在臺國際生涵化經驗：壓力因子、應對策略、社會支持來源

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(2) THE ACCULTURATION EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN TAIWAN: STRESSORS, COPINGS STRATEGIES AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SOURCES. A Thesis Submitted to The Faculty of Graduate School National Normal University. In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Education By Hsun-Ming Chang. Dr. Hsiu-Lan Tien, Thesis Advisor. May, 2018.

(3) Acknowledgment. Many thanks to all the faculty members who have taught me how to help people to the best of my abilities. I am indebted to my beloved parents, and the unconditional support they have given me to pursue my studies in the U.S. I am also grateful to my beloved wife for encouraging me to set sail on this study journey, and supporting me to reach the port. Many thanks also to my daughter and son for their constant companionship. Thanks should also go out to all the international students whom I have worked with. You have presented so many amazing voyages to me, and you have taught me the importance of courage and resilience in one’s life journey. Lastly, thank you, Lord. When a strong wind was blowing, and the sea was churning, You walked on the troubling waves of my life, and all the troubles are under Your feet. What a blessing it is for me to take You into my "boat" and enjoy peace with You.. i.

(4) Abstract No research has focused on understanding the acculturation experience and social support sources of international students in Taiwan. A qualitative approach utilizing the framework of stress, coping and adaption, as well as the model of stress and coping through social support was used to explore the experiences of international students at a public university in Taipei city. Stressors, coping strategies, and social support sources over the course of stay were identified as the central topics of in-depth interviews with 13 international students from 11 countries. The stressors identified by participants include language, educational, practical, sociocultural, and discrimination. Participants shared their coping strategies and social support sources in response to each specific stressor. Finally, this study offers a model of social support sources that illustrates social support sources international students used to cope with different stressors arising during their acculturation journey in Taiwan. Uses of this model in developing measures or programs that provide recommended social support sources are discussed. Keywords: acculturation, stressors, coping strategies, social support, international students in Taiwan. ii.

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(6) Table of Contents Acknowledgment ........................................................................................................... i Abstract………. ............................................................................................................ ii Chinese Abstract .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Background ......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Purpose ................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Research Questions ............................................................................................. 7 1.4 Definitions........................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 Literature Review.................................................................................... 11 2.1 Theoretical Models of the Present Study .......................................................... 11 2.2 Relevant Studies on the Acculturation of International Students ..................... 14 2.3 Stressors of International Students.................................................................... 16 2.4 Coping Strategies of International Students ..................................................... 18 2.5 Social Support for International Students ......................................................... 22 Chapter 3 Methodology ........................................................................................... 33 3.1 Research Design................................................................................................ 33 3.2 Participants ........................................................................................................ 35 iv.

(7) 3.3 Interview Protocol ............................................................................................. 37 3.4 Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 4 Results ..................................................................................................... 41 4.1 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Language Stressors ............... 42 4.2 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Educational Stressors ............ 51 4.3 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Practical Stressors ................. 59 4.4 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Sociocultural Stressors .......... 74 4.5 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Discrimination....................... 86 Chapter 5 Discussion ............................................................................................... 95 5.1 Model of International Students’ Social Support Sources ................................ 97 5.2 Limitations and Suggestions ........................................................................... 113 Reference…. ............................................................................................................. 117 Appendix…………………………………………………...………………………125 Appendix A Interview Protocol ......................................................................... 125 Appendix B Research Invitation ........................................................................ 129 Appendix C Informed Consent Statement ......................................................... 130. v.

(8) List of Tables Table 1 Main Stressors Encountered by International Students ..................................... 17 Table 2 Coping strategies of international students (adapted from Khawaja & Stallman, 2011) ................................................................................................................. 20 Table 3 Demographics of Research Participants ............................................................ 36 Table 4 Coping and Social Support in Response to Language Stressors ........................ 42 Table 5 Coping and Social Support in Response to Educational Stressors .................... 52 Table 6 Coping and Social Support in Response to Practical Stressors ......................... 59 Table 7 Coping and Social Support in Response to Sociocultural Stressors .................. 75 Table 8 Coping and Social Support in Response to Discrimination ............................... 87. vi.

(9) List of Figures Figure 1 Research Components ...................................................................................... 34 Figure 2 Research Procedure .......................................................................................... 35 Figure 3 Example of Open-Coding ................................................................................. 39 Figure 4 Example of Axial Coding ................................................................................. 40 Figure 5 Model of Social Support Sources for International Students (Part I) ............... 99 Figure 6 Model of Social Support Sources for International Students (Part II) ........... 100 . vii.

(10) Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter illustrates the research background, research purpose, research questions, and terminologies of this study.. 1.1 Research Background The current study was inspired by the researcher’s two-year study abroad experience in the U.S. This was also shaped by the researcher’s experience as an international student counselor at a Taiwan university, which encouraged him to further investigate effective strategies to enhance the adaption of international students. To the researcher, pursuing a master’s degree in a completely new environment is one of the most challenging and stressful events in life. Like many other students coming from a non-English speaking society and non-Western cultural background, the researcher experienced a number of difficulties in adapting to life in the U.S., such as language barriers, academic challenges, and cross-cultural problems. Achieving academic goals while also trying to adjust to a new culture, was a remarkable challenge for the researcher. There is no doubt that the researcher’s two-year stay in the U.S. would not have been a success without support from university services, and many other individuals, such as members of faculty, student peers, and church members.. 1.

(11) The design of the current study was also shaped by the researcher’s nine years of experience working with international students who had encountered a range of difficulties as a result of being in a new environment. UNESCO statistics have shown that the number of international students increased from 1.3 million in 1990 to 4.3 million in 2011, representing a growth of more than 300%, or an average annual growth rate of almost 6%. The sharpest growth occurred between 2000 and 2011. During this period, the number of international students has more than doubled. In 2013, almost 4.5 million international students were studying outside their home country (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development[OECD], 2013). In the meantime, Taiwan has caught up with this global trend through various national and campus initiatives to attract more international students, such as offering scholarships, and establishing English-taught courses or programs. As a result, international student enrollment at Taiwan universities has grown significantly. The recent vigorous recruitment efforts by local universities pushed international student enrollment to a record high in 2016. According to the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the total number of international students (including degree, exchange, and short-term program students) reached 116,416 in 2016, which was 3.8 times larger than the total number of. 2.

(12) international students in 2007, which was 30,509 — an overall increase of 85,097. The number of international students accounts for 8.9 percent of total enrollments in universities (Ministry of Education, Republic of China (Taiwan), 2017). The growing rate of international student enrollment in Taiwan universities each year necessitates universities to provide services to help international students adjust to their new environment. The university where the researcher serves is regarded as one of the leading higher education institutions on internationalization in Taiwan, hosting a high number of international students. The statistics of the university show that the number of international students increased from 538 in 2007 to 1,174 in 2016. Accompanying the rise in the number of international students has been a growing need for programs and methods to help international students adapt to their new environment, as well as to help deal with adjustment problems, and to manage personal crises or emergencies. Many studies have pointed out that studying abroad is a stressful life event due to a range of difficulties, which might result in psychological stress and psychosomatic problems, which in turn may negatively impact the well-being of international students. Despite the negative experiences and problems in the study journey, the stress and negative effects can be alleviated through coping strategies and. 3.

(13) social support from the university and society. Indeed, the university has delivered a range of services that aim to enhance the adaption of international students. Nevertheless, according to the researcher’s personal experience, very few services had based their work on studies on the experiences of international students. For an effective service to be delivered, it is important that there is a clear understanding of the lived experience of international students, so that these services can adequately cater to their needs. This deficiency of lacking studies focused on international student experiences is commonly seen in other higher education institutions in Taiwan. There is a disconnect between university support programs and the needs of international students, as these programs are often developed without understanding the experiences of these students. This is also exacerbated by the lack of local studies that are focused on this issue. Compared to the rise in the number of international students, domestic studies dedicated to international students are minimal. Currently, Taiwan’s National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations has collected no more than 25 thesis researches — of which most are quantitative studies — pertaining to international students. Taiwan Periodical Literature Center has collected no more than 12 researches dealing with international student's adaption to Taiwan, with five of these works being. 4.

(14) qualitative studies focused on international students of five different countries. This is quite limited compared to the bulk of studies done in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia. Among the very limited researches, there is only one quantitative study related to social support. The lack of understanding of the acculturative experience of international students, stressors, and social support in particular, leaves a gap in two aspects. First, when university support services for international students are designed unilaterally according to the university’s perspective, and not lived experiences, these services may be unable to address the needs of international students. Though these services aim to address these needs, they merely scratch the surface, and may fail to sufficiently solve adjustment problems that international students have encountered. Second, major acculturation models, as well as many studies on international students, have confirmed the role of social support in adaption in the process of acculturation. Additionally, researchers have found that international students used a variety of social support sources to cope with acculturative stressors (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Therefore, higher education institutions should discover, leverage, and unify these sources in order to help students transition more smoothly. Hence, conducting a qualitative study centered on international students will help develop a thorough. 5.

(15) understanding of their acculturation experience and social support sources, which is essential information that universities in Taiwan may need in order to effectively assist these students.. 1.2 Research Purpose The purposes of this grounded study were two-fold: First, to explore the lived experiences of international students in Taiwan as to their stressors, coping strategies, and social support sources in adjusting to a new environment. Second, to establish a structural model to present the acculturation experience of international students that highlighted two essential features: stressors and social support sources. According to Oktay (2012), “grounded theory was designed to study interactions between individuals and their social environment and can be an excellent methodology to gain understanding of individuals who are negotiating a new environment”. In this research, a structural model is defined as a systematic description that explains important characteristics or patterns of social support that international students used in order to deal with stressors or/and stress that they encountered. It is expected that the understanding of the lived acculturation experience and the model grounded in the views of international students could be used to help Taiwan’s universities improve. 6.

(16) existing support services to this group, and more importantly, to develop strategies to promote collaboration between different social support sources so as to enhance social support of international students and mitigate their acculturative stress.. 1.3 Research Questions According to the research purpose, three guiding questions in this study are as follows: 1.. What are the most important stressors or difficulties that international students have encountered?. 2.. What strategies do international students use to cope with stressors or difficulties?. 3.. What are the main sources where international students have received social support to help them cope better in response to acculturative stressors, and how do they receive social support?. 1.4 Definitions (1) International Students According to the definition by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, OECD and Eurostat, international students in the current study are defined as those who are not. 7.

(17) residents of their country of study, or those who received their prior education in another country (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2013). (2) Acculturation Acculturation is defined as “the dual process of cultural and psychological change that takes place as a result of contact between two or more cultural groups and their individual members.” (Berry, 2005). The definition indicates that changes could occur on an individual level (psychological acculturation), and on a group level (cultural acculturation). Since this study is on psychological adjustment of international students to a new environment, the term acculturation is used to refer to psychological acculturation. (3) Acculturative Stress and Stressors According to Berry (2006), dealing with intercultural contacts places a demand on individuals. This experience has the potential to become an acculturative stressor, if they are appraised by individuals to be problematic, but controllable and surmountable. If acculturative stressors cannot be dealt with easily or quickly by simply adjusting or assimilating, individuals experience acculturative stress.. 8.

(18) (4) Coping Coping is defined as “the cognitive and behavioral efforts made to master, tolerate, or reduce external and internal demands and conflicts among them” (Folkman & Lazarus, 1980). In this study, external and internal demands stem from dealing with acculturative stressors or stress. (5) Social Support Social support specifically refers to the social resources that persons perceive to be available, or that are actually provided to them during a stressful life event. The resources can be emotional, information, or instrumental (Cohen, Gottlieb, & Underwood, 2000) .. 9.

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(20) Chapter 2 Literature Review Before exploring the lived experience of international students in Taiwan, it is necessary to relate this study to what other researchers have done and said, as well as to identify the central items in the current study. This section serves to summarize the theories employed and the results of studies related to the acculturation experience of international students. It provides a reference for orienting the research design and questions, as well as a benchmark for comparing the results with other findings of studies, which were mostly undertaken in top higher education exporters, such as the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia. However, it is important to note that the main reason for conducting this qualitative research is to explore the acculturation experiences of international students who are interacting with a new environment, specifically in Taiwan — a different context compared to the aforementioned countries. The researcher sought to listen to participants and gain an understanding according to what was heard. Thus, this section is organized to guide the inquirer through what inquiries need to be made and what could be learned from the participants.. 2.1 Theoretical Models of the Present Study The conceptual framework for the current study is based on Berry’s (2006) stress,. 11.

(21) coping and adaption framework, and Lakey and Cohen’s (2000) stress and coping model on social support. The framework of stress, coping, and adaption was conceptualized to deal with the problematic aspect of acculturation. The framework suggests that the contact of the sojourner’s own cultures with the host culture results in acculturative stress, “a response by people to life events that are rooted in intercultural contact” (Berry, 2006). “The acculturation process (acculturation experience, stressors, stress, adaption), the factors affecting the course of acculturative stress, and the eventual outcomes (adaption)” are three main components that operate in this framework (Berry, 2006). In addition, the framework focuses on a number of group level factors and individual factors that can impact the sojourner’s acculturative stress and adaption. Specifically, with regards to group level factors, characteristics of the society of settlement are related to the general orientations of the host society and its citizens toword soujouners, while characteristics of the society of origin include factors such as political, economic, and demographic conditions faced by soujourners in their own society of origin. Meanwhile, individual level factors, or pre-existing factors, as well as those arising during the acculturation process are believed to be moderating factors influencing the relationships between different main events in the process. 12.

(22) (acculturation experience, stresssors, stress, and adaption). It is believed that individuals start the acculturation process with some pre-existing individual factors such as personal demographic characteristics (e.g. age, gender, education, religion), health, language, personality, migration motivation, and cultural distance. Other individual factors, including contact discrepancy, acculturation strategies, coping strategies, social support, and societal attitudes, may also arise during the acculturation process. When adapting Berry’s framework to this study, it is worth noting that all the group level factors and personal level factors existing before the acculturation process are barely influenced by the society of settlement, not to mention the universities hosting international students. In contrast, personal factors arising during acculturation, particularly coping and social support, are the two most important factors that should be focused on for two reasons. First, these two factors show significant influences on the acculturation process. Second, the hosting universities could play an important role in assisting international students with their coping strategies and enhancing their social support, thus increasing adaption. The second theoretical perspective adapted in this qualitative study is the stress and coping model on social support, which suggests that social support has a stress-. 13.

(23) buffering effect on stressful life events, such as studying abroad for international students, that could impact a student’s health (Lakey & Cohen, 2000). The model predicts that social support buffers the negative effect of stress on health through two ways. First, actual assistance will enhance coping which helps to reduces the negative effects of stressors or stress on health. Second, perceiving that social support is available might result in appraising stressful situation as less negatively and less severe emotional reactions. This could protect individuals against adverse effect (Lakey & Cohen, 2000). In summary, as illustrated by Berry’s framework, and Lakey and Cohen’s model, when international students deal with stressful life changes, coping strategies and social support can determine whether the stressors result in stress, as well as the degree of the acculturative stress they experience. Therefore, it is important to understand the stressors, coping strategies, and social support in this study.. 2.2 Relevant Studies on the Acculturation of International Students In addition to theoretical models, many studies related to the topic presented in this paper have also been conducted. Smith and Khawaja (2011) are among many. 14.

(24) researchers who have done so, and their study on the acculturation of international students provided the most comprehensive examination of relevant journal articles up to now, in which a total of 94 relevant studies on the acculturation of international students, including 13 qualitative studies and 81 quantitative, were evaluated to investigate the applicability of different acculturation models to international students (including Berry’s model). Smith and Khawaja (2011) have highlighted certain key points pertaining to acculturative stressors and acculturative stress, which are as follows: (1) life changes, as a result of being in a new culture and cognitively appraised as threats by student sojourners (p. 702, 704, 705) might become stressors. If international students cannot sufficiently overcome acculturative stressors with coping resources, the stressors may lead to acculturative stress which negatively affects a student’s psychological and sociocultural adaption, resulting in psychosomatic or psychological symptoms (p. 706). (2) As suggested by a number of prominent acculturation models, the subsequent impact of stressors on the degree of acculturative stress experienced is subject to two important factors: a student’s coping strategies (p. 704), and the level of social support (p. 707). In conclusion, the theoretical models and international student literatures have. 15.

(25) emphasized that stressors, coping, and social support, are the three main items concerning the acculturation of international students. The following section, therefore focuses on stressors, coping strategies, and social support of international students, and is organized as follows: Section 2.3 Stressors, Section 2.4 Coping Strategies, 2.5 Social Support.. 2.3 Stressors of International Students A variety of stressors were found in many studies on international students’ acculturation. From 94 relevant studies, Smith and Khawaja (2011) classified frequent acculturative stressors that international students encountered into five main types: language barriers, educational (academic), practical, sociocultural, and discrimination. Based on this classification, Table 1 summarizes the stressors found in a number of studies (Smith & Khawaja, 2011; Tseng & Newton, 2002; Khawaja & Stallman, 2011; Lee & Rice, 2007). In contrast to rich findings of international student literatures, the study of acculturation of international students in Taiwan are very limited. Chang (2008) interviewed 6 international students at the National Taiwan Normal University and found difficulties faced in the adaption included language and communication, food, traffic and transportation, accommodations, and social interactions. Despite. 16.

(26) international students around the world sharing similar motives and period of stay, it is acknowledged that different contexts could produce different findings. It is possible to infer that international students may face different stressors in Taiwan’s school system and society. This limitation was addressed by the qualitative approach of this study. Table 1 Main Stressors Encountered by International Students Types. Stressors. Language. English proficiency (objective and self-assessment), communication. Educational. Academic stress; mismatch in expected academic performance to the reality achieved; mismatch regarding quality and efficiency of services provided; different instruction style; courses not consistent with expectations; education system differences; lack of effective learning skills. Practical Matters. Financial. problems;. accommodation;. transportation;. (General living). climate; food; lack of information about daily matters; seeking employment or internship. Social-cultural. Interpersonal problems; contact or friendship with host nationals; culture shock; culture fatigue; unfamiliar cultural norms, values, and customs; loss of established support and social networks; conflicts between host standards and those of home countries; lack of knowledge of the host culture; isolation; loneliness; homesickness; depression; frustration; loss of status or identity; feelings of worthlessness (continued) 17.

(27) Types. Stressors. Discrimination. Feelings of inferiority; direct verbal insults; discrimination when seeking employment; physical attacks; cultural discrimination (negative remarks about others’ home countries; hostility towards non-fluency in English); feelings of discomfort and inhospitality (different ways of daily engagements, staring, ignorance, exclusion); unfair treatment. 2.4 Coping Strategies of International Students Studies on the coping strategies of international students were mostly focused on maladaptive coping, whereas studies on positive copings were very limited (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). A study by Tseng and Newton (2002) reported eight coping strategies adapted by international students for enhancing adjustment capacities: know self and others; make friends and build friendships; expand individual worldview; ask help to handle problems; establish social and cultural contacts; build relationships with advisors and instructors; become proficient in the English language; and using the tactic of “letting go”. Participants in the study of Wu, Garza & Guzman (2015) reported utilizing school services, such as student associations or organizations, writing center, counseling center, recreation facilities, dormitories, and campus activities as an 18.

(28) important strategy to release stress as these facilities could help students find a support group and gain strategies to deal with different problems. Table 2 summarizes the strategies presented in Khawaja and Stallman’s (2011) comprehensive study that examined the coping strategies of international students in Australia.. 19.

(29) Table 2 Coping strategies of international students (adapted from Khawaja & Stallman, 2011) Stressors. Challenges. Coping Strategies. Language. Limited English. 1. Improve English proficiency before. proficiency negatively. leaving home country.. impacts the progress of. 2. Learning the language informally. studies, developing. through interaction with locals by. friendships.. joining clubs and organizations. 3. Use language support.. Educational. 1. Unfamiliar with. 1.. Good organization, time. written assignments or. management and prioritization of. essay writing.. tasks.. 2. Difficulties interacting 2. with lecturers and. 3.. Prepare for the lectures in advance. Study marking criteria before doing. tutors, and working in. an assignment and actively seek. groups with local. assistance from the lecturers and. students.. tutors. 4.. Actively seek assistance from lecturers and tutors, and International Students Services.. Social-cultural. Social isolation in class. 1.. and social life (difficulties in developing friendships. Seek the friendship of co-nationals initially.. 2.. Push themselves out of comfort. with local students) and. zone to join clubs, organizations,. culture shock (barrier).. Western extra-curricular activities. 3.. Learn about interests, hobbies, and activities enjoyed by local students, in order to establish a common ground for interaction and friendship.. 4.. Share a house with local students or do language exchanges.. 5.. Demonstrate confidence. (continued). 20.

(30) Stressors. Challenges. Coping Strategies 6.. Gather information about the host nation’s country.. 7.. Establish contacts in host country before arrival.. (5-7 are strategies to cope with culture shock) Practical. 1.. matters 2.. Unprepared for. 1.. Actively seek information to learn. overseas education. about daily matters, the university,. Unsuccessful in. its educational system, courses,. finding part-time job. campus, the city, the culture of host society by using technology, for example, internet, mobile phones, email, Facebook, Skype, and GPS before leaving home country and after arriving in the new country. 2.. Attend orientation and campus events.. 3.. Practice to have an independent living before departure.. 4.. Develop realistic expectations and explore opportunities among conationals. (Strategies to cope with difficulty in finding employment). Discrimination Marginalized in class and. --. social events a. Not found. 21. a.

(31) 2.5 Social Support for International Students The benefit of social support on international students was confirmed not only by theoretical models but also by a number of other related studies. In the following section, the researcher presents the results of studies which revealed the effect of social support on international students. For most international students, leaving family and friends behind, and entering Taiwan universities can be regarded as a transition of rebuilding social networks to provide social support. On top of the different stressors faced after arrival in a new environment, international students at the same time try to establish relationships with new people, such as classmates, university staff, faculty, and local friends, as well as different administrative entities or groups of people on or off campus, such as university offices, or religious groups. From these individuals or groups, they might receive the social support needed. Research found international students utilized a variety of social support sources. As social support is an essential factor affecting international students’ acculturation, the study therefore compiles the results related to the benefits of social support on international students and describes main social support sources among international students as documented in previous studies. The main social support sources were comprised of university support services. 22.

(32) and social networks. 2.5.1 The Benefit of Social Support on International Students Many studies on social support elaborated by different researchers have pointed out that social support provides a buffer against acculturative stress (Smith & Khawaja, 2001) and psychological symptoms (Zhang & Goodson, 2010). Berry (2006) noted that, many studies have confirmed that supportive relationships with either heritage culture (i.g., with co-nationals) or members of the host society are associated with lower stress and successul adaption. Zhang and Goodson (2010) reviewed 64 studies published between January 1990 and January 2009 to examine the predictors of psychosocial adjustment of international students in the United States. Out of these 64 studies, 33 studies (51.6%) reported predictors of psychological symptoms. Among those 33 studies, 13 studies were focused on the relation between social support and psychological symptoms. Social support was the second most tested predictor behind stress. The results of 13 studies confirmed international students with greater social support had fewer such psychological symptoms. Yeh and Inose’s (2003) study among a sample of 359 international students in the United States indicated that the social connectedness and social support satisfaction predicted lower levels of acculturative. 23.

(33) stress. A study by Poyrazli, Kavanaugh, Baker, & Al-Timimi (2004) on a sample of 141 international students in different U.S. colleges indicated that higher levels of social support were associated with lower levels of acculturative stress. The same study also discovered that higher acculturative stress was reported by students who primarily socialized with non-Americans, compared to students who primarily socialized with American. A study by Lee, Koeske, & Sales (2004) examined the role of social support in moderating the effect of acculturative stress on mental health symptoms among Korean international students in a U.S university. The result of study indicated that when experiencing acculturative stress, students with a high level of social support reported lower mental health symptoms, compared to students with low levels of social support. 2.5.2 Sources of Social Support Among International Students A study into the social support sources of international students used in a sampled U.S. university by Zhai (2004) showed that family or friends (including fellow international students or other international students) were the most preferred support source for international students (70% of participants), followed by Office of International Education (30 % of participants); education academic adviser (20% of. 24.

(34) participants); and classmates, faculty members, and colleagues (10% of participants each). Given that the university is the main social context for international students, university support services and friendships are the two most commonly documented sources which play an important role in helping international students cope with challenges in a host country. The following section provides an overview of two sources – university support services and friendships. 2.5.2.1 University Support Services Ryan and Carroll (2005) contend. that schools recruiting international students. are obliged to provide adequate resources to address the special needs of international students. The study by Wu, Garza & Guzman (2015) outlined the support resources in the sampled university students used to cope with their stressors: (1) school resources, including student associations, writing center, counseling center, recreational facilities, and student organizations where they can release stress, find a support group, and gain strategies to deal with different problems; (2) dormitories where they found Englishspeaking roommates to improve their English proficiency; (3) campus activities where they expanded social networking by interacting with other students; (4) language support through which they can practice spoken English; (5) campus counseling. 25.

(35) service where they seek guidance about adjustment issues; (6) students’ organizations where they increased interactions with American students so as to improve their language and communication skills and gain opportunities to know and adjust to American culture. Harryba, Guilfoyle, & Knight (2012) documented three types of specialized services customized by a number of universities in Australia to serve the needs of international students: (1) Academic support that offers a variety of formal or informal programs to help international students with English skills, academic writing, presentation skill, exam preparation, adaption to new academic environment; (2) Language support, such as a large project that was initiated to develop online English language resources for international students, and a compilation of resources for academics who worked for international students; (3) Socio-cultural support, such as programs designed to help international students with career-related issues, or to promote inter-cultural interaction between local and international students through 24hour hotlines, specialized counseling services, and social events for international students provided by the International Student Office. Lillyman & Bennett (2014) reviewed 87 journal articles between 2000 and 2012, and pointed out how universities provided or were suggested to provide a variety of services in accordance with different. 26.

(36) phases of sojouners’ journey: (1) Prior to coming to the United Kingdom: provide contact of persons international students can talk to, for instance, peers or in-country representatives, or previous international students; provide practical informaiton about food, finances, accomodation; use a solution-focused video to instruct students how to manage differences in teaching and learning; and help students understand the language and literacy practices of host countries, as well as the political context in which the relationship between the United Kindom and the sponsoring country exists; (2) On arrival: assign a representative from the university’s International Office at the aiport to assist arriving international students; provide advice about travel and accomodation before students depart; provide an orientation about the campus and shopping places; focus on international students on orientation week; design a noninternational buddy system to assist international students; (3) First few weeks in the United Kingdom: offer counselling and chaplaincy; provide advice where to buy home foods in their locality; assist students with internet access as soon as possible, so they can contact family, friends, and peers; offer regular personal tutoring; engage students in cultural and social networking; and establish a more supportive campus environment. Despite the fact that the universities had a variety of support services in place, this. 27.

(37) did not necessarily translate to international student use. Harryba, Guilfoyle, & Knight’s (2012) study revealed that although international students needed the services to help with their transition in Australian universities, they barely used them. The same study suggested three main reasons leading to the underutilization of university support services, which are as follows: perceived language and cultural barriers; unawareness of services; and being uncomfortable. This phenomon of underutilization was also found in other studies on international students’ use of counseling services. For instance, Nilsson, Berkel, Flores, & Lucas (2004) indicated that at the university studied, international students using counseling services accounted for as low as two percent of their total population, and one-third of those who sought help discontinued treatment after the first session. A similar issue was also found among international students studying in another Australian university. The participants of the study reported that they did not fully utilize the university’s counseling services as they felt that the counselors had inadequate knowledge of their situation, and that these services were mostly aimed towards individuals with mental illnesses (Ang & Liamputtong, 2008).. 28.

(38) 2.5.2.2 Friendship networks Many studies on how international students form friendships have been conducted; and the findings have confirmed friendship development was important to international students regarding their acculturation, satisfaction, contentment, social support, and success (Bochner, Hutnik, & Furnham, 1985; Kudo & Simkin, 2003; Ying, 2002, as cited in Hendrickson, Rosen & Aune, 2011). According to the functional model of social psychology of academic sojourners, international students formed three distinct social networks according to the functions of friendship. Listed in order of importance, they are: co-national, host national, and multinational (Bochner, McLeod, & Lin, 1977). Bochner, et al. (1977) tested the model in a study of 30 international students at the University of Hawaii. The study confirmed three different functions of social relations of international students which are discussed below. (1) Co-national friendships Co-national friends are those from the same country of origin. According to the function model, its function is to affirm and express the culture origin. The study by Bochner, et al. (1977) indicated that co-national friendship is the primary network of international students, and is essential to their study abroad experiences. Researchers. 29.

(39) have confirmed several advantages which co-national friendships might provide to international students. First, international students can gain a deeper understanding of the new culture by discussing and interacting with the other co-nationals in the same situation (Woolf, 2007, as cited in Hendrickson, Rosen, & Aune, 2011). Second, the stress as a result of cross-cultural contact might be mitigated by co-national friendships (Kim, 2001, as cited in as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011). Third, cultural identity and emotional support rendered via co-national friendship are helpful to international students when adapting to a new environment (Maundeni, 2001, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011). However, international students’ reliance on co-national friendship may inhibit them from forming friendships with host nationals (Church, 1982, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011). Kim (2001, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011) pointed that co-national bonds offer short-term support but hinder the long-term adaption process. (2) Host national friendships Host national friends are friends from the host country. According to the function model, host friends tend to offer an academic and instrumental relationship. Host national friendships are another important social support sources to international. 30.

(40) students. Kim (2001, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011) argued that host national friendships, in comparison to co-national friendships, have equal benefit, and may be more important to the adaption process. Church (1997, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011) indicated that contact with host nationals was linked to higher levels of satisfaction, less homesickness, and less loneliness during the study abroad experience. Furthermore, without intimate friendships with host nationals, the adjustment process is greatly hindered (Maundeni, 2001, as cited in Hendrickson, et al., 2011). Several studies have shown that social relations with host nationals are important to reduce loneliness (Sawir et al., 2008; Zhang & Brunton, 2007, as cited in Smith & Khawaja, 2011) and increase the overall adjustment of international students (Al-Sharideh & Goe, 1998; Kashima & Loh, 2006; Li & Gasser, 2005; Ying & Han, 2006; Ying & Liese, 1994; Zhang & Goodson, 2011, as cited in Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Yet, a study conducted at a university in the U.S. revealed that only 35% of international students had successfully made friendships with Americans, while 65% of international students had made friendships with students from other countries and their home country (Sherry, Thomas, & Chui, 2010). Furthermore, according to Khawaja & Stallman’s study (2011), most participants reported difficulties in developing friendships with. 31.

(41) local students which resulted in social isolation and loneliness. Smith & Khawaja (2011) concludes, “Overall, social support with either locals or co-nationals appears to be an important buffer of acculturative stress.” (3) Multinational friendships Multinational friends are those from countries other than their own. The functional model indicates that they tend to render recreational and social relationships. Hendrickson, et al. (2011) summarized many advantages of forming multinational friendship. First, international students have the opportunity to learn more about other cultures. Second, being in a group of students facing similar challenges makes an individual feel less isolated in a new environment. Third, speaking with multi-nationals, in comparison to host nationals, is less intimidating and thus creates more language learning.. 32.

(42) Chapter 3 Methodology The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate this study’s research design, research participants, interview protocol, and data analysis.. 3.1 Research Design According to the literature review, research background and research purpose, in adjusting to the new environment in Taiwan, international students would encounter various stressors, use different copings and social support to alleviate the impact of stressors and enhance their adaption Therefore, the stressors, copings and social support were studied in this research as three components shown in Figure 1. The experience of international students pertaining to each of these three components was explored through the following research procedure.. 33.

(43) Social Support Sources, Resources. Stressors. Copings. International Students in Acculturation Journey. Figure 1 Research Components 3.1.1 Research Procedure As illustrated in Figure 2, the stages of this grounded-theory research began with data collection, which included interviews, the recording of each interview, note-taking, and transcribing. As soon as transcribing was finished, open coding analysis was started. This stage involved encoding interview data by reading through notes, repeatedly listening to tapes and reading transcripts until themes or categories were formed. In the following two stages which included axial coding and categorization, themes or categories were scrutinized, and broad patterns, generalizations, or theories were developed. The comparison of broad patterns, generalization, and theories with existing literatures was carried out in the final stage.. 34.

(44) Figure 2 Research Procedure. 3.2 Participants Thirteen students (four men and nine women) that best helped the researcher understand the research questions were purposefully selected from the university. Table 3 summarizes the demographics of the research participants. All participants were enrolled as full-time students in different years and colleges (eight were undergraduate students, and five were graduate students). As the length of residence may influence the richness of experience of acculturation and social support, students who had been in Taiwan for more than one year were selected. The mean age of this group was 26 years. With the exception of one participant who was married, 12 of them were single. The majority of participants (n=12) were from non-English speaking countries. In order to obtain a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives, the variables of region. 35.

(45) and country were controlled. For example, nine students were from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the EU (three from each respective region), two were from Central America, one was from the Middle East, and one was from Northern Eurasia, reflecting the general distribution of countries and regions within the international student population. Although a specific country or region cannot be represented by any individual, the range of countries represented by the participants provided invaluable information about the study abroad experience from many different perspectives. The setting for this study was a public school in Taipei city where the researcher worked as an international student counselor. The role of a staff member helping international students with study and life issues allowed the researcher a more rapid and complete acceptance by participants, meaning that there would be access to more thorough, informative data from participants. Table 3 Demographics of Research Participants Nationality. Students were from 11 different countries. The regions were East Asia (n=3), Southeast Asia (n=3), EU (n=3), Central America (n=2), Middle East (n=1), Northern Eurasia (n=1). Gender. Male: n=4, Female: n=9. Year of Study. Year 1: n=1, Year 2: n=11, Year 4: n=1. Study Level. Graduate: n=8, Undergraduate: n=5. Age. The majority (n=12) were under 30 years: aged between 20-25 (n=6), aged between 26-30 (n=6). One was aged 36. 36.

(46) First Language. The majority (n=12) were non-English: Indonesian (n=2), South Korean (n=2), Spanish (n=2), Japanese (n=1), Vietnamese (n=1), German (n=1), Slovak (n=1), Russian (n=1), Turkish (n=1). While one was a native English speaker.. Program. English: n=7, Chinese: n=6. language Marital Status. The majority (n=12) were single, while one was married. 3.3 Interview Protocol The literature review, including the theories employed, shaped the interview questions which centered on the participants’ experience of stressors, copings, and social support. Appendix A shows the interview protocol developed to ask questions and record answers for specific information related to the purpose of during the interview. In addition, prior to the interview, an invitation letter (Appendix B) and a consent form (Appendix C) was sent to each participant. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the researcher’s office. Each interview lasted around 60 minutes. Interviews were audiotaped. These interviews involved a series of the same semistructured questions which each participant replied to. Additionally, the researcher inquired further based on the participants’ responses. All interview contents recorded were transcribed by the researcher.. 37.

(47) 3.4 Data Analysis The data analysis is conducted in three steps as follow. The first step is open coding. In this step, the researcher coded words, phrases and segments that describe the difficulties or problems that were cause stress to the respondent (stressors), what actions that the respondent took to cope with the stressors (copings), and what social support sources and resources that the respondent utilized to enhance his/her copings and ease the stressors. Figure 3 shows the coding of two interview segments.. 38.

(48) Figure 3 Example of Open-Coding In the second step, the researcher conducted axial coding by using matrices to interrelate stressors, copings, social support reported by each participant. Figure 4 shows a matrix that the researcher created to relate stressors, copings and social support reported by one of 13 participants. A total of 13 matrices representing 13 participants was created in this step.. 39.

(49) Figure 4 Example of Axial Coding In the third step, similar stressors identified in 13 matrices were put into a stressor category. After a stressor category was generated, the similar copings and social support in response to the stressor was further integrated.. 40.

(50) Chapter 4 Results Table 4-8 summarizes the copings strategies and the social support international students used to cope with the five types of stressors. Every table elaborates the findings of interviews with the 13 participants, showing the approaches involving the stressors encountered by international students in the first column, followed by the coping strategies used to deal with stressors in the second column, and of importance here, are the following columns that outline the social support international students utilized to enhance coping performance. Social support typically refers to social resources that persons perceive to be available, or that are actually provided to them during a stressful life event. What is more important to this study was to explore the types of sources the participants used to receive social support, as this finding could suggest what programs or practices the university should improve or implement to make social support more available to international students in need. Therefore, social support was further disassembled into two parts - source and resource (synonym of social support). The stressors faced by international students span five main categories, including language stressors (Table 4), educational stressors (Table 5), practical stressors (Table. 41.

(51) 6), sociocultural stressors (Table 7), and discrimination (Table 8) in this study, which was consistent with the classification explored in international student literatures. Further, the researcher elaborates in detail, the various coping strategies and social support sources that were reported by international students in response to specific stressors.. 4.1 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Language Stressors Two language stressors (Chinese and English), coping strategies, and the social support international students used are shown in Table 4. Table 4 Coping and Social Support in Response to Language Stressors Stressor. Coping. Social Support Source. Chinese. Study in Chinese. Chinese Language. in academic. Language Institute,. Institute. life. practice Use social support. Resource Instruction. Local classmates,. Translation,. local roommates. language exchange. Chinese. Study in Chinese. Chinese Language. in daily life a. Language Institute,. Institute. Instruction. practice (continued). 42.

(52) Stressor. Coping. Social Support Source. Use social support. Resource. Local roommates,. Instruction,. classmates, students. translation, clarification. International Office. Translation, clarification. Campus Caring. Tutoring. Group Local residents. Translation, clarification, assistance. English. Use social support. Multinational. Translation,. in academic life. students, local. clarification. (reading &. classmates. listening) a. encountered particularly in first few weeks or months after arrival. 4.1.1 The Impact of Chinese Language Stressors in Academic and Daily Life As illustrated, the Chinese language stressor impacted their life in two domains: academic and daily life. In the academic domain, given Chinese was the instruction language in the majority of courses, it is not surprising that Chinese language barrier was reported to be a stressor by international students who came from non-Chinese speaking countries but took Chinese-instructed courses. Five participants reported that. 43.

(53) their limited Chinese proficiency had negatively affected their lecture comprehension, ability to engage in discussions (in and outside class), assignment writing, and academic performance. This finding supports the results of previous studies which highlighted the second language barrier as a major stressor for international students (Smith & Khawaja, 2011), as the following excerpts illustrate.. Actually I’ve been studying Chinese in my undergraduate university, that’s why I just believe I can speak Chinese well. But when I came here, and then when I met Taiwanese people, I really can’t understand what they are speaking…Some of the article is in English, but when teacher talk to us it is all Chinese. It was so hard for the first semester. (IS4) Language, of course, because I could communicate but I could not really say what I wanted to say…Stressed…I would ask the team members, but I can’t always ask … They will miss out some information while I ask them. So maybe after the discussion I would ask them what we were talking [The researcher added further: ‘And you feel stressed in the discussion?’] Yes, I really do (IS7). Many studies have shown that English proficiency has a significant impact on the academic performance of international students. A lower level of English proficiency was associated with low academic performance (Poyrazli & Kavanaugh, 2006). Similarly, this can be applied to Chinese proficiency, as seen in findings reported by international students studying Chinese-instructed courses. This is reflected by the. 44.

(54) comment of a participant below.. When I came to NCCU, I had so much dream about my academic degree, I think I should have good academic performance, but those in Chinese so I can’t understand what teachers said. It’s a little sad for me because I want to learn but I couldn’t. (IS11). Whereas many studies found that the second language barrier (Chinese language in this study) can impact the academic domain, it seems that there was no literature mentioning the impact of the second language barrier in the aspect of the daily life. However, in this study, six participants who had zero or very limited Chinese ability before coming to Taiwan noted that the Chinese language barrier used to be a stressor in daily life for a certain period of time after they arrived — a unique phenomenon found in this study as a result of English-taught programs established in the university.. I know there is language barrier, I took Chinese course before coming to Taiwan but it’s not that helpful…Well, of course I don’t have the basic survival problem anymore, what still challenging…maybe language still [Participant had studied in Taiwan for one and a half years] (IS3) About Chinese, I don’t know any Chinese, so in my first few weeks, I think it was difficult but after some months I think it’s not so difficult. (IS11). When further exploring the impact of the Chinese language stressor within the. 45.

(55) context of daily life, the finding of this study revealed the negative impact incurred could be minor or short-term in comparison with academic life as a function of the following factors. First, as discussed in Section 4.1.2, as the sufficient Chinese learning resources rendered a lot of learning opportunities, international students could take Chinese courses provided by the Chinese Language Center or university courses to improve their Chinese ability. Second, the problems in daily life are much easier to mitigate through social support, given the proficiency level required to complete the tasks is much lower and the consequences at stake are minor (completion of a daily life task versus completion of an academic assignment). Third, as shown in Table 4, more diverse social support sources were available and were used by participants to cope with problems in daily life. In contrast, academic matters are basically major-specific or course-specific, which implies that most of these problems can only be addressed with classmates. Fourth, the negative impact to daily life caused by the Chinese language barrier decreased more quickly as time had passed, and as participants gained more knowledge of daily activities and the new environment. This would normally take a few weeks or months after arrival. However, as for international students taking Chinese-taught courses, it took a year or longer for them to cope with the Chinese. 46.

(56) language barrier in the academic domain. Finally, as discussed in Section 4.3.2, support from local Taiwanese helped counteract the difficulties caused by the participants’ limited Chinese abilities. Indeed, many participants attested to receiving assistance from friendly, helpful citizens, and also noted that it was not too difficult to come across English-speaking people who could help them. 4.1.2 The Coping for Chinese Language Stressors With respect to coping with language stressors, two strategies were reported. A number of participants proactively learned Chinese, formally in Chinese courses, and informally from tutoring or language exchange with local students, before and after leaving their country of origin. These students also sought social support to solve problems caused by language barrier or to learn faster. This way of coping to deal with language stressors supports the findings by Khawaja and Stallman (2011), summarized in Table 2. Meanwhile, given that the language barrier was less challenging in daily life than in academic life, as discussed in the last section (4.1.1), a few participants studying in English-instructed programs — with all courses instructed in English — took an inactive approach, opting instead to accept the difficulties caused by the Chinese language barrier. These participants did not actively learn Chinese (formally. 47.

(57) or informally) and instead, sought social support only when it was needed. This phenomenon was also not found in the international student literatures. The following are their statements.. If I needed something like translating something, I asked my friend or I went to study center, the administration building to visit Joan [pseudonym] and just asked…The people there are very helpful and no problem at all regarding the language, they spoke English, I wouldn’t say their English is very well, but alright, it was absolutely enough to get what I want to. (IS9) Yeah, but most of Taiwanese there is always people understand English, that is the first thing. Second, if they don't understand, you point it out and make signal, and they understand. So you can survive perfectly here, I was being fine. (IS12). 4.1.3 The Social Support for Chinese Language Stressors Are Diverse and Sufficient As shown on the right of Table 5, the participants sought out the following support sources to cope with the Chinese Language Stressor in academic and daily life. First, from the Chinese Language Center, a Chinese language institute in the university, students received course instructions to improve their Chinese. Second, from the Campus Caring Group, a volunteer group composed of spouses of faculty, from whom they received free Chinese tutoring. Third, through the International Office, a. 48.

(58) university support service designated to serve international students, they found support resources to translate or clarify Chinese information or documents. Fourth, from local roommates and classmates (students attending same classes), helpful local residents, they sought instruction, translation, clarification, and assistance to comprehend Chinese information in the settings such as lectures and group discussions, on the contents such as textbooks, course assignments, emails and documents, or to troubleshoot communication problems with other people who only speak Chinese. This finding revealed the supportive sources of Chinese language were sufficient and that participants had a variety of sources to cope with the Chinese language stressor, including university support services (e.g. Chinese Language Center, International Office), volunteer group (e.g. Campus Caring Group), and local people (roommates, classmates, residents). All these social support sources were documented in the studies by Zhai (2004), Wu, Garza, & Guzman (2015), Harryba, Guilfoyle, & Knight, (2012). The following excerpts from the interviews illustrate the use of three social support sources, as well as corresponding courses and provisions.. Writing a report. I would like to write it by myself first, and then let the local students check for you…Yea, they will help me with the academic problems.. 49.

(59) Sometimes I didn’t understand what the professor was saying, they would tell us what he or she was saying. (IS7) Right now my roommate is Taiwanese, she also helps me a lot. If I have difficulties in Chinese, she helps a lot. (IS1) I decided to take class in CLC [Chinese Language Center], and then summer vacation I didn’t go back to Korea, I stayed here to learn Chinese, that is why nowadays I can speak a bit, I think better than before. I can hear what they’re talking about, yea I think better than before. (IS4). 4.1.4 Dual-Language Stressor - A Unique Challenge to International Students Perhaps the most noticeable finding regarding language stressors was that students who did not speak English as their native language faced English language barriers in English-taught programs, while also dealing with Chinese language barriers (the second language barrier) in their daily activities. For the higher education institutes in Taiwan, the establishment of English-taught programs or courses targeted at international students whose main language was not Chinese was expected. However, this particular strategy also resulted in a special problem identified in this study. This dual-language stressor was never recorded in the large studies based in popular higher education destinations for international students, such as the U.S, the U.K., Canada,. 50.

(60) and Australia. Thus, this has become a unique topic which should be considered and addressed by Taiwan’s higher education institutes.. When I came to Taiwan, my English was still not good, and I was little bit stressed about it, because in language center all my friends are foreigners, they speak English first because they can’t speak Chinese. (IS11) At first time I came that’s so stressful, the class…There’s so many native speakers and actively discuss. In Indonesia, I read many reading materials, for reading materials it’s ok but like express my thinking is challenging to me, and discuss in front of class, and there are so many courses need this. It’s the teaching style, and so many homeworks I need to write paper in English which is challenging. (IS1). 4.2 The Coping and Social Support in Response to Educational Stressors Six educational stressors as well as the coping strategies and social support (source and resource) that participants used to meet the demands of the stressors is given in Table 5. To expand on Table 5, the researcher discussed each stressor in detail one by one.. 51.

(61) Table 5 Coping and Social Support in Response to Educational Stressors Stressor. Coping. Social Support Source. Unmet expectation. Be resilient. Counseling center,. (about. &. local & international. curriculum). use social. friends, religion. support. friends, family &. Resource Caring, encouragement. friends back home Unmet expectation. Study in. Chinese Language. Instruction, language. (instruction. Chinese. Center. exchange. language). Language Center Use social. Local classmates, local Translation. support. roommates. Unmet expectation. Transfer to. International Office. (student profile). other school. and department office. Instruction, clarification. at the new school Academic stress. Use social. Instructing professor,. Suggestions, assistance. due almost to. support. a professor acquainted. (instructing professor);. failing a required. by taking course,. financial aid. course after. church pastor. (acquainted professor);. retaking a. prayer, God's word, caring, empathy, encouragement (pastor, church friends). Different teaching. Adjust &. International. Useful information,. method. learn,. classmates. advice, suggestion. use social support a. Problem was worsened as the participant could not afford the credit fee to retake the. course, which meant that graduation could be postponed. The financial stressor involved is discussed in Table 6. 52.

(62) The first three educational stressors were: unmet expectations about curriculum, the student’s profile, and the language of instruction, as reported by three respective participants (IS3, IS4, IS5). This phenomenon of mismatch in expectations regarding demonstrable information was a noticeable deviation from the previous studies summarized in Table 1. The mismatch previously found was more about the quality and efficiency of university services.. I think the challenge I had during the first semester was that I wasn’t having the right program for what I wanted to be doing, the course I had an understanding, there will be kind of more culture communication subject I will be studying but it’s been a lot more of media progress… and so it was just like personal question of ‘am I in right course or right place?’ (IS5) Because while online, when I applied for the program, they said 50% international students, 50% Taiwanese students. Because if you want to study politics, you will want to know about what other people are thinking, but there was no Taiwanese student. (IS3) I believe they’re teaching in English. The teachers maybe they are gonna speak in English, but no, it is in Chinese. But I got an interview with them, they said, almost everything is in English, that’s why I thought I am gonna study Accounting in English (IS4). To cope with the stressor, one participant (IS3) decided to transfer to the university chosen in this study for a program that fitted his study plan. The participant utilized the 53.

(63) support resources from International Office and a department office at the new school.. I just transfer to [the university where the researcher worked] (IS3). However, the two other participants (IS4 and IS5) chose to continue their studies probably due to the limited choices of similar degree programs and/or other factors. To cope with stressful circumstances, one participant (S5) tried to be more resilient to address the stressor of mismatched program curriculum, while also utilizing a range of social support resources, such as counseling services, turning to family and friends back home, and going to religious groups for love, care, and encouragement. With the exception of faith-based support groups, counseling services, family and friends were also found in the study by Zhai (2004) and Wu, Garza, & Guzman (2015).. But I am a committed, emotional, and determined person. I am not giving up. That’s about myself. I will also have emotional ups and downs. So I went to NCCU physical and mental health center, they had an international culture workshop…I think the depth of conversation I have with family is something I am incredibly grateful for, and also with some other friends I have back in the UK. (IS5). Another participant was unprepared to be in a Chinese-instructed program due to a miscommunication with the department office during application. Because the language barrier was a key factor contributing to this stressor, the participant enrolled 54.

(64) in Chinese courses (coping) at the Chinese Language Center (social support resource), while also studying professional courses for their major. One can imagine just how stressful this participant’s academic life was. Without a doubt, it is very likely that the Chinese language barrier could have a negative impact in the participant’s academic domain, as discussed in Section 4.1. Among the five educational stressors, academic stress, and teaching style were found in the literature summarized in Table 1. A participant (IS12) recounted her experience of struggling to pass the same required course that she had failed once, while also being unable to afford the credit fees of retaking the course just a few months before the end of her study abroad journey. The participant reported that she approached the instructing professor for assistance and was granted a make-up assignment to increase her scores. She ended up passing the course. Meanwhile, in order to secure an amount to pay credit fees, the participant looked for part-time student work from her program office. Although the office was able to offer her an opportunity to work, the participant had to turn down the offer due to limited time in her schedule. The participant finally acquired financial assistance from a professor who she was acquainted with because she had taken this professor’s course before. This case is. 55.