Skip to content
1981
The International Student Experience in New Zealand: Connecting Research and Practice
  • ISSN: 2397-7140
  • E-ISSN: 2397-7159

Abstract

This study explores the everyday living experiences of five Vietnamese postgraduate students in New Zealand, employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The analysis revealed one minor theme that captures the students’ preparations before coming to New Zealand and one overarching theme that focuses on living arrangements and circumstances. The students were ill-prepared for their lives in New Zealand, which contributed to the difficulties encountered. They were shocked to find that their studies and lives were affected by accommodation arrangements, which forced them to learn to cope with unfamiliar issues. The overarching essence is that a variety of factors (e.g., familial, cultural and gender factors) influenced the students’ experiences. However, drawing on traditional, cultural values, the students could overcome these difficulties. The study has implications for host universities to assist students in coping with the harsh reality of everyday living issues, including having a roof over one’s head.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00022_1
2020-10-01
2025-02-15
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. An, S.,, Lim, S. S.,, Lee, H., and Pham, B.. ( 2018;), ‘ Overcoming prejudice, seeking support: Transnational social media communication of female Vietnamese students in South Korea and Singapore. ’, Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration, 2:2, pp. 10726.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Arkoudis, S.,, Dollinger, M.,, Baik, C., and Patience, A.. ( 2019;), ‘ International students’ experience in Australian higher education: Can we do better?. ’, Higher Education, 77:5, pp. 799813.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Australian Education International (AEI) ( 2020), Monthly Summary of International Student Data – Australia – March 2020, Canberra:: AEI;, https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Documents/MONTHLY%20SUMMARIES/2020/Mar%202020%20MonthlyInfographic.pdf. Accessed 3 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Bartram, B.. ( 2008;), ‘ Supporting international students in higher education: Constructions, cultures and clashes. ’, Teaching in Higher Education, 13:6, pp. 65768.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Berry, J. W.. ( 2006;), ‘ Stress perspectives on acculturation. ’, in D. L. Sam, and J. W. Berry. (eds), The Cambridge Handbook of Acculturation Psychology, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 4357.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Bui, T. A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Becoming an intercultural doctoral student: Negotiating cultural differences. ’, Journal of International Students, 11:1, https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i1.1272. Accessed 19 March 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Calder, M. J.,, Richter, S.,, Mao, Y.,, Burns, K. K.,, Mogale, R. S., and Danko, M.. ( 2016;), ‘ International students attending Canadian universities: Their experiences with housing, finances, and other issues. ’, The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 46:2, pp. 92110.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Campbell, N.. ( 2012;), ‘ Promoting intercultural contact on campus: A project to connect and engage international and host students. ’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 16:3, pp. 20527.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Carballo, M.. ( 1994), Scientific Consultation on the Social and Health Impact of Migration: Priorities of Research, Geneva:: International Organization for Migration;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Ding, Q., and Devine, N.. ( 2018;), ‘ Exploring the supervision experiences of Chinese overseas PhD students in New Zealand. ’, Knowledge Cultures, 6:1, pp. 6278.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Education New Zealand (ENZ) ( 2018), New Zealand: Vietnam Strategic Engagement Plan on Education, Wellington:: ENZ;, https://enz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/New-Zealand-Viet-Nam-Strategic-Engagement-Plan-on-Education-dated-20-February-2018.pdf/. Accessed 20 February 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Fabricius, A., and Preisler, B.. ( 2015), Transcultural Interaction and Linguistic Diversity in Higher Education: The Student Experience, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Franken, M.. ( 2013;), ‘ Significant knowledge transitions and resituation challenges in becoming a researcher: International scholarship students’ perspectives. ’, International Journal for Researcher Development, 4:2, pp. 86102.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Institute of International Education ( 2020a;), ‘ Project atlas: America. ’, https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/United-States. Accessed 3 June 2020.
  15. Institute of International Education ( 2020b;), ‘ Project atlas: Canada. ’, https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/Canada. Accessed 3 June 2020.
  16. Institute of International Education ( 2020c;), ‘ Project atlas: New Zealand. ’, https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/New-Zealand. Accessed 3 June 2020.
  17. Khawaja, N. G., and Stallman, H. M.. ( 2011;), ‘ Understanding the coping strategies of international students: A qualitative approach. ’, Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 21:2, pp. 20324.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Lamberton, G., and Ashton-Hay, S.. ( 2015;), ‘ Preparing Chinese international business students for the transition to undergraduate study in Australia. ’, Journal of Research in International Education, 14:2, pp. 15571.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Lazarus, R. S.. ( 1997;), ‘ Acculturation isn’t everything. ’, Applied Psychology, 46:1, pp. 3943.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Le, A.. ( 2014;), ‘ Vietnamese international student repatriates: An exploratory study. ’, Ph.D. dissertation, Lincoln:: University of Nebraska;.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Le, N. T.. ( 2011;), ‘ Holding on to Vietnam: Motivation and the acculturation experience of Vietnamese international students in Australia. ’, Ph.D. dissertation, Sydney:: University of New South Wales;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Leung, K.,, Au, Y.-F.,, Fernández-Dols, J. M., and Iwawaki, S.. ( 1992;), ‘ Preference for methods of conflict processing in two collectivist cultures. ’, International Journal of Psychology, 27:2, pp. 195209.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Li, B. D.. ( 1993;), ‘ A brief overview of sino-western exchange: Past and present. ’, in R. Hayhoe, and H. Briks. (eds), Knowledge across Cultures: Universities East and West, Toronto:: OISE Press;, pp. 30108.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Lillyman, S., and Bennett, C.. ( 2014;), ‘ Providing a positive learning experience for international students studying at UK universities: A literature review. ’, Journal of Research in International Education, 13:1, pp. 6375.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Long, L. D.. ( 2014;), ‘ Does it matter where college students live? Differences in satisfaction and outcomes as a function of students’ living arrangement and gender. ’, Journal of College and University Student Housing, 40:2, pp. 6685.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Marginson, S.. ( 2014;), ‘ Student self-formation in international education. ’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 18:1, pp. 622.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Marginson, S.,, Nyland, C.,, Sawir, E., and Forbes-Mewett, H.. ( 2010), International Student Security, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Maslow, A. H.. ( 1954), Motivation and Personality, New York:: Harper & Row;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Matthews, J.. ( 2000;), ‘ Violent visions and speechless days: Corporeality and the politics of image. ’, in I. Ang,, S. Chalmers,, L. Law, and M. Thomas. (eds), Alter/Asians: Asian-Australian Identities in Art, Media and Popular Culture, Annandale:: Pluto Press;, pp. 2541.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. McLoughlin, C.. ( 2001;), ‘ Inclusivity and alignment: Principles of pedagogy, task and assessment design for effective cross-cultural online learning. ’, Distance Education, 22:1, pp. 729.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Montgomery, C.. ( 2010), Understanding the International Student Experience, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Najib, N. U. M.,, Yusof, N. A., and Osman, Z.. ( 2011;), ‘ The relationship between students’ socio-economic backgrounds and student residential satisfaction. ’, World Academy of Science, Engineering Technology, 5:8, pp. 120005.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Nguyen, Q. T. N.. ( 2016;), ‘ The Vietnamese values system: A blend of oriental, western and socialist values. ’, International Education Studies, 9:12, pp. 3240.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Nguyen, B. T. T., and Pennycook, A.. ( 2018;), ‘ Dancing, Google and fish sauce: Vietnamese students coping with Australian universities. ’, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 38:4, pp. 116.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Nguyen, M. N., and Robertson, M. J.. ( 2020;), ‘ International students enacting agency in their PhD journey. ’, Teaching in Higher Education, 6 April, pp. 117.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Nguyen, Q., and Buckingham, L.. ( 2019;), ‘ Source-use expectations in assignments: The perceptions and practices of Vietnamese master’s students. ’, English for Specific Purposes, 53, pp. 90103.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Pham, H. H.. ( 2018;), ‘ International students’ choice of destinations for overseas study: A specific push-pull model for Vietnam. ’, in L. T. Tran, and S. Marginson. (eds), Internationalization in Vietnamese Higher Education, Dordrecht:: Springer;, pp. 16175.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Pham, L., and Saltmarsh, D.. ( 2013;), ‘ International students’ identities in a globalized world: Narratives from Vietnam. ’, Journal of Research in International Education, 12:2, pp. 12941.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Rinne, T., and Fairweather, J.. ( 2011), An International Comparison of Models of Cultural and National Identity and Their Implications for New Zealand Innovation, Christchurch:: Lincoln University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Sahu, P.. ( 2020;), ‘ Closure of universities due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Impact on education and mental health of students and academic staff. ’, Cureus, 12:4, pp. 16.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Sawir, E.,, Marginson, S.,, Deumert, A.,, Nyland, C., and Ramia, G.. ( 2008;), ‘ Loneliness and international students: An Australian study. ’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 12:2, pp. 14880.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Sawir, E.,, Marginson, S.,, Forbes-Mewett, H.,, Nyland, C., and Ramia, G.. ( 2012;), ‘ International student security and English language proficiency. ’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 16:5, pp. 43454.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Schartner, A.. ( 2016;), ‘ The effect of study abroad on intercultural competence: A longitudinal case study of international postgraduate students at a British university. ’, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37:4, pp. 40218.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Schunk, D. H.. ( 2012), Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective, , 6th ed.., Boston:: Pearson;.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Schunk, D. H.,, Meece, J. R., and Pintrich, P. R.. ( 2012), Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications, New York:: Pearson Higher Ed;.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Smith, J. A., and Osborn, M.. ( 2008;), ‘ Interpretative phenomenological analysis. ’, in J. A. Smith. (ed.), Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods, London:: Sage;, pp. 5380.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Smith, J. A.,, Flowers, P., and Larkin, M.. ( 2009), Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Tran, L. T.. ( 2011;), ‘ Committed, face-value, hybrid or mutual adaptation? The experiences of international students in Australian higher education. ’, Educational Review, 63:1, pp. 7994.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Tran, L. T., and Gomes, C.. ( 2017), International Student Connectedness and Identity, Singapore:: Springer;.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Triandis, H. C.. ( 1997;), ‘ Where is culture in the acculturation model?. ’, Applied Psychology, 46:1, pp. 5558.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Vu, H. T., and Doyle, S.. ( 2014;), ‘ Across borders and across cultures: Vietnamese students’ positioning of teachers in a university twinning programme. ’, Journal of Education for Teaching, 40:3, pp. 26783.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Ward, C., and Geeraert, N.. ( 2016;), ‘ Advancing acculturation theory and research: The acculturation process in its ecological context. ’, Current Opinion in Psychology, 8, pp. 98104.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Ward, C.,, Bochner, S., and Furnham, A.. ( 2001), The Psychology of Culture Shock, , 2nd ed.., Hove:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Watkins, D. A., and Biggs, J. B.. ( 2001), Teaching the Chinese Learner: Psychological and Pedagogical Perspectives, Hong Kong:: CERC and ACER;.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. World Health Organization (WHO) ( 2018), WHO Housing and Health Guidelines, Geneva:: WHO;, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-housing-and-health-guidelines. Accessed 15 September 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Wright, C., and Schartner, A.. ( 2013;), ‘ “I can’t… I won’t?” International students at the threshold of social interaction. ’, Journal of Research in International Education, 12:2, pp. 11328.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Zhang, X.. ( 2018;), ‘ Chinese international students in New Zealand: Views of citizenship and democracy. ’, Citizenship Teaching & Learning, 13:2, pp. 24152.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Ho, Hau Trung. ( 2020;), ‘ The experiences of Vietnamese students in New Zealand: A new country – A new home. ’, Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration, 4:2, pp. 203221, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/tjtm_00022_1
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00022_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00022_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test