Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Saudi Arabian university students returning home after having spent time away studying internationally. The investigation focused exclusively on female students who for diverse reasons were unable to complete their studies abroad. Design/methodology/approach: A thematic analysis…

The transition from primary to secondary school is a major life event for eleven-year-old children in the United Kingdom, where they face simultaneous changes. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, transfer children face additional uncertainty on top of this. Negotiation of the multiple challenges, combined with the reduced support associated with…

What is the impact of social class on college integration? Higher education institutions are becoming more diverse, yet the integration of underprivileged students remains a challenge. Using a social network approach, we analyze the general integration of low socioeconomic status (SES) students, as well as how segregated by class these friends…

How does students' academic commitment develop over the course of their first term? Process research on students' early academic experiences has been scarce due to a lack of appropriate high-density-high-frequency research designs. We thus have very limited knowledge on how students become academically committed over time. Drawing on the analogue…

This paper explores memories of children in the upper years of primary school about their transition into the first year of school and the ways in which this transition impacted on their ongoing relationship with primary school. The insights shared by eleven Year four and five students (aged 10-11 years; five boys and six girls) in an Australian…

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes globally is at an all-time high, with some granted permanent residence and resettlement in countries like Australia. Students from refugee backgrounds attend Australian schools and how schools respond to their educational needs is increasingly a focus for research, school practice and policy…

The text questions the assumption of the Bologna reform that student-centered learning will improve the quality of university study. Research conducted on a sample of 429 students from various study programs at two faculties of the University of Ljubljana, whom we asked about their reading and study habits, showed that relying on the subjective…

This paper examines the history of the expansion of educational opportunities in the UK, to understand how different generations of ­working-class students managed to access HE. Based on 23 life-story interviews with working-class students, the study highlights how the changing dynamics of the structure of compulsory education and the labour…

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is an easy and brief instrument developed to assess individuals' perceptions of social support from three different sources (family, friend, and significant other). The MSPSS have been adapted to culturally diverse backgrounds, different age groups, and both clinical and nonclinical…

Confucian Asian Adult Third Culture Kids (CAATCKs) experience various challenges in college including identity confusion and difficulties establishing social networks due to their international transit lifestyles. They face challenges in navigating college social climates which are often ignorant of their unique backgrounds. In this article, we…

First-year university students encounter considerable academic stress, possibly resulting in mental health problems. Although studies have illustrated the academic and health benefits of sense of belonging, few studies have focused on its role in the relationship between academic stress and mental health complaints. The current study used…

This practice report, framed within transition pedagogy (Kift et al., 2010), seeks to offer suggestions to assist higher education educators and administrators to develop and apply policies to foster student belonging. The authors of this article are employed at an Australian university which offers alternative pathways for students to enter a…

The present study investigated how life stressors and sleep disturbances interactively affect depressive symptoms among university students. Based on a hypothesis that sleep disturbance can be a cause of depression, a statistical model is established which expects that life stressors impact depressive symptoms indirectly rather than directly by…

What is at stake when our young people attempt to belong to a college environment that reflects a world that does not want them for who they are? In this compelling book, Navajo scholar Amanda Tachine takes a personal look at 10 Navajo teenagers, following their experiences during their last year in high school and into their first year in…

Researchers agree that there is an increase of international college students who are pursuing education in the United States of America. The adjustment to a new cultural environment can lead to the development of acculturative stress. The body of existing literature has explored supportive treatment interventions that can act as preventative…