Abstract
The study investigates six international undergraduate students' adjustment processes in Taiwan based on the theoretical framework of phenomenology. To understand these international students' adjustment processes, the researcher invited 3 students from Southeast Asia and 3 from Central and South America respectively for semi-constructed interviews. Three themes that are relevant to international students’ adjustment processes emerged from the data: (1) motives and prior preparation before coming to Taiwan, (2) mental and physical adjustments in Taiwan and (3) posterior perception and observation after coming to Taiwan. Based on the themes, the research findings can be summarized as the following: (1) Personality, resources in Taiwan and environment are the factors that affect international students’ adjustment processes. (2) International students’ adjustment processes in Taiwan can be divided into three phases: learning process in Taiwan, mental adaptation process and immanent and extrinsic supporting system. (3) Cultural differences including language, schoolwork, interpersonal communication, eating habits and school system related to their adjustment difficulties for these students. Finally, to assist international students better, the following suggestions are offered for school authorities: (1) Provide part-time working opportunities on campus to decrease their living expense. (2) Make their living environment more convenient. (3) Provide detailed content of the enrollment session and learning guidance for international students. (4) Provide more cultural-related visits or activities for international students along with Taiwanese students. (5) Highlight the function of the counseling centers.
Author Information
Chia-Chen Ho, Sih-Wei Primary School, Taiwan
Paper Information
Conference: ACP2015
Stream: Psychology and Education
This paper is part of the ACP2015 Conference Proceedings (View)
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