The challenges and needs of female international postgraduate student mothers with dependent children who choose to pursue higher education at the University of Auckland.

Abstract

Recognizably, increasing numbers of international students are annually tempted to complete postgraduate courses at the University of Auckland. The majority of these international students are women, but there is insufficient information on these students that also have dependent children. Substantial information, including texts, exists on international postgraduate students and students’ experiences in regards to raising children. However, there has been no research into international postgraduate students who are also mothers with dependent children. My own experience of studying in the UK and New Zealand as an international postgraduate student motived me to conduct this research in order to help the international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children. The primary goal of this research is to examine the experiences of international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children, specifically during their program at the University of Auckland and identify steps to be taken in order to enhance these experiences. This research utilized qualitative methods to interrogate the experiences of three female international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children that currently study at the University of Auckland to understand their experiences as international postgraduate students and mothers. To ensure that this investigation captured a comprehensive understanding of international postgraduate student mothers’ experiences, the interviewees are from a range of ethnicities and family situations. The results of this research suggest that the experiences of international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children while studying at the University of Auckland are predominately difficult yet gratifying. Numerous keynotes surfaced that suggest that their challenges area combination of numerous elements. However, the chasm between the amount of help that this group of students anticipated from the University of Auckland and the level of help actually available is substantial. Additionally, this research also collected recommendations from international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children regarding necessities and methods for enhancing present circumstances. A better knowledge of the challenges and needs of international postgraduate student mothers who have dependent children will enable the University of Auckland and this particular group of students to join forces to guarantee that the international postgraduate student mothers benefit from international academic experiences and attain improved academic results.