest to flourish academically and acquire skills needed for job opportunities has brought people from different cultures and countries to closely interact. Using Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this study examines the relationship between international students' intercultural sensitivity and academic adaptation and the mediating role of general health. A one‐way analysis of variance and structural equation model were conducted to assess the differences and relationships between the constructs, utilizing 338 respondents. The findings showed that male, doctoral, and English‐taught students reported significantly higher academic adaptation. Students who have no or less COVID‐19 related issues reported higher general health. Further, the regression results revealed that intercultural sensitivity is related to academic adaptation, and general health partially mediated the intercultural sensitivity and academic adaptation relationship. These findings demonstrate that intercultural sensitivity nurtures students' self‐esteem and mental toughness, which allow them to reap good health outcomes that impact academic adaptation. The practical implications and limitations of the study have been discussed.

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Birds of a feather end up flocking together when studying abroad. Can a university bridge the cultural differences that challenge friendships between Pacific Island students and New Zealand students?

Cited by 7 publications

References 31 publications

Omani international students' social connection and friendship at a New Zealand university

Omani international students' social connection and friendship at a New Zealand university

The Impact of College Students’ Perceived Service Quality in the Context of Regional Integration of Education

International students' intercultural sensitivity and academic adaptation in Chinese universities: The mediating role of general health

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