Research Proposal, Presentation of the Report and the Report

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The Process of Acculturation among International Students in Australia

Introduction

Cultural diversity has never been more relevant to societies around the world until the process of increased migration and eventual acculturation took place rampantly after World War II . Towards the end of the 20th century , societies have been introduced to different cultures originating from both the southern and the northern , the west and the east of the world

In the 1980s , immigration has reached its peak in the United States making the country a melting pot ' of cultures

. At around the same period , Australia had been encountering a similar change only , this change was specifically happening to its educational system . From the 1980s to 1990s , Australia experienced a sudden influx of international students , a period which was termed as a shift from educational aid to educational trade ' This shift began to transform Australia to being an educational service provider , especially among students from Asian countries . As one of the pioneers of the educational trade Australian educational system began centering its focus towards providing quality of education , and most importantly , fairness of access ' to students who have had a different educational and cultural experience (Atweh , 2000 :84

Achieving quality of education and fairness of access will not be resolved by educational policies and standards alone . In understanding the effect of the increasing number of educational students in the country , there must also be a corresponding understanding on the characteristics and dynamics involved in the daily interaction of international students in the Australian culture and society

With this in mind , this research proposal will look into the process of acculturation as a possible indicator that will help determine the quality of education and the right level of accessibility that should be given to international students . This qualitative study on the process of acculturation of international students in Australia will specifically describe the nature of this socio-cultural phenomenon that has changed , and continuously changing , Australia 's educational system

Rationale of the Study

This qualitative study will provide guidance in thoroughly describing the factors that come into play in understanding the `model ' of educational trade in Australia . More specifically , this study , by identifying the characteristics of international students , and looking into the dynamics involved in studying as an international student in Australia , will provide the foundation for exploring the kind of educational service that will be provided to international students More than anything else , this study will also explore other insights that may possibly spring from the analyses and interpretations of the conversations /interviews conducted on international students in Australia

Research Question and Objectives

Research Question

What are the processes and factors involved in the acculturation of international students to Australian society and culture

General Objective

To identify and explore processes and factors involved in the acculturation of international students to Australian society and culture

Specific Objectives

To identify the processes involved in the acculturation development of international students in Australia

To determine the factors that influences the acculturation development of international students in Australia

To identify the nature of adaptation utilized by international students in the Australian culture and society

To determine the dynamics of relational development of international students , both at the academic and social levels

To compare differences in the processes and factors influential to each international student as his /her process of acculturation

METHODOLOGY

Research Design and Methods

The research is both descriptive and exploratory in data gathering analysis and interpretation using research methods for a of acculturation among international students in Australia

The qualitative research paradigm will be used for this research Therefore , the research methods used are face-to-face interviews Informal , conversation-like interviews will be used because this method will enable the researcher to draw out information that would not have been mentioned or openly disclosed had the structured and formal in-depth interviews been chosen as a research method . This type of informal interview , through detailed note-taking , will also provide the transcription of the interview as quickly as the interview has ended Moreover , this method will have the advantage of enabling the researcher to freely ask probe questions and see whether the informant is being truthful to his /her answers

Concepts and Indicators

The proposed set of concepts and indicators that will be utilized and probed into includes the following

Table 1 . Summary of concepts and indicators of the study

Concepts Indicators

Coping mechanisms Socially-driven

Academically-driven

Support mechanisms Social support (relationships

Academic support (roles and tasks

Intercultural communication competency Language acquisition

Non-verbal communication understanding

Knowledge of Australian culture Knowledge of Australian English language

Knowledge of Australian cultural dynamics , mores , values beliefs

Self-image Values

Belief system

Self-reported self-image

Image of self based on other people Australian values

Australian belief system

Self-reported image of self based on others

Educational practices Academic achievement

Achievement of educational standards for international students

Task accomplishment practices

Level of integration between individual 's native culture and Australian culture

Help-seeking behavior Network of social relations

Network of academic relations

Access to the educational system

Access to governmental agencies / departments

Access to financial support /resources This table of concepts and indicators looks into the different dimensions that will be covered in analyzing the acculturation process and development of international students in the Australian cultural context . Each concept has a corresponding indicator , which will be drawn out of the conversations from the interviewees of this study

Instrumentation

The research instrument that will be utilized in this research will be a semi-structured interview schedule . However , since the interviews that will be conducted are actual conversations from personal friends of the researcher , the semi-structured guide will be a list of the concepts that the researcher should watch out for during the conversations , and probe deeper into these concepts once they are drawn out or discussed by the interviewees

The conversations will not be tape-recorded to maintain the informal environment of the conversations . However , in to record the crucial points discussed in the conversations , the researcher will take note of all the relevant and significant s and issues discussed in the conversations . These notes will serve as one of the units of analysis that the researcher will use for analysis and interpretation

Units of analysis

Units of analyses for the study will be the international students themselves and the notes that will be generated from the conversations with the students Sampling scheme

The sampling technique used for this study is purposive sampling , since the individuals chosen to be interviewed ' in the study will be friends of the researcher . Thus , since these individuals will be purposively accessed by the researcher for these interviews , this research utilized the non-probabilistic sampling through the purposive sampling technique

Data gathering procedure

The researcher will schedule informal meetings with the six (6 interviewees , specifically face-to-face meetings , at coffee shops nearby the interviewee 's dormitory or residence . During these informal meetings , the researcher will set the pace of the discussion by asking general questions about the individual 's present status as an international student in Australia , going further into the specifics of his /her experience as the conversation progresses

The researcher will inform the individual of the primary reason why the informal meeting took place , emphasizing on the idea that this informal interview / conversation will be noted for some insights that the interviewer might give the researcher on the focus of the research However , the researcher , as courtesy to the individual interviewed , will assure the individual that confidentiality of his /her identity and opinions will be ensured throughout the research report

Data analysis procedure

Data gained from the conversations will be put in tables and interpreted by the researcher . These responses from the informants were grouped according to the concepts /categories formed for the study

Open coding was then used to analyze all the data gathered

Typologies will used to describe the international students . Emic typological strategy will also be employed since the categories will be formed only after all the data is gathered . The researchers will not have preconceived categories at first . In addition , the thematic text-organizing strategy was used to analyze the concepts enumerated in this chapter . The set of s and themes will be presented after the data analysis

RESEARCH REPORT

The Process of Acculturation among International Students in Australia

INTRODUCTION

Cultural diversity has never been more relevant to societies around the world until the process of increased migration and eventual acculturation took place rampantly after World War II . Towards the end of the 20th century , societies have been introduced to different cultures originating from the southern and the northern , the west and the east of the world

In the 1980s , immigration has reached its peak in the United States making the country a melting pot ' of cultures . At around the same period , Australia had been encountering a similar change only , this change was specifically happening to its educational system . From the 1980s to 1990s , Australia experienced a sudden influx of international students , a period which was termed as a shift from educational aid to educational trade ' This shift began to transform Australia to being an educational service provider , especially among students from Asian countries . As one of the pioneers of the educational trade Australian educational system began centering its focus towards providing quality of education , and most importantly , fairness of access ' to students who have had a different educational and cultural experience (Atweh , 2000 :84

Achieving quality of education and fairness of access will not be resolved by educational policies and standards alone . In understanding the effect of the increasing number of educational students in the country , there must also be a corresponding understanding on the characteristics and dynamics involved in the daily interaction of international students in the Australian culture and society

With this in mind , this research looks into the process of acculturation as a possible indicator that will help determine the quality of education and the right level of accessibility that should be given to international students . This qualitative study on the process of acculturation of international students in Australia will specifically describe the nature of this socio-cultural phenomenon that has changed and continuously changing , Australia 's educational system

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

By looking into the nature and dynamics of acculturation among international students , the most important concept that will influence all other concepts and factors of this study is the level of integration that the international students will have on the foreign culture - Australian culture and society . Thus , in this review of related literature , using the Australian culture context , the different concepts of the study will be solidly defined and operationalized using existing relevant and significant literature on the of this research

In the first chapter of this research , it was mentioned that Australia developed its education trade , primarily because of the increase in number of international student enrollees coming into the country . This phenomenon of `education trade ' was part of Australia 's thrust , wherein tourism is considered its primary service export ' Indicators that made tourism boom in the country was caused by its high environmental amenity .low rents for housing and commercial .space (Lo , 2001 :405 Because of these economic indicators , Australia became not only a venue for tourism , but also in educational tourism - specifically education trade

This increased number of international student enrollees in Australia also changed the way the educational system in the country was conceptualized , especially in creating curricula for college /university masteral , and doctoral studies . Increasingly , the educational system became globalized in approach , even going further to the extent that both tourism and education was integrated , creating the concept and phenomenon of educational tourism (Ritchie , 2003 Crossley , 2003 :62 The development of the concepts `education trade ' and `educational tourism ' took the educational system further than just economically adjusting these increases in enrolment of international students . More than anything , the Australian education trade promoted the need for quality education and easy access of educational services

Re-assessing the need to provide quality and easy access to educational services entails looking into the status of Australian culture and society at the present time . Just like the United States , and other societies where immigration and migration is increasingly becoming rampant , Australia is now a melting pot ' of Asian cultures , its educational system becoming increasingly engaged in a challenge for its curricula to be more culturally correct and competent

Intercultural communication competency is a particularly important field to focus on in developing an improved educational system . Cultural competence is a primary gauge of the international student 's `survival capacity ' in an altogether different kind of culture and social environment . Within the concept of cultural competence involves numerous other concepts as well , which includes , among others , social support , academic support , coping mechanisms and strategies , educational practices , help-seeking behavior , and pro (demographic characteristics ) of international students . Indeed , as Olivas and Li (2005 ) have enumerated , cultural competency involves psychological emotional , and academic concerns ' factors that would make coping and survival among international students possible (219

It is also through these factors that the process of acculturation is further developed . There are two responses involved in acculturation development : the first response would be the integration of the individual to the foreign culture , while the second response would result to the disintegration , or isolation , of the individual from the foreign culture

Seeking identity through support systems accessible and available to the individual is one of the concepts inherent in the idea of cultural competence . Chapman (2006 ) identified identity-seeking and identity formation as natural processes that occur during acculturation development , and in identity formation , the perceptions about the individual 's image , as perceived by the individual himself /herself and others , and access to both social and academic environments , come into play (236 . Identity formation covers the psychological facet of acculturation development , while the support systems are related to the social environment that the individual engages in everyday . Hawthorne (2004 ) argued that identification of both these psychological and social facets is not enough it is also vital that monitoring of these factors be systematically ' done from point of entry .for proactive diagnostic and remediation purposes (157

This recommendation by Hawthorne is a reflection of the means by which the Australian educational system seeks to improve its quality of education among international students . Monitoring of student performance upon point of entry is not just required , but also a monitoring of the support systems that the student has access to before and during his /her stay in the academic institution . Among the cited social support systems for international students include the provision of anxiety and uncertainty management ' which should be specifically provided by academic institutions (Lin , 2006 :120 . Lin 's study is just one manifestation of the support systems that could be developed and provided to international students when they enter Australia 's academic institutions

In the texts that follow , a discussion of these concepts will be enumerated , as explicated by the informal interviews of international students studying in Australia

RESULTS DISCUSSION

The following informants , informally interviewed , belong to the age group of 19-29 years of age with almost all informants having a single status and all are students . The following table illustrates the distribution of respondents who were interviewed

Table 1 . General Pro of Informants

Name of Informant Age Sex

Lyn Park 23 Female

Anna Bautista 19 Female

Angela Tan 29 Female

Andrew Vonatis 21 Male

C . Y . 20 Male

George Wilson 20 Male In this section , the recurrent themes and the findings from the interviews of the study are stated and synthesized . The themes here discussed were extracted from the interviews of informants , encompassing all concepts enumerated . In the interviews , it became evident that concepts that are most relevant and significant to the international students are : social support , academic support , cultural competence (specifically language acquisition , educational practices , and help-seeking behavior as a student

Support systems

The informants believed that among the support that they receive as international students , it is the social support system that enables them to survive ' life in Australia . Inevitably , social support systems are also the informants ' academic support system , since their social links also came from their academic links (Moore , 2005 :342 Those individuals or groups they consider as exclusively included in their social support system are their families and community groups whom they associate with , early on as they engage in their new social environment

Lyn , an Economics graduate in the Philippines , migrated to Australia after she graduated from the university . She considered her Christian group as one of the first relations she had , as she was just establishing herself as a Photography student in her new university The shift from economics to photography was already a big adjustment for Lyn , and what made it more difficult for her was the realization that her fellow students have a different psyche ' than the educational crowd she became familiar and involved with . Thus , her transition was not just living from one country to another , but engaging herself in a field of study The social support of she received from her Christian community , then alleviated the level of apprehension she felt during the first 6 months of living as a student in Australia . Eventually , academic support systems also became her social support system , as she began slowly integrating with the course she decided to take in her new university

Cultural competency

Cultural competency creates a significant difference in the effectiveness of an international student 's coping mechanisms in Australia . Two informants demonstrated extreme cases of cultural competency , which , in this case , involved the student 's fast learning and acquisition of the Australian English language (Zhao , 2005 :224

George was a British student who previously lived in Singapore , and eventually moved out with his family to Australia two years ago . His integration with Australian culture , specifically the academic culture of his college , was not that difficult ' since he is comfortable with the English language . He believed that his ability to converse well in the English language became an advantage for him , as he began immersing himself with Australian culture . Indeed , at present , he enjoys the company of both his friends and fellow students in college , engaging in sports activities and academically enjoying his role as a research assistant to the college department

Andrew , a Thai student studying in Australia for three years already had experienced difficulties integrating himself in the new culture saying that the language barrier changed him from being an `extrovert to an `introvert ' individual . While in Thailand , he excelled in all aspects of his studies and was socially popular in his local college , in Australia , his popular personality changed for the worse ' as he experienced insecurity in his inability to converse very well in English . Challenging himself to become well-versed with the language was not a problem , he said , but the insults he felt ' when people cannot understand what he was saying made his integration more difficult than he had expected . Although his transition from being an insecure international student to becoming an exceptionally high-performing student was a gradually slow process , he is now enjoying the success of the challenge he took upon himself almost three years ago . It also helped that the academic institution he was in has a special program that provides support to international students to develop their English communication competence , both in written and verbal forms

Educational practices : Manifestation of help-seeking behavior among international students

Anna was also a fresh graduate from college when she migrated to Australia . From her experience , educational practice became her primary adjustment strategy to survive not only in college , but also in the new social environment she found herself in . She did not consciously extend her social network , due to financial constraints , able only to attend school in Australia because of a full scholarship . Thus , in to maintain her scholarship , she lived within her means , which meant she spent only for items and expenditures that were specifically indicated in her budget . The end result , then , was that she did not have enough budget to socialize ' with her friends and fellow students most of the time , she spent her free time studying alone instead of engaging in group studies with her schoolmates in cafys , or anyplace that required additional expense on her part

Thus , in Anna 's experience , educational practice was her coping mechanism while studying in Australia . While her social support and network suffered , her educational support strengthened , and she eventually re-channeled this academic support as her social support and network

Synthesis

Integrating these emergent themes from conversations with international students , it is evident that social and academic supports are inherently overlapping in the experiences of the students . Moreover , help-seeking behavior is also based on these dichotomies , and behaviors can also have overlapping effects on the student 's assessment of his /her acculturation development

Cultural competency , meanwhile , is best demonstrated through language acquisition wherein a student 's capacity to survive ' not only in school but also in the Australian culture is dependent on his /her ability to quickly acquire the English language . As in the experience of some informants , language acquisition is a very powerful tool that international students utilized in to integrate fully into the Australian academic culture

From the interviews , the general finding is that both support systems and cultural competency work together to determine the nature and dynamics of acculturation development of international students in Australia

ABSTRACT

Six (6 ) informal interviews with international students in Australia identified important concepts relevant and significant to their acculturation development . These important concepts include the provision of social and academic support systems and achievement of cultural competency as primary factors that influence the level of acculturation among international students

Emergent themes from the interviews showed that social support systems has an overlapping relationship with academic support systems , as these two systems work together to create a holistic social environment for the international student . In addition to these support systems cultural competence also comes into play , another influential concept that enabled international students to go a level up or down the acculturation development ladder

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