"You Can't Be Outside Without Being Part of the Culture": Recommendations for Using Outdoor Recreation to Support International Student Transitions

Authors

  • Michelle K Brunette Laurentian University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v11iFall.1184

Abstract

International students can face linguistic, social, mental and physical challenges (Zhang and Zhou 2010). The findings of a sequential qualitative dominant mixed methodology study, including a survey and three-stage guided walk interviews, position the unique benefits of outdoor recreation as a tool to support cross-cultural transitions. Outdoor recreation benefits include physical and mental health well-being, reduced anxiety, increased social participation, and cultural exchange (Stodolska 2015; Weng and Chiang 2014). To guide universities in stimulating positive international student experiences in the outdoors, the researchers offer recommendations for the integration of outdoor recreation in six phases: (a) recruitment, (b) preparation, (c) orientation, (d) planning, (e) delivery, and (f) evaluation.

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Published

2019-09-21

Issue

Section

Empirical Article

How to Cite

"You Can’t Be Outside Without Being Part of the Culture": Recommendations for Using Outdoor Recreation to Support International Student Transitions. (2019). Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 11(Fall), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v11iFall.1184