ADAPTATION PROCESS: THE

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
CHALLENGES AND THE STAFF'S
CONTRIBUTION IN PUBLIC
UNIVERSITIES IN MALAYSIA
PRESENTER: YUS SHARMIZA BINTI YUSHRIMAN (P4662)
PUSAT PENDIDIKAN ASAS DAN LANJUTAN
SUPERVISOR: DR. ISMA ROSILA BINTI ISMAIL
 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
◦ According to Gill (2007), Malaysia started to send student overseas mainly to UK in 2002. Hence, in order to balance the
cultural exchange, Malaysia started to accept international students in 2007 to serves the agenda of Ministry of Higher
Education in achieving a total of 150,000 international students by 2020 (Institut Pengajian Pendidikan Tinggi Negara, 2009)
and to become an International Education Hub.
◦ . Al-Zubaidi and Rechards (2010) categorise international student problems into three categories, with intercultural adaptation
difficulties as the main component. It refers to cultural identity, ethnic background, local dishes, lifestyles and religions in
Malaysia
◦ Effects of these problems are dropouts, mental health and Graduate on Time (GoT) if not overcome throughout their learning
period (Lashari et al., 2018)
◦ Ye and Juni (2018) research found that three types of depression dominate international students: academics, financial
concern, and social support. This has been the main cause of decline in their academic performance (Al-Jaberi, Juni, Shahar,
Ismail, Saeed & Ying, 2020).
 Problem Statement
The rise of number of international student
not be able to achieve GOT
(Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2019)
The process of adaptation of international
students and the role of staff in public
universities as host to them in assisting the
cultural adaptation process while studying
at public universities in Malaysia.
The study conducted by Young Yun Kim
(2001) did not take into account the current
factors that have implications for the
adaptation process of an individual student.
REASON: Study was conducted in US and
it was dated back in 2001
(more factors may contribute by now)

RESEARCH GAP
Most of the international
students felt that the staffs and
The PARTICIPATION OF representative from the
STAFFS that handles university did not understands
international students their origins and culture (Alavi
& Mansor, 2011, Sherry,
Thomas, & Chui, 2010).
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE/Main Objective
a) To find out the challenges the international students have undergo.
b) To lists the staff in the international student’s management office contribution towards the adaptation
process.
c) To investigate how the challenges and contributions by the staffs allow the international students to adapt
to Malaysia’s environment.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the international postgraduate students' intercultural experiences? In particular;
a) What challenges does the students undergo?
b) What does the staff has contributed to the adaptation process?
c) In what way does these challenges and contribution allows them to adapt in Malaysia?
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Through this process, which in this research context, is the international students, will allow themselves to
ADAPTATION
accept the new behaviours by experiencing the new culture and academic study

• Any encounter of two or more people from different backgrounds, customs, and
COMMUNICATION cultures is highlighted for this research.

• staff contribution towards the international student’s adaptation process while staying in Malaysia
CONTRIBUTION

• Students from outside Malaysia with different backgrounds, furthering their post-graduate studies, have resided in
INTERNATIONAL Malaysia for more than one year.
STUDENTS

• Challenges will be the staff’s obstacles and hardships while handling the international students.
CHALLENGES
 Intercultural Adaptation Model
By (Kim, 2001)
Theoretical Framework

Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross-Cultural Adaptation

 Conceptual Framework
Intercultural Adaptation

Contribution Challenges

Staff Students

Support Cultural and General

Student Personal Institution
Social Environment Factors
System Management Issues Factors Factors
Adaptation

Academic
Psychological Physical Social Cultural
Adaptation
Adaptation Adaptation Adaptation Adaptation
(study system
 METHODOLOGY

-Post-graduate students
-International students who
12 students lived in Malaysia for more
than ONE year
In-depth
Interviews
Non-
Qualitative Data Quota 4 RU; UPM,
probability
Analysis Collection Sampling UKM, USM,
Sampling Handles international
UM) 12 staffs
students for more than
5 years.
DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURE

Atlas t.i.
Thematic+
colour coding
Convert analysis
Audio to
Text
Convert
recording to
Audio (Mp3)
Recorded
Interviews
THE END