The Isles (International Students’ Learning Experiences): The Human Touch

Abstract

The number of international students is increasing in higher institutions in Malaysia as the country is moving towards becoming the hub of education in the Asian Region. In the hype of welcoming and getting them enrolled in the institutions, are the host institutions ready for them? There are many aspects that can ensure the smoothness of the education journey of the international students here. A study on the elements that assist and hinder the learning experiences of the international students in a public university was embarked on. However, this paper delineates only one part of the study -the human touch. It deliberates on the people who have played a role in assisting and also hindering the international students' learning experiences. A google form consisting of 5 open-ended questions was emailed to 600 international students who were considered active in 2016 but only 40 students responded. The data were analysed qualitatively where themes on who and how the people in the host institutions were involved in assisting and also hindering the international students in moving towards completing their studies. The data revealed that the international students admitted that they found the people, namely the supervisors in the host institution to be really instrumental in their learning experiences. They named the administrative staff to be leaving quite a bad impact in their journey as international students here.