Research digest for practitioners: July 2015
With the recent online publication of the July 2015 issue of the Journal of Studies in International Education it’s time for another post in the ongoing blog series that highlights relevant academic research. The aim of this series is to spotlight major findings and takeaways from select articles that may be relevant and useful to practitioners in the field. The overarching theme of each article will help you locate the most relevant research to your scope of work. We hope the brief summaries will give you some food for thought or, better yet, entice you to further explore the articles.
Exploring the Process of Global Citizen Learning and the Student Mind-Set
Topic: Global citizen learning
By: Kathleen Lilley, Michelle Barker, and Neil Harris
The discourse of global citizenship continues to be embedded within internationalisation strategies, yet little research exists on the process of global citizen learning. This article presents a conceptual framework for global citizen learning and offers an ‘identikit’ useful for practitioners seeking practical ways to translate the abstract learning process into learning and curriculum outcomes.
Determinants of Mobility of Students in Europe: Empirical Evidence for the Period 1998-2009
Topic: Push-Pull factors of intra-European student mobility
By: Raul Caruso and Hans de Wit
What factors contribute to students leaving their home country in Europe (‘push’ factors) and choosing to study in another European country (‘pull’ factors)? According to the findings in this article, the following pull factors are significant:
1. National expenditure per students: students are more likely to select countries where services are sufficiently funded and financial incentives are offered.
2. National safety and security: students are less likely to select countries with higher crime rates.
3. Economic conditions: a country’s wealth (GDP per capita) and a higher rate of openness of the economy (import/export) correlate with a higher number of incoming European students.
Surfing USA: How Internet Use Prior to and During Study Abroad Affects Chinese Students’ Stress, Integration, and Cultural Learning While in the United States
Topic: How internet usage impacts mobile students’ integration
By: Jude P. Mikal, Junhong Yang, and Amy Lewis
As the number of Chinese students studying around the world continues to increase, there is greater interest by practitioners to better serve this population of international students. This study explores how internet usage by Chinese students impacts stress, integration, and learning while studying abroad. Findings suggest that:
• Before arriving in the destination country, students gather knowledge on basic living conditions and join relevant online groups to make connections
• After some time in the destination country, students rely on internet for valuable information and social connectedness with local networks
The authors suggest a few takeaways for practitioners:
• Give more informational support (i.e. logistical support prior to moving, creation of buddy systems, ie. matching local students with Chinese students).
• Screen students before their arrival to assess which students have limited experience living alone and offer a short-term living arrangement with another student in the same situation, for example during orientation.
• Offer an online orientation with students before their arrival.
• Continue to encourage cultural integration opportunities throughout the full length of their study abroad period.
Policy Responses to Address Student “Brain Drain”: An Assessment of Measures Intended to Reduce the Emigration of Singaporean International Students
Topic: National strategies to prevent ‘brain drain’
By: Christopher Ziguras and Cate Gribble
This case study illustrates practical measures that governments are implementing to lessen the negative effects of outbound student mobility. The authors explore four national strategies in Singapore aimed to decrease the brain drain effect:
1. Reducing the number of outbound students by improving domestic education.
2. Encouraging the return of outbound students.
3. Engagement with the Singaporean diaspora.
4. Recruiting international students to the local workforce.
Characterizing Indian Students Pursuing Global Higher Education: A Conceptual Framework of Pathways to Internationalization
Topic: International student mobility in the Indian higher education sector
By: Deepak Gopinath
Since 2008 the number of internationally mobile Indian students has stabilised. The authors of this article attempt to make sense of this phenomenon by designing a conceptual framework to understand the potential pathways (domestic, transnational, and global) into higher education. In doing so, they also compare costs of transnational higher education offerings in India.
Leasa Weimer is Knowledge Development Adviser at the EAIE
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