Sociocultural and Psychological Adjustment of High-Mobility International Students
Ricaurte Villalobos, Karla Vanessa (2023)
2023
Master's Programme in Research and Innovation in Higher Education
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-06-22
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202305256159
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202305256159
Tiivistelmä
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) programs are distinguished by their high mobility, offering students a two-year learning experience that spans multiple destinations and universities. Within these programs, students have the opportunity to acquire valuable professional skills and foster international and intercultural competences. Nonetheless, this experience is also characterized by a sense of urgency, social isolation, and a lack of belonging that together with logistical and legal difficulties may increase students’ stress levels, affecting their overall experience. However, no wide-scale research has yet addressed the impact of EMJM mobility scheme on students’ adjustment.
This study hypothesizes that students’ term, number of countries they had lived in the context of the program, country of origin, previous mobility experience, and level of EMJM difficulties influence the sociocultural and psychological adjustment of students. A cross-sectional survey research is conducted targeting active EMJM students, and 5 reliable scales are used to determine students’ adjustment (UCLA Loneliness Scale, WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS), Index of Sojourner Social Support (ISSS), and EMJM-related Difficulties Scale). Mann-Whitney U and Pearson correlations are employed to test hypotheses.
Results suggest that there is insufficient evidence to support that EMJM mobility structure has a significant impact on students’ sociocultural and psychological adjustment. Nevertheless, students’ characteristics, such as country of origin, gender, previous mobility experience, and level of EMJM-related difficulties significantly influence their adjustment. Specifically, the study found that students’ country of origin plays a significant role, revealing that students from Western countries tend to exhibit better sociocultural adjustment compared to those from non-Western countries. The study concludes that greater awareness regarding the challenges associated with participating in high mobility programs and their potential impact on students' academic and future professional performance is essential to ensure appropriate support and resources to students.
This study hypothesizes that students’ term, number of countries they had lived in the context of the program, country of origin, previous mobility experience, and level of EMJM difficulties influence the sociocultural and psychological adjustment of students. A cross-sectional survey research is conducted targeting active EMJM students, and 5 reliable scales are used to determine students’ adjustment (UCLA Loneliness Scale, WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS), Index of Sojourner Social Support (ISSS), and EMJM-related Difficulties Scale). Mann-Whitney U and Pearson correlations are employed to test hypotheses.
Results suggest that there is insufficient evidence to support that EMJM mobility structure has a significant impact on students’ sociocultural and psychological adjustment. Nevertheless, students’ characteristics, such as country of origin, gender, previous mobility experience, and level of EMJM-related difficulties significantly influence their adjustment. Specifically, the study found that students’ country of origin plays a significant role, revealing that students from Western countries tend to exhibit better sociocultural adjustment compared to those from non-Western countries. The study concludes that greater awareness regarding the challenges associated with participating in high mobility programs and their potential impact on students' academic and future professional performance is essential to ensure appropriate support and resources to students.