ISANA

Shengjie Su

Abstract: This presentation bases on a PHD research project, which is a detailed case study with the focus on exploring the academic adaptation experiences of a group of Chinese coursework postgraduate students studying in a faculty which is a popular choice of international students at one Australian university.

In twenty years, international education has become Australia’s fourth-highest export earner and the second largest service export industry (Australian Trade Commission, 2006). International students not…

Felicity Fallon

Abstract:  Many factors are involved in the way an individual gains an understanding of Mathematics. Their cognitive style i.e. the way they code information for further processing in the brain is one of these. Riding and Rayner (1998) have a developed a model for the whole learning process which contains two dimensions of cognitive style.

This study investigates the effect of cultural factors on cognitive style, looking particularly at the cultures of South-East…

Chris Nyland, Helen Forbes-Mewett, Simon Marginson, Gaby Ramia, Erlenawati Sawir, Sharon Smith

Abstract: The growth of the international education market has generated a community of student-workers that is vulnerable, growing and under-researched. Drawing on interviews with 200 international students, we show that a very high proportion of these students are employed and that this workforce is segmented and that while all student workforces are segmented, many international students must accept forms of work and levels…

Ana Deumert, Simon Marginson, Chris Nyland, Gaby Ramia, Erlenawati Sawir

Abstract: Between 1995 and 2001, the number of international students studying in OECD nations rose from 1.3 to 1.6 million (OECD 2003), and the cross-border delivery of education, via foreign branch campuses and in distance education modes, also increased significantly. Global demand for international education is fed by the growth in globally mobile work especially in business studies, and information…

Andres Gabriel Villamizar Maldonado

Abstract: The study reported in this document explores the perceptions and attitudes of international students of Hispanic background on their experience at Monash university and the different factors which influence their involvement in campus-based activities compared to off-campus community based events. The participants are 14 international students who are members of the Monash Hispanic Community Club (registered and unofficial members). They were contacted via the Facebook group Monash Hispanic Community,…

Maria Victoria McCarthy

Abstract: Learning and practising basic skills in aromatherapy and gentle yoga stretches proved to be a promising venue for both International and Domestic Australians Students to get together in a safe and positive environment. Within International Student Services at QUT, this activity is usually offered from the third week of each semester. It is a one hour program for four weeks where participants gather in a circle and are welcomed to express…

Helen Forbes-Mewett, et al

Abstract: Growth in the number of international students studying in English language countries has slowed in recent years and this development has generated extended debate amongst university managers and policy makers. In these discussions much attention has focussed on whether the slow down is to be explained by currency realignments, visa requirements, the quality of education, or the increasing competitiveness of the international education market. But what has attracted little attention…

Jo Byng and Anna Rees

Abstract:  In response to the Educational Services Overseas Student (ESOS) Act 2000, Macquarie International undertook the task of implementing an academic performance monitoring project to assist those students who were not progressing satisfactorily and to help students at risk resolve problems which could impede successful completion of their study. International students studying on a student visa must achieve an academic result that is certified by the education provider to be…

Dianne Jonasson

Abstract:  When International students from non-English speaking backgrounds (INESB students) choose to study in an Australian university, they come, like any student, with hopes, expectations, and understandings. Their teachers also have hopes, expectations, and understandings regarding these students. In fact, it appears that students and teachers are generally hoping for the same things, namely, that students will pass their subjects, understand the concepts, and improve their English. However, while both parties appear to…

Dr Felicity Fallon, President, ISANA International Education Association, Australia and New Zealand.

Presented at the 2008 APAIE Conference in Japan

Abstract: This paper explores the issues relating to plagiarism and students from Asian countries, particularly those with a Confucian-heritage background, studying in Australia and New Zealand. It looks at the issues of cultural values and ownership of knowledge as they are related to this issue from the perspective of Hofstede’s Cultural…

Katrina Allitt

Abstract: This paper attempts to explore the stages of development that a homestay family goes through and the psychological significance of each stage. A family who is recruited to be a homestay provider for the first time needs guidance and support from an experienced professional as well as from other families who have been providing this service for a certain length of time. Two ‘new’ families have been selected and the stages they…

Heena Akbar

Abstract: The QUT Homestay Program is an essential part of the university’s commitment to meet the accommodation needs of international students. Despite the importance of this style of accommodation, there is very little research addressing issues related to homestay arrangements. The program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was evaluated in 2002 to develop a continuous improvement framework to ensure provision of quality homestay services to international students.

This paper presents…

Prasuna Reddy

Abstract: As the number of international students in Australian increases, there is a greater need to understand their values and attitudes toward equal opportunity issues such as sexual harassment. The current study investigates cultural differences in student attitudes toward harassment in the Australian context. Participants included 47 Asian women students and 47 non-Asian women local students; all participants were undergraduates in major Australian universities. The results show a range of attitudes toward sexual…

Gillian O’Neill and Grant Harris

Abstract: This paper first outlines a 12 week programme of Ongoing Academic Orientation (OAO) which was trialled in the Waikato Management School (WMS) during the 2004 A and B semesters and then reports the results of a questionnaire survey given to the students who followed the programme in A semester 2004. The questionnaire had three functions: to gather data on the trial programme’s efficacy, content, timing, and length;…

Katerina Gauntlett

Abstract: The Gulf States have identified educational sponsorship as one of the most powerful means of building a better qualified national work force, with a view to redressing the overrepresentation of expatriates in the private sector. Over the past five to seven years, this has created an opportunity for Australian education providers to enrol Gulf Nationals who have been identified as the elite of their high school graduating cohort and sponsored to obtain…

Chika Anyanwu

Abstract:  The Federal Government funding cuts since the 1990s have forced many (if not all) Australian universities to find alternative means to subsidise such shortfalls, one of these being increased international enrolment. One of the consequences of this new economic direction is the influx of international students with new kinds of expectations and overwhlmed academic and administrative staff who have not fully appreciated or undertood the full import of such dramatic academic cultural…

Lorraine Macmaster, Annalise Tindal

Abstract:  Graduation celebrates the completion or the commencement of an academic career. It has been considered a rite of passage in which we emphasize confronting new responsibilities, opportunities and threats and adjusting to the nostalgia of leaving a familiar scene. At PIBT and CIC, International students can fast track to their 2nd year of University by completing their Diploma. As Student Advisors at these Colleges we are particularly involved with the…

Tryphena Jacqueline Tan and Cecelia Winkelman

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate how stress level, coping styles and personality traits contribute to international students' academic performance. Participants comprised of 100 international students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels from universities in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were aged 18 to 40 years old. Using a single sample survey design, all 100 participants completed a background information sheet, the Coping Skills Inventory, the Social Avoidance Distress…

Maria Victoria McCarthy and Lio Lay

Abstract: In this workshop, a sample of evolving integrated counselling approaches will be presented followed by a discussion on hypothetical case scenarios where the said framework may be applied. There will be opportunities for the participants to incorporate their own counselling practice framework while learning from others during the discussion. It is practical and beneficial that this workshop be given 60 to 90 minutes length to maximise participation and…

Shereen Ghobrial

Abstract: Each year, the University of Queensland opens its doors to thousands of new international students.
Although Student Support Services at the University of Queensland introduce international students to some essential safety issues relating to their new environment within the first few days after arrival, it has become apparent that given the number of avoidable critical accidents over the past few years, more specific information was needed to ensure students are made…