ABSTRACT

This article reports a study on the impact of spiritual training lessons as compared to creative arts lessons with a cohort of Indian and Sri Lankan doctoral students immigrated to the US. The aim was to examine programme effectiveness in mitigating their acculturative stress, promoting self-efficacy, and wellbeing. Spiritual training lessons were more effective (p ≤ .01, Hedges’ g = −3.59–3.22); however, creative arts lessons also mitigated acculturative stress of participants (p = .006, Hedges’ g = −0.43). Post-test acculturative stress scores were lower and self-efficacy and wellbeing scores were higher for male students, with technical degrees, Hindu and Sikh students, ever-single, living alone, studying technical subjects, and whose doctoral research was practicum/practice-based. Spiritual training lessons attended and homework lessons mediated the association between significant socio-demographic and academic predictors and changes in outcomes. Creative arts homework lessons also mediated the association between gender, previous qualifications and acculturative stress scores. Spiritual training lessons can be incorporated into induction and continued support programmes for international doctoral students at US universities. Some modifications may be needed for female students, with postgraduate degrees in humanities/social sciences, Christian and Muslim students, currently married, cohabiting with spouse/children/dependents, studying humanities/social science subjects, and doing applied research.

摘要

本文报告了一项研究，与移民到美国的印度和斯里兰卡博士生群体进行的创意艺术课程相比，精神训练课程的影响。目的是检查项目在减轻文化压力、提高自我效能和幸福感方面的有效性。灵性训练课程更有效（p ≤ .01，Hedges' g = -3.59–3.22）；然而，创意艺术课程也减轻了参与者的文化压力（p = .006，Hedges' g = -0.43）。具有技术学位、印度教和锡克教学生、单身、独居、学习技术科目、其博士研究为实习/实习的男性学生的测试后文化压力得分较低，而自我效能和幸福感得分较高。基于。参加的精神培训课程和家庭作业课程介导了重要的社会人口统计学和学术预测因素与结果变化之间的关联。创意艺术作业课程还调节了性别、以前的资格和文化压力分数之间的关联。精神训练课程可以纳入美国大学国际博士生的入职和持续支持计划。对于拥有人文/社会科学研究生学位的女学生、基督徒和穆斯林学生、目前已婚、与配偶/子女/家属同居、学习人文/社会科学科目并进行应用研究，可能需要进行一些修改。创意艺术作业课程还调节了性别、以前的资格和文化压力分数之间的关联。精神训练课程可以纳入美国大学国际博士生的入职和持续支持计划。对于拥有人文/社会科学研究生学位的女学生、基督徒和穆斯林学生、目前已婚、与配偶/子女/家属同居、学习人文/社会科学科目并进行应用研究，可能需要进行一些修改。创意艺术作业课程还调节了性别、以前的资格和文化压力分数之间的关联。精神训练课程可以纳入美国大学国际博士生的入职和持续支持计划。对于拥有人文/社会科学研究生学位的女学生、基督教和穆斯林学生、目前已婚、与配偶/子女/家属同居、学习人文/社会科学科目并进行应用研究，可能需要进行一些修改。