ERIC Number: EJ1189223
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Aug
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1475-2409
EISSN: N/A
International Students' Transitions to UK Higher Education -- Revisiting the Concept and Practice of Academic Hospitality
Ploner, Josef
Journal of Research in International Education, v17 n2 p164-178 Aug 2018
With the increasing mobility of international students to UK universities, the appropriate facilitation of their transition remains a critical issue in terms of higher education practice and research. Much existing research and practice is characterised by assimilationist approaches to transition where international students are seen to 'adapt to' and 'fit in' seemingly uniform host environments. This study however draws on the concept of 'academic hospitality' (Bennett, 2000; Phipps & Barnett, 2007) to develop a more nuanced stance which emphasises reciprocity between academic 'hosts' and 'guests'. The findings presented here emerge from semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of international students who spent their first year abroad at a well-established UK university. Elaborating on different experiences and forms of academic hospitality (material, virtual, epistemological, linguistic and touristic), the paper contributes to a refined theorisation of international student transition. It also offers valuable insights for academic practitioners and policy makers who seek sensible approaches to internationalisation.
Descriptors: Foreign Students, Transitional Programs, Higher Education, Foreign Countries, College Freshmen, Interviews, Student Experience, Epistemology
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A