Exploring International Graduate Students’ Experiences, Challenges, and Peer Relationships

Impacts on Academic and Emotional Well-being

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i2.5186

Keywords:

International Graduate Students, Mentorship, Peer Relationships, Social Integration, Transitional Experiences

Abstract

As the number of international students in higher education continues to grow, so do concerns regarding systemic obstacles, discrimination, and social isolation that can impede students’ academic success. Peer mentorship has been shown to support graduate students through academic socialization and achievement in higher education (Lorenzetti et al., 2019). The purpose of this study was to explore the transitional experiences of international graduate students, and the extent to which peer-mentoring relationships can support academic and emotional well-being. Researchers interviewed 13 international graduate students from 3 professional faculties at a research-intensive Canadian university. International students described academic and intersectional challenges experienced while navigating and adapting to new environments and how these impacted both academic outcomes and students’ well-being. Relationships with peers were viewed as an essential means by which students could access academic and psychosocial supports necessary to adjust to and thrive in their new educational and cultural environments.

Author Biographies

  • Dr. Diane Lorenzetti, University of Calgary

    DIANE L. LORENZETTI, PhD, is a Research Librarian with the University of Calgary’s Health Sciences Library and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine. Her research interests focus on mentorship as a means of furthering personal and professional development and mental health. Email: dllorenz@ucalgary.ca  

  • Dr. Liza Lorenzetti, University of Calgary

    LIZA LORENZETTI, PhD, is an Associate Professor, community activist and educator/researcher with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary in Mokhinistsis (Calgary) in Canada. She has been involved in social justice and human rights movements for over three decades. Email: lakloren@ucalgary.ca 

  • Dr. Lorelli Nowell, University of Calgary

    LORELLI NOWELL, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. She currently holds a teaching and learning professorship and actively conducts research on mentorship in higher education, innovations in teaching and learning, and the professional learning and development of educators. Email: lnowell@ucalgary.ca

  • Dr. Michele Jacobsen, University of Calgary

    MICHELE JACOBSEN, PhD, is a Professor in Learning Sciences and Teaching Scholar, University of Calgary. She is Vice President of Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association. Michele uses participatory research methodologies to design and evaluate study innovations in online learning. Email: dmjacobs@ucalgary.ca

  • Tracey Clancy, University of Calgary

    TRACEY CLANCY, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. She currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Faculty Development. Her research interests include teaching and learning in nursing and higher education, educators' professional learning and development, co-teaching, teaching presence, authentic learning, and self-authorship. Email: tclancy@ucalgary.ca

  • Georgina Freeman, University of Calgary

    GEORGINA FREEMAN, MSc, is a Doctoral Student in Computational Media Design at the University of Calgary. Her doctoral research in technology co-design for healthcare builds on her experience in the development, facilitation and analysis of data generated through workshops, interviews and focus groups. Email: georgina.freeman@ucalgary.ca 

  • Dr. Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci, University of Calgary

    ELIZABETH ODDONE PAOLUCCI, PhD, is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. As an applied health professions education researcher trained in educational psychology, Elizabeth’s research program is focused on measurement, curriculum design, quality assurance, and learner wellness. Email: eoddone@ucalgary.ca

References

Antonio, L.M., & Ofori-Dwumfuo, C. (2015). Understanding communication dynamics among international and domestic students: A case study of a global living-learning community. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 42(1), 128-143.

Barankin, T., & Khanlou, N. (2007). Growing up resilient: Ways to build resilience in children and youth. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health=Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale.

Bekteshi, V., & Kang, S. W. (2020). Contextualizing acculturative stress among Latino immigrants in the United States: a systematic review. Ethnicity & Health, 25(6), 897-914.

Bigelow, J. R., & Johnson, W. B. (2001). Promoting mentor-protégé relationship formation in graduate school. The Clinical Supervisor, 20(1), 1-23.

Braveman, P. (2014). What is health equity: and how does a life-course approach take us further toward it? Maternal and Child Health Journal, 18(2), 366-372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1226-9.

Byers, V., N. Smith, R., Hwang, E., E. Angrove, K., I. Chandler, J., M. Christian, K., H. Dickerson, S., McAlister-Shields, L., P. Thompson, S., A. Denham, M., & J. Onwuegbuzie, A. (2014). Survival strategies: Doctoral students’ perceptions of challenges and coping methods. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 9, 109-136.

Calder, M. J., Richter, M. S., Mao, Y., Kovacs Burns, K., Mogale, R. S., & Danko, M. (2016). International students attending Canadian universities: Their experiences with housing, finances, and other issues. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 46(2), 92-110.

Chen, C., Smith, P., & Mustard, C. (2010). The prevalence of over-qualification and its association with health status among occupationally active new immigrants to Canada. Ethnicity & Health, 15(6), 601-619.

Chester, A., Burton, L. J., Xenos, S., & Elgar, K. (2013). Peer mentoring: Supporting successful transition for first year undergraduate psychology

students. Australian Journal of Psychology, 65(1), 30-37.

Collier, D. A., & Hernandez, X. J. (2016). Tatemae and honne: Interpreting the theory versus practice of international student development and outreach. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 9(4), 369-384.

Cowley,P., & Hyams–Ssekasi, D. (2018). Motivation, induction and challenge: Examining the initial phase of international students' educational sojourn. Journal of International Students, 8(1), 109-130.

Cox, L., Crump, L., Struwing, R., Gillum, D., & Abraham, S. (2017). Building cultural competence: The lived experience of semester study abroad students. Journal of Christian Nursing, 34(3), E35-E40.

Crenshaw, K. (1994). Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. In M. A. Finneman. (Ed.), The public nature of violence: the discovery of domestic abused (pp. 93-117). Routledge.

DuBose, C. O. (2017). But I don’t understand you: One faculty’s observations of the challenges facing international healthcare students. Journal of International Students, 7(1), 154-159.

Elemo, A. S., & Türküm, A. S. (2019). The effects of psychoeducational intervention on the adjustment, coping self-efficacy and psychological distress levels of international students in Turkey. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 70, 7-18.

Essed, P. (1991). Understanding Everyday Racism: An Interdisciplinary Study. Sage Publications.

Ge, L., Brown, D., & Durst, D. (2019). Chinese international students’ experiences in a Canadian university: Ethnographic inquiry with gender comparison. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 582-612.

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine de Gruyter Publishers.

Gu, Q. (2015). An emotional journey of identity change and transformation: The impact of study-abroad experience on the lives and careers of Chinese students and returnees. Learning and Teaching, 8(3), 60-81.

Haggard, D. L., Dougherty, T. W., Turban, D. B., & Wilbanks, J. E. (2010). Who is a mentor? A review of evolving definitions and implications for research. Journal of Management, 37(1), 280-304.

Haverila, M., Haverila, K., & McLaughlin, C. (2020). Variables affecting the retention intentions of students in higher education institutions: A comparison between international and domestic students. Journal of International Students, 10(2), 358-382.

Holley, K. A., & Caldwell, M. L. (2011). The challenges of designing and implementing a doctoral student mentoring program. Innovative Higher Education, 37(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9203-y.

Holmes, B., Trimble, M., & Morrison-Danner, D. (2014). Advancing scholarship, team building, and collaboration in a hybrid doctoral program in educational leadership. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, 11(4), 175-180.

Huhn, D., Huber, J., Ippen, F. M., Eckart, W., Junne, F., Zipfel, S., Herzog, W., & Nikendei, C. (2016). International medical students’ expectations and worries at the beginning of their medical education: A qualitative focus group study. BMC Medical Education, 16(1), 33.

Jean-Francois, E. (2017). Exploring the perceptions of campus climate and integration strategies used by international students in a US university campus. Studies in Higher Education, 44(6), 1069-1085.

Khanal, J., & Gaulee, U. (2019). Challenges of international students from pre-departure to post-study. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 560-581.

Khanlou, N., & Vazquez, L. M. (2018). Social determinants of newcomer immigrant and refugee youth’s mental health. In Este D, Lorenzetti L, & Sato C. (Eds.), Racism and anti-racism in Canada (pp. 260-281). Fernwood Publishing.

Kuo, Y. (2011). Language challenges faced by international graduate students in the United States. Journal of International Students, 1(2), 38-42.

Lee, S. (2017). Peer support for international doctoral students in managing supervision relationships. Journal of International Students, 7(4), 1096-1103.

Lorenzetti, D. L., Shipton, L., Nowell, L., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, L., Clancy, T., & Paolucci, E. O. (2019). A systematic review of graduate student peer mentorship in academia. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 27(5), 549-576.

Matsunaga, K., Chowdhury, R., Barnes, M. M., & Saito, E. (2020). The international education experience: Identity formation and audibility through participation, adjustment, and resistance. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of education, 41(4), 638-652.

McCarthy, J. (2012). International design collaboration and mentoring for tertiary students through Facebook. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(5).

McLaren, P. (1995). White terror and oppositional agency: Towards a critical multiculturalism. In P. McLaren (Ed.), Critical Pedagogy and Predatory Culture: Oppositional Politics in a Postmodern Era (pp. 87-124). Routledge.

Menzies, J. L., Baron, R., & Zutshi, A. (2015). Transitional experiences of international postgraduate students utilising a peer mentor programme. Educational Research, 57(4), 403-419.

Merry, L., Vissandjée, B., & Verville-Provencher, K. (2021). Challenges, coping responses and supportive interventions for international and migrant students in academic nursing programs in major host countries: a scoping review with a gender lens. BMC nursing, 20, 174.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2018). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications.

Murdock, J. L., Stipanovic, N., & Lucas, K. (2013). Fostering connections between graduate students and strengthening professional identity through co-mentoring. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 41(5), 487-503.

Nylund, D. (2006). Critical multiculturalism, whiteness, and social work: Towards a more radical view of cultural competence. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 17(2), 27-42.

Norton, L. S., & Fatigante, M. (2018). Being international students in a large Italian university: Orientation strategies and the construction of social identity in the host context. Rassegna di Psicologia, 35(3), 31-43.

OECD. (2020). Education at a glance 2020: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.

Outhred, T., & Chester, A. (2013). Improving the international student experience in Australia through embedded peer mentoring. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 21(3), 312-332.

Perez, R. J., Robbins, C. K., Harris Jr, L., & Montgomery, C. (2020). Exploring graduate students’ socialization to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 13(2), 133-145.

Raphael, D., Bryant, T., Mikkonen, J. and Raphael, A. (2020). Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. York University School of Health Policy and Management.

Ragavan, S. K. (2014). Peer mentoring for international students in a UK law school: Lessons from a pilot case study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(3), 292-302.

Sato, C., & Este, D. (2018). From multiculturalism to critical multiculturalism. In D. Este, L. Lorenzetti, & C. Sato (Eds.), Racism and Anti-Racism in Canada (pp. 329-366). Fernwood Publishing.

Sato, T., & Hodge, S. (2015). Academic and social experiences of exchange students from Japan attending an American university. College Student Journal, 49(1), 78-92.

Schellenberg, G., & Maheux, H. (2007). Special Edition: Immigrants' Perspective on Their First Four Years in Canada: Highlights from Three Waves of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada. Statistics Canada.

Snowden, M., & Hardy, T. (2012). Peer mentorship and positive effects on student mentor and mentee retention and academic success. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 14(1), 76-92.

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.

Tavares, V. (2021). Feeling excluded: international students experience equity, diversity and inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-18.

University of Calgary. (2020). Global Engagement Plan 2020 – 2025.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) (2011). Global Education Digest 2011: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World. UNESCO.

Wang, C. C., Andre, K., & Greenwood, K. M. (2015). Chinese students studying at Australian universities with specific reference to nursing students: a narrative literature review. Nurse Education Today, 35(4), 609-619.

Weldon, S. L. (2006). The structure of intersectionality: A comparative politics of gender. Politics & Gender, 2(2), 235-248.

Wette, R., & Furneaux, C. (2018). The academic discourse socialisation challenges and coping strategies of international graduate students entering English-medium universities. System, 78, 186-200.

Wolf, D. M., & Phung, L. (2019). Studying in the United States: Language learning challenges, strategies and support services. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 211-224.

Wu, H., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015). International student’s challenge and adjustment to college. Education Research International, 2015, 1-9.

Yamada, Y., Klugar, M., Ivanova, K., & Oborna, I. (2014). Psychological distress and academic self-perception among international medical students: The role of peer social support. BMC Medical Education, 14(1).

Yan, K., & Berliner, D.C. (2009). Chinese international students’ academic stressors in the United States. College Student Journal, 43(4), 939-960.

Yan, Z., Finn, K., Cardinal, B. J., & Bent, L. (2014). Promoting health behaviors using peer education: A demonstration project between international and American College students. American Journal of Health Education, 45(5), 288-296.

Ye, L., & Edwards, V. (2017). A narrative inquiry into the identity formation of Chinese doctoral students in relation to study abroad. Race Ethnicity and Education,20(6), 865-876.

Downloads

Published

2023-05-11

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 4 (2023): Journal of International Students

Section

Research Articles (English)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of International Students

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

Exploring International Graduate Students’ Experiences, Challenges, and Peer Relationships: Impacts on Academic and Emotional Well-being. (2023). Journal of International Students, 13(4), 22-41. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i2.5186