Overall, the results of the study demonstrate different categories of challenges that Kazakh students encountered in a foreign country. The chapter further explains the importance of the study and provides definitions of key concepts. After that, the purpose of the study is given along with the research questions and the significance of the study.
The next chapter provides a literature review summarizing the key themes and theories of the study. Moreover, one of the characteristics of colonialism is that it rejected diversity, especially intellectually. With the establishment of the Bologna process, a three-level system of diploma, master's and doctoral studies was introduced in 2014 (OECD, 2017, p. 167).
Kazakhstan is one of the 15 countries in the world with the most students studying abroad, and it is at the top in the Central Asian area (Jumakulov & Ashirbekov, 2016). According to Akhtar (2016), "it is the 'glue' that holds all the elements in a research project together". The predetermined conditions that guided this study during the selection of participants were participation in an academic mobility program and study at one of the universities.
The main purpose of the participants in this study moving to a foreign country is to study. The interviews showed that the mother tongues of the participants in this study remained predominant despite being abroad. According to the participants' responses, one of the notable features of studying abroad was the ability to really influence your study schedule.
Study participants were also asked if they faced any obstacles related to their studies. A detailed discussion on the findings of the study will be given in the next chapter. The study participants are from Kazakhstan, whose native language was Kazakh or Russian.
The most common symptoms reported by study participants were confusion, isolation, loneliness, depression and homesickness. One of the problems students faced in their daily lives was adapting to the new weather. This chapter concludes the study with a summary of the most important findings of this study.
The results of the study revealed that some students manage to adapt successfully in the host country.
Limitations
The study found that traveling to a new foreign environment led Kazakhstani students to experience cognitive, emotional, and psychological responses. Symptoms common among Kazakhstani students studying abroad include confusion, isolation, loneliness, depression and homesickness. The results of the interviews showed that stress and homesickness were common among students, both at the beginning of their trip and at the end of the trip.
At the beginning of their stay, stress caused by confrontation with unfamiliar environments ended in anxiety. When dealing with emotional and psychological issues while abroad, the students found support from those closest to them, including fellow citizens who share the same experience of staying abroad for a period of time. According to the interviews, the students struggled to adapt to a new weather condition in an accepting country.
Students reported instances of not being able to find their accustomed food, which caused a degree of stress and homesickness.
Implications
Recommendations
Personal Reflection
Personally, I find the results of the study useful because the number of students participating in short-term mobility programs is likely to grow in the near future due to globalization. Choosing a Higher Education Abroad Destination: What Mainland Chinese Parents and Students Consider Important. Adjustment issues of international students enrolled in US colleges and universities: A review of the literature.
Internationalization in higher education and its impact in multilingual contexts: Redefining identities for Basque-speaking academics. Missing links: The relationship between national policies for internationalization and policies for higher education in general. Also, the kinds of strategies students employ while adapting to a host country will be explored.
This study will use semi-structured interviews which allow greater control over how the conversation will focus on topics that are relevant to the purpose of the study. This is why the emotional reactions of the participants during the data collection procedure will be monitored to interrupt or stop the interview if necessary. When the study is completed, a copy of the research findings will be made available in the library repository of Nazarbayev University.
Participants' real names will be coded with pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. In addition, interview transcripts and any recordings will be stored on the researcher's personal laptop with a security code to maintain their confidentiality. I understand how the information collected will be used and that any confidential information will only be seen by the researchers and will not be disclosed to anyone else;.
The purpose of the study is to investigate categories of challenges Kazakh students face during their stay abroad. Furthermore, the kinds of strategies that students employ while adapting to a host country will also be explored. Instead, to ensure participant anonymity, a coding system such as Student 1, Student 2, etc. will be used to replace each participant's name in the survey report.
What was your communication experience in a host country? Did you face any language based challenges? What languages did you speak?
Your participation in the study is on a voluntary basis, and you can withdraw from the study at any time. You can choose not to respond to a question if you are reluctant to answer it. What strategies or approaches did you use to cope with emerging problems while studying abroad?
