Abstract
The subjective well-being of a sample of 979 international students attending a large metropolitan university in Melbourne, Australia, was investigated. A person-focussed approach was used to determine whether different ways of adapting, based on patterns of well-being, could be discerned. Cluster analysis of responses on 21 measures identified three different patterns: positive and connected (58.8% of students), unconnected and stressed (34.4%), and distressed and risk-taking (6.7%). Tests of the concurrent validity of the typology were significant. Demographic factors were not particularly helpful in distinguishing among the three patterns of well-being. The results provide universities with knowledge pertinent to provision of appropriate international student support.
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Russell, J., Rosenthal, D. & Thomson, G. The international student experience: three styles of adaptation. High Educ 60, 235–249 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9297-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9297-7