Inclusive education for international students – from students’ perspective

Every year, a significant number of international students move to the UK to pursue higher education. The transition from home country to a completely new country poses a lot of new challenges for the students. The sense of belonging and inclusivity become the major concerns. Studies have proven that a sense of belonging can lead to positive outcomes such as academic motivation, retention, engagement, and enjoyment (Pedler et al., 2022). This project aims to identify and examine the challenges faced by international students from a student’s perspective, focusing on developing effective, student-driven solutions.
Through engagement with students from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, we explore their lived experiences, expectations, and needs from higher education. By analysing their responses, we identify common barriers to inclusion and use their insights to co-create practical strategies, which will inform innovative programs and guidelines to support international students.
At the end of this project, a comprehensive guide will be created to support international students in navigating these challenges and fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging. By amplifying student voices, this research provides innovative, student-led recommendations to enhance inclusivity in teaching and policy in higher education.
Reference
Pedler, M. L., Willis, R., & Nieuwoudt, J. E. (2022). A sense of belonging at university. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(3), 397-408.