Abstract
In previous studies, scholars have noted that challenges experienced by international students have an impact on their academic success. However, limited research has been conducted on how international students overcome the challenges they face in non-Western countries, such as Malaysia. This paper aims to fills this gap by investigating essential resilience strategies adopted by international students in overcoming academic obstacles, thus contributing to the literature regarding international student development. To achieve this, it adopts a qualitative approach based on 33 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate international students that were analyzed thematically. The results reveal that international students develop resilience strategies through group assignments, in classroom settings, and by seeking university and personal support services. Understanding the resilience strategies adopted by postgraduate international students in Malaysia has imperative implications for all universities as it influences the manner in which they develop guidelines to promote international students’ resilience strategies and help them cope with academic adversity and difficulties.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adrian-Taylor, S. R., Noels, K. A., & Tischler, K. (2007). Conflict between international graduate students and faculty supervisors: Toward effective conflict prevention and management strategies. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(1), 90–117.
Ajjawi, R., & Higgs, J. (2007). Using hermeneutic phenomenology to investigate how experienced practitioners learn to communicate clinical reasoning. Qualitative Report, 12(4), 612–638.
Akhtari-Zavare, M., & Ghanbari-Baghestan, A. (2010). Iranian student’s emotion in government university in Malaysia. Global Journal of Health Science, 2(2).
Al-Zubaidi, K., & Richards, C. (2010). Arab postgraduate students in Malaysia: Identifying and overcoming the cultural and language barriers. Arab World English Journal, 1(1), 107–129.
Arkoudis, S., & Tran, L. T. (2007). International students in Australia: Read ten thousand volumes of books and walk ten thousand miles. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 27(2), 157–169.
Asgari, M., & Borzooei, M. (2014). Evaluating the perception of Iranian students as educational tourists toward Malaysia: In-depth interviews. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 5(9), 81–109.
Bang, H., & Montgomery, D. (2013). Understanding international graduate students’ acculturation using Q methodology. Journal of College Student Development, 54(4), 343–360.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Brewer, M. L., van Kessel, G., Sanderson, B., Naumann, F., Lane, M., Reubenson, A., & Carter, A. (2019). Resilience in higher education students: A scoping review. Higher Education Research and Development, 38(6), 1105–1120.
Bista, K. (2019). Exploring the field: Understanding the international student experience. In K. Bista (Ed.), Global perspectives on international student experiences in higher (pp. 1–16). New York: Routledge.
Campbell, J., & Li, M. (2008). Asian students’ voices: An empirical study of Asian students’ learning experiences at a New Zealand university. Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(4), 375–396.
Caruana, V. (2014). Re-thinking global citizenship in higher education: From cosmopolitanism and international mobility to cosmopolitanisation, resilience and resilient thinking. Higher Education Quarterly, 68(1), 85–104.
Chalmers, D., & Volet, S. (1997). Common misconceptions about students from South-East Asia studying in Australia. Higher Education Research and Development, 16(1), 87–99.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Denscombe, M. (2007). The good research guide for small-scale social research projects (3rd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.
Desa, A., Yusooff, F., & Kadir, N. B. A. (2012). Acculturative stress among international postgraduate students at UKM. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 59, 364–369.
Devi, B., & Nair, V. (2008). First year experience of international students in Malaysia: A private higher education viewpoint. In S. Kaur, M. Sirat, & N. Azman (Eds.), Globalisation and internationalisation of higher education in Malaysia (pp. 178–209). Penang: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Farley, A., Yang, H. H., Min, L., & Ma, S. (2019). Comparison of Chinese and western English language proficiency measures in transnational business degrees. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(3), 1–16.
Flinchbaugh, C., Luth, M. T., & Li, P. (2015). A challenge or a hindrance? Understanding the effects of stressors and thriving on life satisfaction. International Journal of Stress Management, 22(4), 323–345.
Gunnestad, A. (2006). Resilience in a cross-cultural perspective. How resilience is generated in different cultures. Retrieved from https://open.dmmh.no/dmmh-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2564077/Resilience%20in%20a%20Cross-Cultural%20Perspective_%20How%20resilience%20is%20generated%20in%20different%20cultures.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Viewed on April 17, 2020.
Holdsworth, S., Turner, M., & Scott-Young, C. M. (2018). …Not drowning, waving. … Not drowning, waving. Resilience and university: A student perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 43(11), 1837–1853.
Harmon, H. A., & Wales, B. A. (1999). International and domestic students’ perception of library personnel and resources. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 10(3–4), 129–148.
Irungu, J. N. (2010). The relationship between engagement and perceived academic, personal, and social outcomes for senior international undergraduate students in research universities. Unpublished Doctorate dissertation. Lawrence, Kansas City, KS: University of Kansas.
Jackson, P. A. (2005). Incoming international students and the library: A survey. Reference Services Review, 33(2), 197–209.
Kaur, D. (2006). International students and American higher education: A study of the academic adjustment experiences of six Asian Indian international students at a research level II university. Unpublished Doctorate dissertation. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina.
Kaur, S., & Sidhu, G. K. (2009). A qualitative study of postgraduate students’ learning experiences in Malaysia. International Education Studies, 2(3), 47–56.
Kelo, M., Rogers, T., & Rumbley, L. E. (2010). International student support in European higher education: Needs, solutions, and challenges. ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education, Bonn, Lemmens.
Kim, Y. (2007). Difficulties in quality doctoral academic advising: Experiences of Korean students. Journal of Research in International Education, 6(2), 171–193.
Kingston, E., & Forland, H. (2008). Bridging the gap in expectations between international students and academic staff. Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(2), 204–221.
Knight, J., & Lee, J. (2014). An analytical framework for education hubs. In J. Knight (Ed.), International education hubs: Student, talent, knowledge-innovation models (pp. 29–42). Dordrecht: Springer.
Krauss, S. E., & Ismail, I. A. (2010). PhD students’. Unpublished experiences of thesis. Qualitative Report, 15(4) supervision in Malaysia: Managing relationships in the midst of institutional change (pp. 802–822).
Kumar, U., & Singh, R. (2014). Resilience and spirituality as predictors of psychological well-being among University Students. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 9(2), 227–235.
Kvale, S. (2007). Doing interviews. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Langdridge, D. (2007). Phenomenological psychology: Theory, research and method. England: Pearson Education.
Leask, B., & Carroll, J. (2011). Moving beyond ‘wishing and hoping’: Internationalisation and student experiences of inclusion and engagement. Higher Education Research and Development, 30(5), 647–659.
Lee, J. J. (2010). International students’ experiences and attitudes at a US host institution: Self-reports and future recommendations. Journal of Research in International Education, 9(1), 66–84.
Lindlof, T. R., & Taylor, B. C. (2011). Qualitative communication research methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Lowinger, R. J., He, Z., Lin, M., & Chang, M. (2014). The impact of academic self-efficacy, acculturation difficulties, and language abilities on procrastination behavior in Chinese international students. College Student Journal, 48, 141–152.
Martirosyan, N. M., Hwang, E., & Wanjohi, R. (2015). Impact of English proficiency on academic performance of international students. Journal of International Students, 5(1), 60–71.
McClure, J. W. (2003). The experiences of Chinese international postgraduates studying in Singapore. Unpublished Doctorate dissertation. Queensland: Griffith University.
Minichiello, V., Aroni, R., & Hays, T. (2008). In-depth interviewing: Principles, techniques, analysis (3rd ed.). Sydney: Pearson Education.
Ministry of Higher Education. (2018). Higher education statistics, 2017. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Higher Education.
Mu, C. (2007). Marketing academic library resources and information services to international students from Asia. Reference Services Review, 35(4), 571–583.
Nachatar Singh, J. K. (2018). What are the factors that contribute to postgraduate international students’ academic success? A Malaysian qualitative study. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(5), 1035–1049.
Nguyen, H. M. (2013). Faculty advisors’ experiences with international graduate students. Journal of International Students, 3(2), 102–116.
Novera, I. A. (2004). Indonesian postgraduate students studying in Australia: An examination of their academic, social and cultural experiences. International Education Journal, 5(4), 475–487.
Pandian, A. (2008). Multiculturalism in higher education: A case study of Middle Eastern students’ perceptions and experiences in a Malaysian university. International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies, 4(1), 33–59.
Parker-Jenkins, M. (2018). Mind the gap: Developing the roles, expectations and boundaries in the doctoral supervisor–supervisee relationship. Studies in Higher Education, 43(1), 57–71.
Perez-Encinas, A., & Rodriguez-Pomeda, J. (2018). International students’ perceptions of their needs when going abroad: Services on demand. Journal of Studies in International Education, 22(1), 20–36.
Perez-Encinas, A., Rodriguez-Pomeda, J., & Josek, M. (2017). Problematic areas of host university support services for short-term mobility students. Journal of International Students, 7(4), 1030–1047.
Pernecky, T., & Jamal, T. (2010). (Hermeneutic) phenomenology in tourism studies. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(4), 1055–1075.
Ploner, J. (2017). Resilience, moorings and international student mobilities–Exploring biographical narratives of social science students in the UK. Mobilities, 12(3), 425–444.
Poyrazli, S., & Isaiah, J. (2018). International students’ journeys from academic probation to academic success. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 7(2), 62–75.
Racher, F. E., & Robinson, S. (2003). Are phenomenology and postpositivism strange bedfellows? Western Journal of Nursing Research, 25(5), 464–81; discussion 482.
Radnor, H. (2002). Researching your professional practice: Doing interpretive research. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Rao, P. (2017). Learning challenges and preferred pedagogies of international students: A perspective from the USA. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(7), 1000–1016.
Saad, N. S. M., Yunus, M. M., & Embi, M. A. (2013). Research on international students in traditional host countries and Malaysia: Some potential areas in Malaysia. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 90, 488–496.
Sabouripour, F., & Roslan, S. B. (2015). Resilience, optimism and social support among international students. Asian Social Science, 11(15), 159.
Sawir, E., Marginson, S., Forbes-Mewett, H., Nyland, C., & Ramia, G. (2012). International student security and English language proficiency. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(5), 434–454.
Shaffer, C., Vardaman, L., & Miller, D. (2010). Library usage trends and needs of international students. Behavioral and Social Sciences Librarian, 29(2), 109–117.
Sherry, M., Thomas, P., & Chui, W. H. (2010). International students: A vulnerable student population. Higher Education, 60(1), 33–46.
Sidhu, G. K., Kaur, S., Fook, C. Y., & Yunus, F. W. (2014). Postgraduate supervision: Comparing student perspectives from Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 123, 151–159.
Singh, M. K. M. (2019). Academic reading and writing challenges among international EFL Master students in a Malaysian university. Journal of International Students, 9(4), Crossref.
Singh, J. K. N., Jack, G., & Schapper, J. (2012). Factors that contribute to academic success students: A literature review. Bulletin of Higher Education Research, 19, 4–6.
Singh, J. K. N., Nagpal, S., Inglis, S., & Jacob-John, J. (2019). International students’ experiences in a flipped classroom environment. International Journal of Educational Management, 33(6), 1303–1315.
Sood, S. (2013). Happiness as mediator between resiliency and mental health in university students. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 4(2), 252–255.
Talebloo, B., & Baki, R. B. (2013). Challenges faced by international postgraduate students during their first year of studies. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(13), 138–145.
Tesch, R. (1990). Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools. London: Falmer Press.
Trahar, S. (2014). “This is Malaysia. You have to follow the custom here”: Narratives of the student and academic experience in international higher education in Malaysia. Journal of Education for Teaching, 40(3), 217–231.
Trice, A. G. (2007). Faculty perspectives regarding graduate international students’ isolation from host national students. International Education Journal, 8(1), 108–117.
van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. ON: Althouse Press.
Wang, J. (2009). A study of resiliency characteristics in the adjustment of international graduate students at American universities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 13(1), 22–45.
Yee, C. P., & Mokhtar, A. H. A. (2013). International students’ learning experiences at private higher education institutions in Malaysia. Paper presented at the Proceeding of the Global Summit on Education, Kuala Lumpur.
Ziaian, T., de Anstiss, H., Antoniou, G., Baghurst, P., & Sawyer, M. (2012). Resilience and its association with depression, emotional and behavioural problems, and mental health service utilisation among refugee adolescents living in South Australia. International Journal of Population Research, 2012, 1–9, Crossref.
Zhang, Y. L. (2016). International students in transition: Voices of Chinese doctoral students in a US Research University. Journal of International Students, 6(1), 175–194.
Zhang, Z., & Brunton, M. (2007). Differences in living and learning: Chinese international students in New Zealand. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(2), 124–140.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, J.K.N. Academic resilience among international students: lived experiences of postgraduate international students in Malaysia. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 22, 129–138 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09657-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09657-7