Page 37 - Movers, Shapers, and Everything in Between: Influencers of the International Student Experience

Concerning integration, abundant research suggests that how a student relates to peers influences his/her integration (Ward & Kennedy, 1993a; Furnham & Alibhai, 1985). In particular, positive links have been found between interaction with other students and satisfaction (Kennedy, 1999; Perrucci & Hu, 1995), adaptation to life in a foreign country (Zimmerman, 1995; Rohrlich & Martin, 1991), and academic success (Pruitt, 1978). This may be in part because students entering higher education place high importance on relationships with peers and faculty (Palmer, O’Kane, & Owens, 2009).
A 2018 study by Arkoudis et al. identifies a lack of social integration and sense of belonging perceived by international students, despite reporting relatively high levels of satisfaction. Furthermore, differences exist between nationalities in integration (Han et al., 2013; Hechanova- Alampay et al., 2002; Liberman, 1994). A seminal study from Rienties et al. (2012) found that international students studying in The Netherlands with non-Western backgrounds were less integrated compared to other international students, despite having a similar study-performance. The body of research points to integration as a potential predictor of international student satisfaction, which this study will investigate.
Integration takes many forms; therefore, social and academic integration may be studied as separate constructs. Aspects of social integration, including size of social networks and quality and quantity of interaction with peers, has a large influence on adaption of international students (Severiens & Wolff, 2008; Tinto, 1975; Wilcox, Winn, & Fyvie-Gauld, 2005). Integration with local students has been linked to higher satisfaction (Rohrlich & Martin, 1991), and reduced psychological problems (Furnham & Li, 1993). Even social media can enhance the international student experience, depending on how it is used (Sleeman, Lang, & Lemon, 2016; Binsahl, Chang, & Bosua, 2015).
Likewise, academic integration merits separate examination. The learning experience of international students has been shown to have a greater impact on satisfaction than the arrival, living, or support
2
The Role of Integration
35