Challenges Faced By International Students: A Review

Challenges Faced by International Students

Discuss literature review on challenges faced by international students?

• Proofreading

• Organizing the ideas to be fit as literature review

• Grouping the ideas in themes

This literature search is focused towards performing a critical analysis of the findings of the past researchers with respect to the challenges that are mostly encountered by international students when they seek to study abroad in different universities. As a result, there are various important factors that are considered as a part of analysis in this literature search. These include challenges faced by international students, role of globalisation and the ways in which it affects international students, and the specific areas that must be considered in assisting those international students in doing well across different universities.

Challenges Faced by International Students: International students experience many challenges when they study abroad away from their home country. Caldwell (2013) examines the experiences of Saudi students and their adjustment challenge in the California state university system. The findings indicated that Saudi students experience many challenges and they are most underrepresented as well. However the number of Saudi students in Canada will increase in next few years by 2000-3000 students per year (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 2015). In addition, the need to explore their experiences became necessity especially for higher education institutions. The author in the study indicated that universities can serve Saudi students in a better way if they know their challenges. Through the study found that Saudi students face many challenges, but the major ones as identified are mainly in terms of their English language and social interaction. The difficulty of English language is an issue for most Saudi students due to their learning background (Caldwell, 2013). Student-centered learning could be another challenge for Saudi students because the common style of learning in Saudi Arabia is teacher-centered learning.

Caldwell (2013) has indicated that the Saudi students also face challenges in adjusting themselves in different educational systems because of their own primary education systems. In addition, it has been stated that international students faces a crucial time with respect to their higher education in America as they need to adjust themselves with a new environment. In addition, Caldwell (2013) found that Saudi students particularly face difficulty to adjust with educational system in US due to the differences between the two educational systems. English language still hinders Saudi students in better understanding the concepts and it thereby limits their learning opportunities. This implies that Saudi students require additional assistance especially in respect to English language so that they can better adjust themselves with different learning environment across international universities. There are other difficulties being identified with Saudi students especially in terms of academic difficulties such as registering for classes and grade (Preisler, Klitgård and Fabricius, 2011).

In terms of teaching methods, most of the learning in Canada is student-centered, which could be challenging factor to Saudi students to cope with. Godwin (2009) states that majority of the students who study abroad come from lecture-based learning environment. In addition, that could be true for Saudi students because In Saudi Arabia, the learning environment is more teacher-centered. Another difference between the educational systems in American universities and in Canadian universities is that students are encouraged to ask questions and to challenge the authority of instructors. This has been practiced from the early age but this is not evident in respect to international students from Saudi Arabia which later on acts as a challenge to them in studying in such universities internationally (Godwin, 2009). Godwin (2009) points out that the different teaching and learning style has its impact on international students as they hinder them to participate and thereby affects their success levels. It is indicated that many international students who study in U.S universities are uncomfortable due to the differences between the educational systems between home country and U.S educational system.  That makes it difficult for Saudi students to be familiar with educational system in the U.S. (Shaw, 2009). Another problem could be in-group work, because most Saudi students are unfamiliar with this kind of class activity (Robson, 2002).

Globalisation and its Impact on Education

There are only few studies in the existing literature that deals with the difficulties facing Saudi students across international universities. However, some of those studies indicate that learning English has been the most challenging task to Saudi students which ultimately affect their academic works. Another issue is noted in respect to presentations, taking note abilities and writing essay and paper. Lemke-Westcott & Johnson (2013) indicates that Canadian faculty makes use of critical thinking styles and logical processing when they teach their students. However, this particular style is quite unfamiliar to the students who are from Middle-Eastern educational system. Also, they point out that teaching and learning styles always act as obstacle in front students who are new to an unfamiliar education setting (Nunan, 1996).

Critical thinking is a common style in North American universities and always international students face this problem and this is true for Saudi students in Canada (Galetcaia & Thiessen, 2010). Charles & Stewart (1991) have opined that many international students face challenges especially with American educational system and the impact of such challenges is evident on their grade. Also they claim that students face difficulties with comprehension especially those students whose mother language is not English.  

Globalisation and its Impact on Education: Globalisation has been defined from many perspectives and different points of view. One definition suggested by Mrak (2000) is that “globalisation is the process of continuing integration of the countries in the world”. In another case, Shiva (2000) labels globalisation as “a new kind of corporate colonialism being unleashed upon both poor and rich countries”. This is also stated in respect to the definition of globalisation as provided by Moloi et al (2009). Christou (2010) has attributed globalisation to the increased movement of people, merchandise and information in the world. This implies that globalisation is a wide topic which intervenes across many aspects of the life of people. Based on this fact, it can be noted that there is no agreed definition on globalisation. There are many different factors among them such as economic, political etc that affects the concept of globalisation to a greater level.

Studies by Weber (2007) reveal that in South Africa and other third world countries, education reforms are in accordance with the pace at which globalisation has been popular within students. Along with the pace of globalisation, there has been the encouragement for socialisation within students which allows them in better connecting with international students. It is worthwhile to establish that integration of the global social interaction is currently under way in developed and underdeveloped countries across the world. It is highly essential to learn how to communicate with others in the globalized world. Baraldi (2006) analysed that during the last century, historical changes in terms of globalisation generated needs for new forms of communication between nations. In the last decade, a trans-cultural form of communication has become more popular than other forms of communication. This has led to the creation of multicultural societies in different countries.

Unfortunately, this trans-cultural form has created some difficulties in intercultural communication, because it tries to unite all cultures while protecting cultural differences. Therefore, it is mandatory for a new form of intercultural perspective to be in existence to make individuals live in harmony in the world.   That cannot be done without educating people on how to deal and communicate with other people who come from different backgrounds.

Role of Globalisation in Education: Global educational standards are required all over the world, no matter the social or economic background of students. Developing countries still need to work more to achieve this particular standard (Suárez-Orozco, 2007). This is the time to give a chance to higher quality in terms of learning. Weber (2014), states that the quality of learning is associated with the socio-economic condition of different regions across the world. The author further states that access to high quality learning is only provided to the elite and this is unfair in the globalized world. Everyone should get a benefit of globalisation, especially in education. There should be equality that should be observed in this respect.

The processes of globalisation are having profound effects on education across the world. This is so because there is direct correlation between educational globalisation and reforms in the same sector. Carnoy (1999) has suggested that there is direct impact of globalisation on both curriculum and pedagogy at the school classroom level in most countries. As for example, whilst there have been some attempts in Western industrialized countries to inject more global awareness into the content of school curricula, these have generally contributed to high status add-ons. Internationalization can be defined from different perspectives. According to Williams (2008), Internationalization of the curriculum is a way of creating an environment within the academia that deal with international students and with their needs (Heller, Keith and Anderson, 1991).

According to Jenkins (2008), many universities support internationalization of education to increase diversity. Also, international education became a business for many universities, and they bring billions of dollars to American economy, (2007). This has contributes towards increased in the level of competition across universities because of huge foreign money brought in by such international students. As suggested by Godwin (2009), U.S always remains at the top position in respect to attracting international students. Ward, & Masgoret, (2004) found that oral presentations and writing exam is one of the challenge that face international students. Khan, (2011) opines that English language is the major challenge that is faced by Saudi students when they study in different universities.

Razek & Coyner (2013) state that Saudi student’s encounter many difficulties when they study abroad. Also they suggested that they struggle with adjusting across different educational system. In addition, they found that Saudi students have difficulty in participating in academic session and activities that are being performed as a part of daily class activities. Moreover, English language still hinders many Saudi students in engaging positively within their class. As indicated on their article, Saudi students need more help with respect to enhancing their English, presentation skills and abilities so that they can actively participate in the process. They have recommended embodying multicultural seminar in their curriculum so that it would help Saudi students to adjust with the difficulties that face. Also they recommended higher emphasis on design maker and critical thinking skills. They mentioned that homework and assignment as a part of their academic tasks often challenges Saudi students because they lack command over language and ultimately finds it difficult to adjust to the university requirements while doing their assignment. In addition, they recommended open area and space for Saudi students as a part of their learning to practice language and this will help them to familiarise with the academic setting in U.S universities. Also they recommended that universities should be aware of Saudi student’s problem and try to address their challenges by adapting an environment that fosters their positive level of participation in the academic activities. Moreover, they recommended designing a curriculum that helps Saudi students to think critically and engage in activities that result into their positive level of learning (Cheng, 2007).

In terms of opportunities international students gain many advantage of being studying  abroad Wenli Wu & Michael Hammond found that in their study many students want to study abroad to master English language particularly   spoke language because they want to master of the skills that help them in future career also to open eyes on another culture. As suggested by Ward & Masgoret, (2004) English language is crucial to the students that are looking to get their higher education across international universities, and this factor is significant for large number of students selecting New Zealand as their preferred destination.

Difficulties Encountered by Saudi Students in Canada- Many difficulties are faced by Saudi students in Canada. It is not easy to investigate them all in one study, so I will focus on the major ones. The biggest problem faced by Saudi students is that the curriculum in Canada is based on critical thinking, while in Saudi Arabia it is based on learning by heart. The second challenge is the way that evaluations are conducted. From what I have experienced, there are no tests such as midterms and finals in Canada, while most evaluations in Saudi Arabia are based on tests. Thus, it could be challenging for students because most of the time they are preparing for exams. For example, a common evaluation in Canadian universities is based on assignments. These assignments take a different form, which makes it highly difficult than a standardized form. Moreover, I found that many Saudi students fear doing a presentation assignment, which most courses at the graduate level require (Barnett, 2004).

Saudi students are not used to giving presentations, so this type of assignment may prove difficult for them. Another difficulty relates to the lack of overt structuring in most assignments, which makes it highly confusing for students who are inexperienced in constructing these kinds of assignments. There are other problems that Saudi students may face while studying in Canada. Some may feel uncomfortable in different settings at their university. This could be due to the time they need to cope with a new learning environment. This can cause psychological distress and affect their learning. Overall, there are large ranges of difficulties that are encountered by Saudi students in Canada because of their completely different base of learning during their primary education in Saudi Arabia that they have achieved (Khosrowpour, 2001).

Difficulties and Their Impact on Saudi Students in Canada: According to my knowledge, the difficulties discussed above are mainly due to curriculum and pedagogical differences between Saudi Arabia and Canada. Many Saudi students feel alienated when they are exposed to this new learning style. Hence, these students find it difficult to adapt to the new kind of learning structure in Canada.  Studying abroad is a new experience for most Saudi students, so with new experiences comes new challenges. Therefore, we should address these difficulties by supporting Saudi students to achieve their academic goals. It is the educator’s responsibility to identify, address, and resolve these factors. I have personally witnessed how, because of these difficulties, students feel sad and depressed and then become stressed and concerned about their lack of academic achievement.

Combating These Difficulties- To ease the transitional phase from a Saudi to a Canadian learning environment, there are a few tips that need to be followed. On the one hand, as an educator, it is my responsibility to take care of these Saudi students as much as I can to help them cope up with these difficulties. On the other hand, I need to make them understand certain factors that they need to grasp by themselves. Saudi students need to be made aware that what they are experiencing is completely normal and due to the differences in education systems. The students should tackle these difficulties together with their sponsors and university advisors or counsellors. Furthermore, the Saudi government should design a mandatory program for students (that they must attend prior to leaving Saudi Arabia) that deal with typical “studying abroad” challenges in an effective manner. Saudi students themselves should also search for ways to help them cope with a new environment, such as taking a course online before they come to Canada. A program designed specifically for Saudi students would help them maintain their confidence in themselves, follow their goals, and continue with their plans. In addition, Canadian universities should organize orientation programs for international students within a few days of their arrival. This would help orientate them to their new environment, particularity with regard to learning styles. With all this in mind, I will continue to investigate the difficulties that Saudi students face when they attend a higher education institution in Canada, and will work to assist them effectively (Barbara, 2009).

Summary of Literature Review

A critical analysis has been carried out in this literature analysis to analyse the problems or challenges encountered by international students in different universities away from their home country. The analysis was specially focused on Saudi students with emphasis on their study in international universities. The conduct of analysis revealed that there are various major challenges that are usually faced by Saudi students and the most significant is the English language. In addition to this, difference in the learning styles and approaches across Saudi universities and American universities also create significant level of challenges. The different university environment faced by Saudi students has also become a major challenge. The professors across these international universities should therefore support such Saudi students in their learning opportunity across different universities in a better manner.

References

Barbara, A. (2009), ‘Study Skills For Business And Management Students’, McGraw-Hill International.

Barnett, (2004), ‘Engaging the Curriculum in Higher Education’, McGraw-Hill International.

Cheng, T. (2007), ‘Taiwanese Students’ Perceived English Oral Proficiency in Relation to Communication Strategies’, ProQuest.

Heller, P., Keith, R. and Anderson, S. (1991), ‘Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 1: Group versus individual problem solving’, American Journal of Physics, Vol. 60 (7), pp. 627-636.

Khosrowpour, M. (2001), ‘Managing Information Technology in a Global Economy’, Idea Group Inc (IGI).

Nunan, D. (1996), ‘The Self-Directed Teacher: Managing the Learning Process’, Cambridge University Press.

Preisler, B., Klitgård, I. and Fabricius, A.H. (2011), ‘Language and Learning in the International University: From English Uniformity to Diversity and Hybridity’, Multilingual Matters.

Robson, M. (2002), ‘Problem-solving in Groups’, Gower Publishing, Ltd.