Strangers When We Meet: A Case Study of Malaysian Students’ Perceptions of Their International Peers

Internationalization of higher education is becoming an important topic for studies in educational research. For the most part, these studies have been done in the context of economically developed countries that are traditional exporters of higher education. The present study is different. First of all, it was conducted in a public university in Malaysia, a developing country and a net importer of higher education. Secondly, it focused on the attitudes of the host country students towards their international peers, which has been a less explored area in educational research. The findings of this exploratory study revealed that despite an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the international students expressed by the respondents, social and academic-related interactions between the local and foreign students were almost non existent. The study gives some recommendations for institutional policy improvement and highlights some directions for future research.

REFERENCES:

• Bevis, T.B. (2002). At a glance: International students in the United States. International Educator, 11(3), 12–17.
• Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Cubillo, J.M., Sánchez, J., & Cerviño, J. (2006). International students’ decisionmaking process. The International Journal of Educational Management, 20(2), 101–115.
• Kondakci, Y., Van den Broeck, H., & Yildirim, A.  (2008). The challenges of internationalization from foreign and local students’ perspectives: The Case of management school. Asia Pacific Education Review, 9(4), 448–463.
• Lee, J.J., & Rice, C. (2007). Welcome to America? International student perceptions of discrimination. Higher Education, 53, 381–409.
• Lee, N.N.M., & Healy, S. (2006). Higher Education in South-East Asia: An Overview. In Higher education in South East Asia (pp.1–12). Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2006.
• Morshidi, S. (2006) Malaysia. In Higher education in South East Asia (pp.101–136). Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2006.
• Rashid, M.Z.A., & Ho, J.A. (2003). Perceptions of business ethics in a multicultural community: The case of Malaysia. Journal of Business Ethics, 43, 75–87.
• Rosenthal, D.A., Russell, J., & Thomson, G. (2007). Social connectedness among international students at an Australian university. Social Indicators Research , 84, 71–82.
• Sam, D.L. (2001). Satisfaction with life among international students: An exploratory study. Social Indicators Research, 53, 315–337.
• Sherry, M., Thomas, P., & Chui, W.H. (2010). International students: A vulnerable student population. Higher Education, 60, 33–46.
• Sovic, S. (2009). Hi-bye friends and the herd instinct: international and home students in the creative arts. Higher Education, 58, 747–761.
• Sümer, S., Poyrzli, S., & Grahame, K. (2008). Predictors of depression and anxiety among international students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 86(4), 429–437.
• Teichler, U. (2004). The changing debate on internationalisation of higher education Higher Education, 48, 5–26.
• Tidwell, R., & Hanassab S. (2007). New challenges for professional counsellors: The higher education international student population. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20(4), 313–324.
• Ünver, S. (2007). Intercultural preparatory training for Turkish Erasmus exchange students. (In Turkish). Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 33, 219–228. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.efdergi.hacettepe.edu.tr/english/ abstracts/33/pdf/Unver_serife.pdf
• Yan, K., & Berliner, D.C. (2011). Chinese international students in the United States: demographic trends, motivations, acculturation features and adjustment challenges. Asia Pacific Education Review, 12, 173–184.
• Zhao, Y., Jindal-Snape, D., Topping, K., & Todman, J. (2008). Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in International students in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), 63–75.