Learning perspectives and experiences of Sri Lankan International postgraduate students in New Zealand

Abstract

International students in general are recognised as an important part in the social academic and economic development of any country. The participation of international students in higher education in world-ranked universities is increasing significantly worldwide. International students have high expectations of their tertiary education and rely on the host country to respect their own identities and cultural values. Literature exploring international students' learning perspectives and their experiences, however, often reports tension between the two. Although there is a sufficient body of research reporting Asian international students' learning experiences, Sri Lankan (SL) students as a minority group have not been investigated adequately. Responding to the gap in the literature, the current thesis investigated the personal learning perspectives and experiences of SL postgraduate students in Aotearoa/New Zealand and potential barriers to belonging of SL postgraduate students (e.g. discrimination or stereotyping), and academic implications if a sense of belonging was not experienced by them. Further, the thesis explored whether the academic expectations and expectations of SL postgraduate students' learning environments, were met. A qualitative design and phenomenological methodology were employed to analyse and interpret data from six SL postgraduate student participants, affording a deep understanding of their individual lived experiences. The findings suggested that although SL postgraduate students tolerated the misinformed labels they were given, they showed an acute awareness of the stereotypes associated with the labelling. Further, stereotyping and language barriers affected participants' social and psychological well-being. Implications for belonging and learning for SL international postgraduate students in Aotearoa/New Zealand, were revealed. The current study addressed a gap in the literature regarding awareness of SL students' experiences as international students in Aotearoa/New Zealand and sheds further light on international students' wellbeing and safety.