RESEARCH STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT THREE OPTION B:

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Table of Contents
Topic................................................................................................................................................2
1. Background..............................................................................................................................2
2. Literature Review.....................................................................................................................2
3. Research Question....................................................................................................................5
4. Research Aims..........................................................................................................................5
5. Research Design.......................................................................................................................5
6. Research Method......................................................................................................................6
6.1. Approach...........................................................................................................................6
6.2. Sampling Approach for Primary Data..............................................................................7
6.3. Secondary Data Collection................................................................................................7
6.4. Thematic Analysis.............................................................................................................7
6.5. Theoretical Framework.....................................................................................................8
7. Ethics........................................................................................................................................9
8. Proposed Timeline..................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
 Topic
“Stress Experiences by International Students” – an insight into the impact of acculturation
and stressful experiences faced by students enrolling in international educational programs.

1. Background
In contemporary times where everything is undergoing a certain revolution and progressing
towards effectiveness with advancement, the dynamics of education are also being changed.
International education is currently the most significant and preferred trend of studying which
inculcates academic as well as socio-cultural upbringing of the learner who is sent abroad to
study. Research shows that international education gets the inclination due to multiple
educational benefits that it offers which include the development of innovative skills,
adaptability to different environments, networking, and out-of-the-box thinking (Baxter, 2018).
Nonetheless, the rising trend of international studying has certain demerits which are often
overlooked. One of the most adverse forms of impact that international students get to bear
during their study abroad is depression and stress. The change of atmosphere and cultures foster
many such experiences for the learners which leave their minds in stress. Studying in an
academic atmosphere that is unfamiliar and discordant with the academic norms already
practiced, the students find the adaptation process to be problematic. With various financial,
mental, and social factors prevailing as a reason, international education might become stressful.
Characterized by lack of interest, insufficient resource access, cultural shocks, and financial
complexes, stress can lead to a poor level of academic performance (Mesidor & Sly, 2016). The
research is designed to study the cause and effects of stress faced by international students and
contribute to the knowledge of the infringed consequences of the trend of international
education.

2. Literature Review
A study by Tamilla Curtis and her fellow researcher (2018) lays emphasis on the various types of
experiences, both positive and negative, that students enrolled in international education
programs have to face. Using a survey method for the research, the authors have figured out the
various inspirations, potential opportunities, and constraints that the internationally enrolled
students tend to face while their time of education in those institutions. The study is based on
foregrounding the importance of these constraints and opportunities shaping the experiences of
international students. The major finding of the study is that the estimation of the experiences of
international students is a key tool to ensure retention of enrollments and strategic excellence in
the process of the international education system. Moreover, the study also deals with addressing
the concerns of the students at the social level to retain their mindsets towards an international
study which are associated with their experiences during their time of education in international
institutions (Curtis & Ledgerwood, 2018).

Regarding the factor of stress and abandoned thoughts among international students mainly in
English-speaking countries, Eman S. Alharbi et al (2018) have conducted an in-depth descriptive
study. Taking instances and deductions from the existing literature, the researchers have inferred
that there are multiple reasons behind the stressful experiences of students enrolled
internationally. Taking two platforms of the database for the literature review i.e., Psych Info and
PubMed, thirty-eight articles were scrutinized and reviewed in the study. The study evaluates the
main contributors to this stress to be the lack of homogeneity in the cultures that the
internationally enrolled students have to face. The ethnic and individually led differences lead to
certain social and mental influences which cause stress in the students and compromise their
physical as well as mental well-being during the term of enrollment. According to the authors, an
imbalance in the academic and social life of the students while shifting to another country is a
major reason for stressful experiences. The study hence recommends consulting the existing
theoretical frameworks to incorporate the strategies of evaluating these imbalances and sorting
out innovative solutions accordingly (Alharbi & Smith, 2018).

In a cross-sectional study by Hardaye R. Hansen et al (2018), the factors of stress linked with
health-related consequences fostered among the internationally enrolled students have been
foregrounded. The authors have calculated from the analytical investigation of 243 international
students that adjustment of the students with a background similar to the culture observed in the
region of acculturation has a less stressful influence. It has been deduced that stressful
experience has a positive association with the students adapting to their native cultures whilst
being enrolled in the US. On the other hand, students being immersed and adjusted to the culture
of the US and getting adapted to its social and academic atmosphere ought to be negatively
associated with the stress of acculturation. To narrate the finding, the authors have highlighted
the language proficiency factor to be a determinant of stress in international students. Social
support and coping strategies have also been proposed as a suggestion for such stressful
experiences of international students in the study (Hansen, et al., 2018).

In terms of mental factors related to acculturative stress in international students, homesickness

is considered to be a major contributor. In a qualitative study by Balan Ratahkrishann et al
(2021) encompassing the stressful experiences of international education by Malaysian students,
the association with homesickness has been studied in detail. The main theme of this study is to
figure out the positive and negative dimensions of the socio-cultural interactions of international
students considering the public universities of Sabah in Malaysia. Four scales were included in
the survey of 100 male and 100 female students from the sampled region which included the
scales of perceived stress, homesickness, socio-cultural adjustment, and revised adaptation. The
final findings of the study reveal a significant correlation between perceived stress among the
198 responding students and the factor of homesickness at a p-value less than 0.05 and an R-
value of 0.314. Along the side, the factor of socio-cultural adaptation was also significantly
correlated with perceived stress denoting a p-value less than 0.05 and an R-value of 0.354. Given
these findings, the researchers have put forth the recommendations of conducting cross-culturally
oriented activities for the international students for their social engagement in the host region and
decreasing the effect of homesickness in them (Rathakrishnan, et al., 2021).

Mental health problems caused by stressful experiences such as cultural shocks have been
studied by Helen Forbes-Mewett et al in an exploratory study considering the case of Australia
as a host country for international education. Taking narratives from 16 participants indicating
the mental health issues to have been raised among international students, the researcher has
raised a major concern. The findings of the study provide that mental health problems have been
considerably increasing in Australia rising to the acculturative stress faced by international
students. The problems have raised to a chronic level urging the victims towards suicidal
thoughts, Cultural shocks derived from the transition of cultures characterized by socio-cultural
factors, language barriers, financial limitations, and individual differences have been inferred as
the sources of stress in this regard. Moreover, the lack of social support and consideration of
mental health consultation as a taboo is also an accelerator to the prevailing mental health issue
among international students. The consequences of such experiences such as lack of academic
attention, poor intuition, and crestfallen thoughts have been recommended to be dealt with by
social support in the study (Forbes-Mewett & Sawyer, 2019).

3. Research Question
In what ways are the students enrolled in international education programs exposed to stress and
what are the potential consequences of these stressful experiences among them?

4. Research Aims
Considering the main question to be answered through the proceedings of the current study, the
following aims and objectives ought to be observed for concluding the final verdict.

 Building an understanding of stress is a considerable challenge for students enrolled in

programs of international education mainly its causes and effects.
 Exploring the various factors that contribute to acculturative stress among international
students.
 Individually investigating each of the determinants of stressful experiences among
international students and figuring out their consequences. This may include the review
of mental, psychosocial, emotional, and sociocultural factors to be reviewed
independently in relevance to stressful exposures for international students.
 Reviewing the subject matter in the light of theory and linking it with the selected
framework to draw out findings.
 In the light of theory and evidence, giving recommendations for coping with the stressful
experiences affiliated with the term periods of international students for retaining
adaptability and retention.

5. Research Design
This study will be based on a qualitative descriptive approach based on a thematic analysis of the
primary and secondary evidence related to the subject matter (Allan, 2020). The approach has
been selected for the current study to provide a deeper insight into the secondary data indicating
the factors contributing to acculturative stress among international students. The approach is
significant as it systematically describes various narratives as inculcated in the existing literature
and exclusive survey, both qualitative and exploratory ones, and facilitates accomplishing the
research aims of individually scrutinizing the causal factors of acculturative stress.

6. Research Method
6.1. Approach
Since the subject matter calls for a detailed, well-observed, and inferential account of findings to
evaluate the final verdict of the study, the research method of qualitative thematic analysis has
been selected. In the selected method of research, the extensively led review of literature is
believed to inculcate secondary findings and proposed thoughts of prior researchers in relevance
to the subject matter. In the foremost context, the method has been chosen to build on the
findings by contrasting and comparing the different research methods applied in the prior
research. Qualitative descriptions ought to be more critically evaluated, insightful, and oriented
toward understanding the various viewpoints as compared to other methods of research. In
addition to the secondary data acquired from the literature review, the study will also draw
inferences from the randomly conducted survey to figure out the narratives of international
students in the context of perceived stress and depression experienced during their academic
terms.

An interpretive approach has been chosen as the main philosophy of the study. This is mainly to
provide an observation-based draft of the data being reviewed in relevance to the subject matter.
In particular, to study how the experiences of the international students are perceived by the
thinkers around and what are the potentially considered contributors to stressful experiences for
these students, interpretivism plays a more directive role; hence chosen. For gathering the
secondary evidence, various case analyses from different regions of the world particularly New
Zealand and Australia describing the stressful experiences of the internationally enrolled students
will be considered. These regions will be emphasized throughout the evaluative proceedings of
the research as they are considered the pivotal host countries offering programs of international
education to students from all around the world. To conduct the analysis, the main tool of
research ought to be the extensive review of prior literature for secondary evidence and the
structured interview questionnaire method for primary evidence according to the design of the
study.
 6.2. Sampling Approach for Primary Data
To study the causes and effects of stressful experiences faced by international students,
exclusively held face-to-face interviews will be conducted with students with international
backgrounds in different universities in the region. To provide better results in a more objective
frame, a random sampling approach has been chosen for the study (Bhardwaj, 2019). In the light
of the random sampling approach, no population to be interviewed ought to be predetermined,
rather randomly selected to get narratives in an equally inclusive and holistic manner. Around
100 international students will be interviewed applying the random sampling approach and their
narratives will be thematically analyzed in correspondence with the secondary data obtained.

6.3. Secondary Data Collection

The selected platform to choose the research-based secondary data for literature review is
Google Scholar and a vast range of research work about different experiences of international
students ought to be selected for further analytical proceedings. The data taken for review would
include the general and specific perspectives related to the various experiences that the
international students are exposed to. However, the vast data is not merely relied upon and
selected as the actual secondary evidence to be reviewed. The main search items that are to be
considered to meet the criteria for selecting literature for review ought to be the timeframe of the
publication, source type, the field-particular search, and the keywords mainly.

For a smart search and convenient shortlisting of the relevant literature for review, the selected
platform of Google Scholar offers a variety of databases that allows advanced scrolling through
the relevant field of search. The relevant field of the current study for advanced search ought to
be sociology, culture, or anthropological studies. Furthermore, another search criteria for the
study include searching through the source type. The key sources selected for the study defined it
to be either statistical, peer-reviewed, or web-based foregrounding the subject matter. For the
current study, the year range for choosing the data has been obliged to be published in or after
2015 with relevance to the keywords bifurcated.

6.4. Thematic Analysis

Since the strategy as designed is mainly based on the multiple variants and relevant subtopics of
the main subject matter, a thematic analysis is to be conducted for the study. Hence, the
analytical account of the study ought to be divided into main themes and subcategories to be
filled in with relevant articles reviewed. In light of the current topic of stressful experiences of
accultured education, the following themes have been worked out.

1. Acculturative Exposure of International Students

2. Mental Factors causing stress for International Students
3. Socio-demographic conditions causing Stress
4. Financial and Psychosocial Factors causing stress for International Students
5. Language Barriers and Stress
6. Coping Styles and Social Support

6.5. Theoretical Framework

The analysis is mainly to be based according to the findings in the light of the theoretical
framework. For the current study, the Acculturation Model by Berry ought to be taken as the
main framework for the theoretical relevance of the secondary data to be reviewed (van der Zee
& van Oudenhoven, 2022). According to this theory, the level of cultural retention and
adaptation in an individual is directly proportional to his ability to cope with the incoming
consequences of the exposure. In particular, the consequences of acculturation denote stressful
factors and hence the process can be divided into four main stages including assimilation,
separation, integration, and marginalization.
 Figure 1. Berry's Acculturation Model

7. Ethics
The importance of ethical considerations in a research-based study is the fundamental concern
and the notion is to be duly inculcated into the proceedings of the current study. The research
aims at adhering to the principles of morals and ethics to conduct a study in order to reflect the
findings in the direction of the objectives devised. Moreover, ethical considerations will be
considered as a center of focus to depict the use and impartment of knowledge, avoidance of
fallacy and the information to be free from errors. In the light of the design of the research where
the data collection is to be done through two-pronged sources i.e., primary and secondary
derivations, ethics ought to be taken as a fundamental step throughout the proceedings
(McKenna & Gray, 2018). In the context of secondary data to be collected, it is to be ensured
that the selected pieces of research are taken from authentic and veritable source platforms to
confirm the reliability of the key findings. Moreover, the literature review and the discussion
section of the research referring to the secondary evidence bifurcated ought to be duly cited with
the names of their authors and contributors.

Acknowledgement of the contributors and authentic publications is not only to adhere to the
ethical standards of conducting research derived from the prior narratives but also to ensure the
credibility of verdict through citing the original sources. Furthermore, the ethical considerations
of the current study involve the participation of the individuals coming from international
backgrounds. Hence denoting ethics during the research is the most fundamental work.
Regarding the primary data collection, the research proceedings will ensure the informed consent
of the respondents to the interviews without any force or pressure of response. Moreover, the
terms of confidentiality and anonymity of the respondents will be assured and a form of consent
will be signed by the participants before involving into the interviews (Arifin, 2018). The study
also looks forward to avoiding any form of falsification, manipulation, or alteration of the
findings obtained from both, secondary and primary data.

8. Proposed Timeline
The tentative plan of research is to be completed within a timeframe of 4 months which is
represented in the Gantt Chart below.
 Initial Plan of Research 1-Oct-22 1
Ethics Approval 3-Oct-22 2
Topic Breakdown and Discussion 5-Oct-22 2
Keyword Specification 15-Oct-22 10
Determining Area of Study and Data Collection Method 16-Oct-22 2
First Meeting for Discussion 18-Oct-22 1
Extraction of Relevant Literature 19-Oct-22 10
Keyword Bifurcation of Literature 29-Oct-22 10
Determination of Sampling Approach 8-Nov-22 3
Second Meeting for Discussion 11-Nov-22 1
Structuring Interview Questions 12-Nov-22 5
Conducting Interviews 17-Nov-22 10
Review Meeting 27-Nov-22 1
Extracting Key Findings from Secondary Data 28-Nov-22 15
Interview Data Management 13-Dec-22 10
Extracting Key Findings from Primary Data 23-Dec-22 10
Thematic Analysis of Primary & Secondary Data 2-Jan-23 25
Third Discussion Meeting 27-Jan-23 1
Sorting Discussions and Recommendations 28-Jan-23 20
Wrapping and Conclusion of the Findings 17-Feb-23 10
Compilation 27-Feb-23 3
Research Completion 2-Mar-23 1
References
Alharbi, E. & Smith, A., 2018. A review of the literature on stress and wellbeing among
international students in English-speaking countries. International Education Studies, 11(5), pp.
22-44.

Allan, G., 2020. Qualitative research. Handbook for research students in the social sciences, pp.
177-189.

Baxter, A., 2018. The benefits and challenges of international education: Maximizing learning
for social change. International scholarships in higher education, pp. 105-129.

Bhardwaj, P., 2019. Types of sampling in research. Journal of the Practice of Cardiovascular
Sciences, 5(3), p. 157.

Curtis, T. & Ledgerwood, J., 2018. Students’ motivations, perceived benefits and constraints
towards study abroad and other international education opportunities. Journal of International
Education in Business, 11(1), pp. 63-78.

Forbes-Mewett, H. & Sawyer, A. M., 2019. International students and mental health. Journal of
International Students, 6(3), pp. 661-677.

Hansen, H. R., Shneyderman, Y., McNamara, G. S. & Grace, L., 2018. Acculturative stress and
native and US culture immersion of international students at a community college. Journal of
International Students, 8(1), pp. 215-232.

Mesidor, J. K. & Sly, K. F., 2016. Factors that contribute to the adjustment of international
students. Journal of international students, 6(1), pp. 262-282.

Philip, S., Neuer Colburn, A. A., Underwood, L. & Bayne, H., 2019. The impact of
religion/spirituality on acculturative stress among international students. Journal of College
Counseling, 22(1), pp. 27-40.

Rathakrishnan, B. et al., 2021. Homesickness and socio-cultural adaptation towards perceived

stress among international students of a public university in Sabah: an exploration study for
social sustainability. Sustainability, 13(9), p. 4924.
van der Zee, K. & van Oudenhoven, J. P., 2022. Towards a dynamic approach to acculturation.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Volume 88, pp. 119-124.