Addressing international students' adjustment issues and learning difficulties: Exploring De La Salle University experience

• Main Author: Caballero, Rhodora B.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Students, Foreign—Philippines—Psychology; Adjustment (Psychology); Educational Psychology; Higher Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/5367
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Philippines is becoming a melting pot of different cultures for hosting thousands of international students who are enrolled in different higher education institutions. With almost 1000 international students enrollees during academic year 2014-2015, De La Salle University is one of the Philippines’ HEIs with the highest population of cross-border education seekers. Because of this, many universities and colleges in the Philippines visit DLSU for benchmarking on its programs and services for international students. In the hope of continuously improving DLSU program and student support services for international students, this paper examined the adjustment issues and learning difficulties encountered by this group of special population. The study specifically aims to identify the common adjustment issues and learning difficulties of sampled international students, present the current programs and services offered by DLSU through its International Center, and recommend strategies to enhance the University’s preparedness for a divers and multicultural teaching and learning environment. A qualitative exploratory research method was utilized in this study and a self-made survey questionnaire was used for gathering data. Respondents were selected among the group of non-immigrants whose major intention in visiting the Philippines is to earn a degree. Results of the study showed that language difficulties, getting food and other necessities, housing, culture shock, relationship with teachers and classmates, school rules and regulations, enrollment procedures, and system of information dissemination were the common difficulties encountered by the select respondents. These and other findings could prove valuable in rethinking more strategic approaches in establishing and managing responsive student programs and support services and in providing a learning environment that is multicultural and friendly to international students.