View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

International student wellbeing and everyday community engagement experiences: an Australian study.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: International student wellbeing and everyday community engagement experiences: an Australian study.
Authors: Soong, Hannah (AUTHOR), Mu, Guanglun Michael (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Jan2026, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p39-53. 15p.
Subjects: Well-being, Community involvement, Symbolic interactionism, Linguistic usage, Mixed methods research, Foreign students, Countries, Students
Geographic Terms: Australia
Abstract: Among Western destination countries, Australia has been highly successful in attracting international students. The wellbeing of these students is a critical issue for Australian universities and wider communities. Yet, little is known about international students' perspectives on the relationship between their wellbeing and everyday engagement experiences with domestic students and staff on campus, and members of the local communities. This paper draws on findings from a mixed-methods study, including an online survey of 1372 international students across multiple Australian tertiary institutions and focus group interviews with 16 international students. The paper explores how participants' everyday community engagement experiences play a crucial role in shaping their wellbeing. Using Blumer's symbolic interactionism as an analytical framework, the study found international students' wellbeing was grounded in their engagements with domestic staff and students on campus, mediated by language use in the broader community, and bifurcated with limiting and liberating community engagement experiences in everyday contexts. Our analysis underscores the importance of addressing international students' wellbeing relationally, within and across multiple everyday contexts – on or off campus, physical or virtual, linguistic or cultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 190648970
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: International student wellbeing and everyday community engagement experiences: an Australian study.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Soong%2C+Hannah%22">Soong, Hannah</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mu%2C+Guanglun+Michael%22">Mu, Guanglun Michael</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p39-53. 15p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well-being%22">Well-being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+involvement%22">Community involvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Symbolic+interactionism%22">Symbolic interactionism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Linguistic+usage%22">Linguistic usage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mixed+methods+research%22">Mixed methods research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+students%22">Foreign students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Countries%22">Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students%22">Students</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Among Western destination countries, Australia has been highly successful in attracting international students. The wellbeing of these students is a critical issue for Australian universities and wider communities. Yet, little is known about international students' perspectives on the relationship between their wellbeing and everyday engagement experiences with domestic students and staff on campus, and members of the local communities. This paper draws on findings from a mixed-methods study, including an online survey of 1372 international students across multiple Australian tertiary institutions and focus group interviews with 16 international students. The paper explores how participants' everyday community engagement experiences play a crucial role in shaping their wellbeing. Using Blumer's symbolic interactionism as an analytical framework, the study found international students' wellbeing was grounded in their engagements with domestic staff and students on campus, mediated by language use in the broader community, and bifurcated with limiting and liberating community engagement experiences in everyday contexts. Our analysis underscores the importance of addressing international students' wellbeing relationally, within and across multiple everyday contexts – on or off campus, physical or virtual, linguistic or cultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=190648970
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2455429
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 39
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Well-being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community involvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Symbolic interactionism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Linguistic usage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mixed methods research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: International student wellbeing and everyday community engagement experiences: an Australian study.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Soong, Hannah
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mu, Guanglun Michael
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Text: Jan2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 03075079
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 51
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Studies in Higher Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1