EXPERIENCES OF OVERSEAS CHINESE GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDYING IN INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN A SELECTED THAI PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

QIAN YANG

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDIES IN HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FACULTY OF EDUCATION JUNE 2017 COPYRIGHT OF BURAPHA UNIVERSITY

This master thesis has been supported by the graduate studies research support grant from Faculty of Education, Burapha University, fiscal year 2016

57920008: MAJOR: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; M.A. (HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT) KEYWORDS: CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS/ LEARNING DIFFICULTIES/ LIVING DIFFICULTIES/ COPE WITH DIFFICULTIES/ EXPECTION QIAN YANG: EXPERIENCES OF OVERSEAS GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDYING IN INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN A SELECTED THAI PUBLIC UNIVERSITY. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: WATUNYOO SUWANNASET, Ph.D., PARATCHANUN CHAROENARPORNWATTANA, Ph.D. 67 P. 2017.

The study entitled “Experiences of overseas graduate students studying in International Graduate Programs in a selected Thai public university” aims to reveal challenges the international graduate students face and what choices they choose in solving their own difficulties. Also, to purpose assistance when required that may help them solve problems while learning and living in a Thai University. This study was a qualitative study which applied phenomenological strategy. There were 10 participants in this study who were Chinese international students currently enrolled in a public university. Their student status was as full-time students of an international graduate program. They have spent at least one year studying in a selected Thai university. The participants were asked to attend a semi-structured interview with the researcher in a quiet room at their university. The steps of data analysis were proposed by Moustakas (1994) are used in analysing the data obtained from informants. The participants were contacted by e-mail or mobile phone in order to make an interview appointment. A computer program called Atlas was used as a data analysis tool in coding and categorising data. According to the findings, four learning difficulties were experienced by Chinese international graduate students: 1) English language proficiency was needed in studying both inside and outside the classroom; 2) Individual issues; 3) Different education modes; and 4) Academic problems. On the other hand, three living problems the Chinese students faced were 1) Language problems; 2) Culture differences; and 3) Individual issues. Three techniques were used by Chinese students v to cope with the learning difficulties: 1) Other peoples’ help; 2) Using electronic devices; and 3) Self-improvement. Also, four techniques were used by the Chinese students to cope with living difficulties: 1) Ask help from a third party; 2) Adapt to culture differences; 3) Self-improvement; and 4) Expand social acquaintances. However, three kinds of assistance were needed from the university when Chinese students were learning and living in , which are: 1) Update teaching methods and teaching equipment for learning; 2) English and Thai Training Program for living and learning; and 3) Improve students’ learning and living motivation. Moreover, two kinds of assistance could help them to adapt to the new living environment: 1) Thai language and culture study assistance; 2) improve international students’ living and learning services.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and show appreciation to the following people giving great supports to my study and complete this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my deep thanks and acknowledgement to the Dean of the Faculty of Education granting me a research scholarship to complete this study. In addition, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my principal research advisor, Dr. Watunyoo Suwannaset, my co-advisor Dr. Paratchanun Charoenarpornwattana and my thesis examining committee, Associate Professor Dr. Chalong Tubsree, as well as the team of external examiners including Professor Dr. Somsak Pantuwatana, and Associate Professor Dr. Suwichai Kosaiyawat. Their continuous supports, patience, guidance, valuable feedback and constant encouragement helped me in all process of writing and organizing my thesis. Since knowledge I applied in this thesis mostly came from what I learned in IG-HRD, I would like to thanks all the instructors who taught me in the center, as well as the academic staff of IG-HRD who provided me many support and were very patient with me during my study. My heartfelt thanks also go to all the Chinese international students who participated, contributed and shared their valuable experiences with to complete this study, without their kind help, this thesis would not be completed. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my family, my mother Xiaohong Qin, who always encouraged, and continuously gave me support, courage and confidence to overcome all difficulties during the time I study in Thailand.

Qian Yang

CONTENTS

Page ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. iv CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………….. vii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………… ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………..… 1 1.1 Background of the Study…………………..……………………... 1 1.2 Research Objectives……………………………..……………….. 2 1.3 Research Questions………………………………..……………….. 2 1.4 Significance of the Study…………………………………………... 3 1.5 Scope of the Study………………………...……………..………. 4 1.6 Limitations of the Study...... 4 1.7 Definitions of Terms...... ………… 4 1.8 Conclusion………………………………………………………... 5 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE…………………………...... 6 2.1 Current Chinese Students Studying in Thailand……………..…… 6 2.2 Living and Learning Challenges in Study Abroad..……………..... 10 2.3 International Students’ Adaptation………………………………. 11 2.4 The Necessary Conditions to Overcome the Difficulties When Study Aboard in Studies and Daily Life……..……………….….. 13 2.5 Assistance to International Students’ Living and Study….……… 14 2.6 Summary of Related Studies………………………………………. 16 2.7 Summary…………………………………………………………. 22 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY………………………….. 23 3.1 Research Design in this Study...... 23 3.2 Research Strategy in this Study………………………………….. 24 3.3 Research Methodology…………………………………………... 26 3.4 Ethical Considerations……………………………………………... 28

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CONTENTS (Continued)

CHAPTER Page 3.5 Conclusion…………………………………………………...... 28 4 DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS…….……………… 29 4.1 Participant Profile…………………………………………….….. 29 4.2 Research Findings………………………………………………... 30 4.3 Conclusion……………..………………………………………….. 42 5 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ………………………………………46 119

5.1 The Overview of the Study……………………………………… 46 5.2 Summary of the Findings…………………………………………. 47 5.3 Discussion……………………...... 48 5.4 Practical Contribution……………………...... 50 5.5 Future Research Topic……………………...…………………….. 51 5.6 Conclusion………………………………………………………... 52 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….. 53 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………... 57 APPENDIX A………..……………………………….………...... 58 APPENDIX B………..……………………………….………...... 61 APPENDIX C………..……………………………….………...... 62 BIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………... 67

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page 3-1 Five Strategies of Research Inquiry……………………………………….. 24 4-1 Demographics of the Participants………………………………………… 30

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study Nowadays, there are more and more international students traveling abroad for their studies to Thailand. Minister Counsellor Zhang (2014) of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand claimed that over 12,000 students from China went to continue their study in Asia. At that time, it was believed that from 2014 the number of Chinese students going to study in countries in Asia has increased up to 10% each year. In Asia, Thailand had been found to be the most popular destination by Chinese students. This could be for several reasons. According to Suwannaset (2010, p. 2), “most public and private universities in Thailand have developed a lot of international programs to satisfy the needs of international students. In addition, living in Thailand offers students a good education and a secure environment. In terms of people, Thais are friendly people, with high hospitality, non-racial and they also like helping foreigners. Furthermore, Thailand offers international education and employment prospects”. Most Thai universities have long been recognized in European countries and the USA. As a result, studying as an international student in the international programs in Thailand, provides more career opportunities after graduation. Despite these wonderful opportunities, it was found from many Chinese students that when they actually came to Thailand that adapting to a new living and learning environment does not always paint a beautiful picture. The academic journey in a new culture could be difficult for some students. Yan (2015) found some of the main difficulties Chinese international students face are as follows: 1) Lack of language ability. 2) Cannot adapt to the learning style. 3) Poor coordination with part-time work and studying. 4) Easily distracted from learning. 5) Cannot adapt to diversity. This was also supported by Suwannaset (2010), that many Chinese international students exhibited school-weary psychology, if they could not face their 2 difficulties or find ways to overcome their problems. This could lead to dropping out of school or even committing suicide. While research in the past investigated the experiences of international students in Thailand, most of them explored the life of Chinese undergraduate students who were not studying at graduate levels. This study, therefore, is focusing on investigating the experiences of Chinese international graduate students enrolling in a Thai public university. The researcher, therefore, is interested in studying what experiences the international graduate students have had, how they overcome the difficulties, and what kinds of necessary services or assistance that university should offer to graduate students to enhance their living and learning conditions.

1.2 Research Objectives This research aims to investigate five types of experiences which are the main purposes of the study. 1.2.1 To study the learning challenges of international graduate students studying in an international program in a selected public university. 1.2.2 To find out the living challenges of international graduate students studying in a selected public university. 1.2.3 To investigate the overcoming techniques international graduate students have exercised when experiencing difficulties in an international program in a selected public university. 1.2.4 To investigate overcoming techniques international graduate students have exercised when experiencing difficulties while attending a selected public university. 1.2.5 To propose possible assistance which the university may consider offering to improve international graduate students’ learning and living conditions.

1.3 Research Questions To agree with the above research objectives, this research has six related major research questions.

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1.3.1 What learning challenges are experienced by overseas graduate students studying in a selected Thai public university? 1.3.2 What are the living difficulties overseas graduate students have encountered during their study in the selected public university? 1.3.3 What are the techniques overseas graduate students have used to overcome the learning difficulties during their graduate studies in the selected public university? 1.3.4 What are techniques the overseas graduate students use to cope with their living difficulties in the selected public university? 1.3.5 What kind of assistance is needed from the university for international graduate students for learning and living in the selected public university? 1.3.6 What kind of assistance could help graduate students to adapt to their new living environment?

1.4 Significance of the Study This study was designed to reveal the challenges that international graduate students face and what choices they make in solving these difficulties. Also, to purpose assistance which might help them solve problems while learning and living in a Thai University. The significance of this study is that. 1.4.1 It permits teachers, the Department of Students Affairs and the University to understand students’ learning and living difficulties. 1.4.2 This study allows experienced Chinese international graduate students to disclose the techniques they used to overcome the difficulties when they are studying and living in Thailand to the new incoming Chinese international students. Understanding what kind of assistance can help overseas students to learn at their full potential. It helps universities to plan and provide some essential support for the students, so that the international graduate students can enjoy their studies more. 1.4.3 To enable the university to provide the necessary support after receiving feedback from Chinese international graduate students. It helps universities to plan and provide some essential support for the students, so that the international graduate students may have good experiences living in Thailand. Providing assistance for the international graduate students not only on studying but also on living, will

4 improve international graduate students’ life satisfaction. In other words, the more they enjoy, the more their friends will come. The number of international students coming to study in Thai universities will eventually increase. It can be seen that this study will benefit not only many current international graduate students as they could receive the necessary assistances in studying and living experiences in Thailand, but it could also increase the number of international graduate students believing in Thai education service quality and wanting to come to study in the selected Thai public universities.

1.5 Scope of the Study According to statistics presented by the Office of the Higher Education Commission, Thailand (cited in Lin & Kingminghae, 2014), in 2007, there were 4,028 Chinese students registered in Thai universities, while in 2008, the number increased dramatically to 7,301. Chinese students have become the biggest group of international students studying in universities in Thailand. This study is, therefore, focusing on investigating both the learning and living experiences of Chinese international students in an international program in one university in Thailand.

1.6 Limitation of the Study By restricting the scope of the study to only a group of Chinese students enrolling in some programs, as well as not using any probabilistic sampling techniques in identifying the participants in this study, the researcher is limiting the possibility of generalizability from his research findings to other groups of international students from other countries or those studying in other places or programs. Moreover, to have a deep understanding of experiences concerning the subject matters, the researcher interviewed the informants in Chinese.

1.7 Definitions of the Terms To make a clear understanding of terms used in this study, the researcher believes that some key terms appearing on research questions should be clarified at the beginning. The definitions below are of terms applying to this research study.

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1.7.1 Experiences refer to knowledge, skill, practices, feelings understanding of Chines overseas students in living and studying in a public University in Thailand. 1.7.2 Challenges refer to difficulties Chinese international graduate students are facing in their study and daily life during their time in Thailand. 1.7.3 Overcoming Techniques refer to ways or strategies Chinese international students have applied to solve problems in their daily life and study during their time in Thailand. 1.7.4 Assistance is some help given which Chinese international students view as necessary offers that their university should provide to facilitate their study or improve their living conditions. 1.7.5 Graduate Students include Chinese international graduate students studying in international programs in one university.

1.8 Conclusion Education has long been recognized as one profound factor in developing a society and country. Studying aboard has dramatically increased among younger Chinese generations. While many Chinese are interested in coming to Thailand to continue their graduate studies and experience the outside world, make friends and career opportunities, some may encounter difficult experiences when adapting to their new living and learning environment, some have discovered useful overcoming strategies to their challenges. Being able to recognize the challenges and necessary assistance required by Chinese International students in Thailand, in addition, could help avoid some unexpected problems such as suicide or not complete their studies and return home. It is very important to listen to Chinese International graduate students particularly with regard to the challenging experiences they are facing as well as shared ideas that could allow people to understand and provide the necessary help for them.

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter reviews five related topics which the research considered as useful to obtain a basic understanding of the subject matter in this study, which are: 2.1 Chinese Students Currently Studying in Thailand 2.2 Challenges of Studying and Living Abroad 2.3 International Students’ Adaption 2.4 The Necessary Conditions to Overcome the Difficulties of Daily Life When Studying Aboard 2.5 Assistance for Students Living and Studying Abroad 2.6 Summary of Related Studies

2.1 Current Chinese Students Studying in Thailand It has been reported in Thailand, that Currently, there are 79 public universities classified as 63 limited administration universities; 2 open admission universities; 14 autonomous universities including 2 Buddhist universities, 71 private higher education institutions and 19 Community Colleges. Since 2005, the number of International Programs offered by higher education institutions in Thailand has grown significantly from 520 programs to 981 programs. In 2010, both Thai public and private universities offered a total of 981 international programs both at undergraduate and graduate levels, i.e.342 undergraduate programs; 389 master’s degree programs; and 225 doctoral degree programs and 25 other degree programs. Foreign and Thai students can take courses for credits from such programs (Australian Embassy, 2012, p. 12).

All the same, an education website called “Aboard 101: Study Aboard Reviews” (Study Aboard 101, 2016) reported that, “Approximately 1,900 American students study abroad in Thailand since Thailand is one of the most popular study 7 abroad destinations in Southeast Asia. Thailand enjoys a high level of literacy, and education which provide by their well-organized school system.” With the development of the higher education, the quality of has been accepted by students from neighbor countries. Thai universities have been the center of an intercultural community among foreign students, especially Chinese. The OHEC statistics (2007; 2008 cited in Reungthai, 2012) showed that Thailand had 16,361 international students. The highest percentage of international students coming to study in Thailand was from Asia (86.92%), followed by North America (5.78%), and Europe (5.27%). China had the majority with 44.62%, followed by Laos 7.95% and Myanmar at 6.11%. On the other hand, the Chinese Education Department encourages Chinese students to study in Thailand, and the Chinese Education Department (2012) has also provided a list of Thai public and private universities which offer recognized academic degrees, as follows: 1) Bansomdej Chaopraya Rajabhat University (BSRU) 2) Buriram Rajabhat University (BRU) 3) Chaiyaphum Rajabhat University (CPRU) 4) Chandrakasem Rajabhat University (CRU) 5) Chiang Mai Rajabhat University (CMRU) 6) Chiang Rai Rajabhat University (CRU) 7) Dhonburi Rajabhat University (DRU) 8) Kalasin Rajabhat University (KSU) 9) Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University (KPRU) 10) Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University (KRU) 11) (KU) 12) (KKU) 13) Lampang Rajabhat University (LPRU) 14) Loei Rajabhat University (LRU) 15) (MJU) 16) (MSU) 17) Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University (MCRU) 18) Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University (NPRU)

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19) University (NPU) 20) Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University (NRRU) 21) Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University (NSRU) 22) Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University (NSTRU) 23) (NU) 24) National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) 25) Pathumwan Institute of Technology 26) Phetchabun Rajabhat University (PCRU) 27) Phetchaburi Rajabhat University (PBRU) 28) Phranakhon Rajabhat University (PNRU) 29) Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University (ARU) 30) Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU) 31) Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PSRU) 32) Prince of Songkla University (PSU) 33) Princess of Naradhiwas University (PNU) 34) Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University (RMU) 35) Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University (RRU) 36) Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) 37) Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep (RMUTK) 38) Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL) 39) Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon (RMUTP) 40) Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin (RMUTR) 41) Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RMUTSV) 42) Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi (RMUTSB) 43) Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-Ok (RMUTTO) 44) Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) 45) Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University (RBRU) 46) Roi-et Rajabhat University (RERU) 47) Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University (SNRU) 48) (SU) 49) Si Sa Ket Rajabhat University (SSKRU) 50) Songkhla Rajabhat University (SKRU)

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51) Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) 52) Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDU) 53) Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) 54) Surat Thani Rajabhat University (SRU) 55) Surindra Rajabhat University (SRRU) 56) (TU) 57) Thepsatri Rajabhat University (TRU) 58) Ubon Rajathanee University (UBU) 59) Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University (UBRU) 60) Udon Thani Rajabhat University (UDRU) 61) Uttaradit Rajabhat University (URU) 62) Valaya-Alongkorn Rajabhat University (VRU) 63) Yala Rajabhat University (YRU) 64) Burapha University (BUU) 65) (CMU) 66) (CU) 67) King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) 68) King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) 69) King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) 70) (MFLU) 71) (MU) 72) Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) 73) (TSU) 74) (WU) 75) Assumption University (AU) 76) Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)) 77) Asian Pacific International University 78) 79) Dhurakijpundit University 80) Huachiew Chalermprakiet University 81)

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82) 83) 84) 85) 86) University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce According to this list, the public universities make up the vast majority of the Thai universities. Which means most of the Chinese international students would like to choose the universities which are on the list for their studies. For this reason, the researcher selected a Thai public university to do the research. Above all, Thailand should improve their international student services in order to ensure the overseas students have good experiences during the period of their stay. This can attract more and more International students to come to study in Thailand.

2.2 Living and Learning Challenges in Study Abroad In order to help the international students enjoy their lives when they study abroad, most studies concerning challenges in living and studying tended to explain what living challenges were faced by the overseas students. Every year many people leave their countries to other countries for their study in order to improve their individual knowledge, and acquire further education skills. There are many adjustment problems that foreign students have to cope with such as language issues and culture difficulties. “You may have problems with the language that make your studies more difficult. Culture differences also come into play and you will have to deal with the obvious feeling of being different, a stranger in a foreign land.” (Pang & Barlas, 1996, p. 81). For the overseas students, studying and living abroad that everything to them is unknown, everything they used to is completely different, they will feel scary and might be facing a lot of challenges. Wendorff (2013) reported five challenges that might be impede students who study abroad: 1) Feel like an outsider; 2) Language or cross cultural barriers; 3) Getting used to currency differences; 4) Having serious fear of missing out; and 5) Coping with cultural misunderstandings.

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All the same, Luget (2014) supported several similar challenges that overseas students face as below: 1) Cultural Differences (might bring misunderstood) 2) Language (Language is one hell of a barrier if you are living in a foreign country) 3) Academic Difficulties(different countries have different ways of teaching) 4) Emotional Burden 5) Work Load vs. Time Lapse(self-control and time manage) 6) Finances (a scholarship or financial aid to alleviate tuition fees, daily cost) 7) Family Planning (if the student who has already married and has a child, they might be faces a lot family problem and need assistance from the university.) From these viewpoints, it was recognized that the living challenges of study aboard are not only caused by external factors, but also from the students themselves.

2.3 International Students’ Adaption

Different countries have different cultures and teaching methods. In order to finish studying successfully, overseas students should adapt to the society and culture of the country where they studied in. When we talk about the life of international students, we also need to know what adaptation is. According to (Pedersen, 1991, Sandhu, 1995, Sandhu & Asrabadi, 1998 cited in Sumer, 2009), they believe that, adaption of international students is influenced by the many challenges they face such as decline in their social and economic status, separation from their family and friends, lack of English proficiency, and isolation from their cultural backgrounds. However, according to culture shock theory, the researcher found the culture shock is an important part in adaption. Experiences in a new culture may result in culture shock – stress and conflict occurring when individuals come in contact with different cultures (Winkelman, 1994). It happens especially when individuals are totally immersed in the new culture, as is usually the case with international students. Oberg (1960) agreed that culture shock often results in feelings of confusion and anxiety, which are associated with cultural and social rule changes. All the same, Winkelman (1994) identified culture shock as a normal part of being in a different

12 cultural environment. He contended that individuals must first recognize they are in a state of culture shock, before the situation can be resolved. He described the phases of culture shock as follows: “1) The honeymoon or tourist phase; 2) The crisis or cultural shock phase; 3) The adjustment, reorientation, and gradual recovery phase; 4) The adaptation, resolution, or acculturation phase.” (Winkelman, 1994, p. 122). And Winkelman (1994) remarked that, adaptation to the local culture, through understanding and accommodation, not necessarily assimilation, is necessary to deal with the culture shock. However, based on Harzing (2016), the researcher found that culture shock is the feeling of disorientation, loneliness, insecurity or confusion that can occur when someone leaves his or her home country to live in a new culture. Culture shock may come with any of the following symptoms: 1) Homesickness 2) Loneliness 3) Depression 4) Need for more sleep than normal 5) Withdrawal from social activities 6) Compulsive eating or loss of appetite 7) Stereotyping of and hostility towards host nationals Research has found two points of adaption that have attracted research support in the field, which are summarized as follows: 1) Psychological adaptation refers to a positive sense of identity, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and “good “mental health (Castro, 2003 cited in Sumer, 2009). 2) Sociocultural adaptation refers to the ability to “fit in” the new cultural environment and to negotiate interactions with members of the new culture effectively (Ward & Rana-Deuba, 1999 cited in Sumer, 2009). The researcher found that socio-cultural adaptation is also the main point needed to know when doing this research. Ward and Kennedy (1999) measured the sociocultural adaption of individuals in different cultures, “in terms of behavioral competence” and is “strongly influenced by factors underpinning culture learning and social skills acquisition”. Some key factors have been identified as affecting

13 sociocultural adaptation: gender, age, time in country, cultural distance, language fluency, and having a peer mentor or friendship family (Furnham & Bochner, 1982, Grant-Vallone & Ensher, 2000, Pedersen, 2010, Seo & Koro-Ljungberg, 2005, Wang, 2009, Ward, Okura, Kennedy, & Kojima, 1998, Ward & Searle, 1991, Zhang & Rentz, 1996 cited in Wilson, 2011). Dealing with these factors would be helpful to the international students’ adaption.

2.4 The Necessary Conditions to Overcome the Difficulties When Study Aboard in Studies and Daily Life This research aims to study overcoming techniques international graduate students have exercised when experiencing difficulties in their living and learning in Thailand. And what abilities are needed by the students in order to overcome the difficulties when they study abroad. To purpose possible assistance which the university may consider doing to improve the living and learning conditions of International graduate students. Many universities have already student affairs departments. Like, Leiden University (2016) the oldest university in the Netherlands provides a lot of support for international students. 1) Information on the support network of the University: student counselling services, student dean, study adviser 2) Information on the handling of official complaints and appeal 3) Housing agent problems (besides SLS & Duwo) 4) Academic concerns 5) Financial difficulties 6) Request a DIGID code which is needed for the rental allowance and the health care allowance from the task office 7) Health insurance issues (CVZ): 8) Difficulties in finding a family doctor/GP 9) Request the health care allowance 10) Request the rental allowance 11) Information on study and facilities for children

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12) How to obtain a visa extension 13) Admission scheme for highly educated persons 14) Procedure for ‘‘seeking work after graduation’’ 15) Advice on how to adjust your life to the Dutch environment and find personal support on practical matters of everyday life. Most of the universities in the USA have international student services, such as Tulsa University (2017), can be seen as another interesting example that has the office of international student services which provides their overseas students with a variety of services including: 1) Corresponding with sponsors and prospective students 2) Providing information about the university and surrounding community 3) Meeting with new students to ease adjustment and offering individual assistance as necessary 4) Processing international undergraduate admissions 5) Aiding in cultural and academic adjustment 6) Providing emergency assistance 7) Providing information on local health services 8) Counseling students as necessary From this support we can find that, assistance or help from a university could encourage overseas students to overcome the difficulties and let them adapt to the culture differences, and give them motivation to complete their academic goals.

2.5 Assistance to International Students’ Living and Study International students who study in other countries bring energy, diversity and new ways of seeing things. The overseas students strengthen the connection between countries to countries, and bring more opportunity of the countries development. When international students study abroad, they will face some living and study difficulties, such as, adapting to a new culture, language problems, financial problems, health problems, academic problems and other social problems. According to these problems, most of the universities will share a lot of useful information by

15 handbook or on the universities’ website, in order to help the new international students consider and prepare to living in a new environment. For example, Auckland University of Technology (2016) made a guide on their university’s website which introduced useful information for their students in order to help their students adapt to the new environment, the details are as follows: 1) New Zealand knowledge 2) Document checklist 3) Cost of living 4) Electrical goods 5) What clothes should I pack? 6) Weather 7) Transport from the airport 8) Immigration and Customs 9) First impressions 10) Auckland 11) Transport 12) Kiwis - the people 13) Money matters 14) Opening a bank account 15) Shopping 16) Medical matters 17) Orientation All the same, many universities from different countries have student assistance services departments or students unions, in order to seek to connect the local students or international students who are studying in their universities to find the students studying and living difficulties, according to the students’ difficulties support with appropriate guidance, resources, and support to address a variety of personal and academic matters. Department of IT, Division of Student Affairs, Texas A&M University (2012) has a Student Assistance Services, to help students solve their living and study problems such as: 1) Referrals/resource connections – personal, academic, community

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2) Concerning behavior follow-up 3) Student Welfare Checks 4) Student Absence Notification 5) Silver Taps/student death 6) Sexual Violence Response 7) Consultation regarding withdrawal from school 8) Assistance in coordinating family needs, in the event of an emergency 9) Transition issues 10) General consultation- University rules, process, faculty concerns This support could help the international students cope with the difficulties more or less.

2.6 Summary of Related Studies In order to make this thesis more comprehensive, the researcher reviewed ten related studies and classified four main points. 2.6.1 Social Support for Foreign Students The first study was conducted by Lin and Kingminghae (2014). They conducted a study entitled “Social Support and Loneliness of Chinese International Students in Thailand”. They explored the Chinese international students’ feelings of loneliness and what kinds of social support the students could use. Quantitative research method was applied to explore the cross-cultural adaptation and loneliness experiences of undergraduate Chinese international students in Thai universities. Participants of this research were undergraduate Chinese international students studying at Thai universities who were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data. This study found that language, type of accommodation, ecological conditions of the campus, uncertainty about the future, etc. will cause feelings of loneliness. On the other hand, this study outlined the support for the international Chinese students on their living and learning, such as, support from friendships with host nationals and support from co-nationals, most important is use the social networks where the students can get support. 2.6.2 Culture Shock and Adaptation to the Culture

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The second study was conducted by Baier (2005), “International Students: Culture Shock and Adaptation to the U.S. Culture”. He intended to explore two research questions which were 1) what is the impact of culture and language, personality, and social network on the adaptation of international students to the U.S. culture? 2) What are the personal experiences of international students with adaptation to the U.S. culture and culture shock? Mixed-methods approach was applied to explore the adaptation process and culture shock experiences of various international students at a Midwestern Community College. Participants of this research were students at a Midwestern community college who were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data and sat for interviews to collect qualitative data. This study found that Western students could more easily adjust to the environment, especially the students speaking English as their mother tongue. In addition, there were a lot of difficulties and adaptability issues the students faced. These included language and communication problems, life style and cultural differences, making contact with and finding friends among Americans, and local laws. On the other hand, the students had many good experiences with the school and their opportunities with education. The third study was also conducted by Gebhard (2013). He conducted a study entitled “EFL Learners Studying Abroad: Challenges and Strategies”. He tried to identify challenges international students faced, and to discover the kinds of strategies the students used to overcome these difficulties. Qualitative method was applied to explore adaptation strategies exercised by students at a US university. Participants of this research were students who had been educated in Asian EFL learning contexts. They were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data. This study found that classroom interaction and emotional challenges were their academic challenges. Based on these issues, Gebhard found that the students coped with the problems by using remedies of their countries, asking for help from people whom they trusted –international advisors, international student association, churches, and other international students. The fourth study was also conducted by Gebhard (2012). He investigated International Students’ Adjustment Problems and Behaviours. His two research objective in this study were 1) to identify the kinds of problems that students at a mid-

18 sized university faced and 2) to discover the kinds of behaviors they used when faced with these problems. The qualitative method was applied to explore students’ life adaption, academic language and their problems in understanding local rules and culture difficulties in the United States. International students at a university in the United States were interviewed to collect their qualitative experiences. This study found that students had some challenges in adaptation, they faced academic difficulties and language problems during lectures, and seminars. The students’ ways in coping with difficulties included asking for assistance from consulting agencies in their countries, using their home culture, and looking for help from supportive people, such as international student organizations, professors, other international students, classmates and foreign student advisors. The fifth study was conducted by Barg (2013). He compared Chinese students’ expectations and their actual experiences throughout their first semester at a Midwestern university in America. A qualitative research approach was the main approach in this study. The participants of this research were new undergraduate Chinese students at MSU during the fall of 2012. They were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data. This study found that American structure is different from the Chinese structure which led to adaptation problems of some Chinese students at the beginning of the semester. Most Chinese international students could not speak English well, they found it very hard to establish close relationships with the American students. Instead they mostly socialize with other Chinese students. 2.6.3 Coping with Culture Shock The sixth study was conducted by Bin (2009). He conducted a study entitled “Coping with culture shock: a study of stressors, adjustment and stereotypes among Chinese students at Bangkok University”. He intended to explore two research questions which were 1) how do Chinese students appear in Thai society in terms of stress, coping and adjustment? 2) What are stereotypes that Chinese students hold about Thailand in pre-arrival and post-arrival? A qualitative research approach was applied to explore the culture shock experiences of Chinese students in Bangkok University for both undergraduate and graduate students. Participants of this research were undergraduate and graduate Chinese students at Bangkok University who were

19 asked for interviews to collect qualitative data. This study found that language, culture and religious knowledge, local information, and loneliness and homesickness are the stressors to Chinese students. On the other hand, he outlined the ways of solve these problems, to help the Chinese international students adjust to the new culture, like friend’s help, language learning and study the local culture. 2.6.4 Challenges of International Students Studying Abroad The seventh study was conducted by Ngamkamollert and Ruangkanjanases (2015). They conducted a study entitled “Factors Influencing Foreign Students’ Satisfaction toward International Program in Thai Universities”. They explored four research topics which were 1) To explore factors that influence international students on their decision-making process on selecting Thai universities. 2) To identify the international students’ satisfaction factors towards the international programs in Thai universities. 3) To identify and compare satisfaction factors between public and private universities. 4) To propose improvements on increasing satisfaction of the international students who are studying in the international program at Thai universities, and to attract more potential international students come to study. A quantitative research approach was applied to explore the Foreign Students’ Satisfaction. Participants of this research were foreign students studying at a Thai university who were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data. This study found four factors influence foreign students’ satisfaction: Academic (education quality), Financial (economic consideration), Administrative (Staff Support) and Image (Prestige of the university). On the other hand, they suggested the Thai government should assist their higher education institutions in developing their academic and professional capacities to meet international standards. The eighth study was conducted by Yeoh, Le, and Doan (2013). They conducted a study entitled: The Challenges of International Research Students Studying in an Australian University Context”. They explored one research question which was. What challenges do international research students face in their studies and daily life in Tasmania? A qualitative research approach was applied to investigate the challenges that international research students face in their studies and daily life at the University of Tasmania. Participants of this research were international students at Australian University from different faculties, who were asked for interview to collect

20 qualitative data. This study found that there are five themes of challenges that students faced. Academic factors (language barrier, time management, research resources, educational and cultural background), supportive environment (library facilities and services, graduate research office, IT services and laboratory facilities were important in supporting international research students in studies), interpersonal relationships with supervisors (The personality of a supervisor influences his or her attitude in supervision and indirectly influences the relationship with students), physical health (sleeping time, diet, exercise or outdoor activity and other concerns were important in maintaining their health) and psychological wellbeing( related with physical health). On the other hand, they also suggested that the government should provide some support for the international and the international students should be prepared well before they go to study abroad. The ninth study was conducted by Zhao (2010). He conducted a study entitled “Socio-Cultural Adjustment of International Students as Expatriates in America”. He explored one research question which was to examine the relationships between international students’ ethnic identify, self-efficacy, uncertainty avoidance, and their socio-cultural adjustment. A quantitative method approach was applied to explore the relationships between international students who were study in American universities, ethnic identify, self-efficacy, uncertainty avoidance, and their socio- cultural adjustment. Participants of this research were international students from seven countries who were study in American universities were asked to respond to written survey questions for quantitative data. This study found that: 1) There was a positive relationship between the ethnic identity of international students and their socio-cultural adjustment, 2) The networking among their own ethnic groups helped the students overcome difficulties in the process of socio-cultural adjustment, 3) International students’ self-efficacy is positively correlated to their socio-cultural adjustment, 4) International students’ uncertainty avoidance is positively correlated with their ethnic identity, 5) Uncertainty avoidance is negatively correlated with international students’ socio-cultural adjustment.

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On the other hand, this study suggested that international students who have a higher preference for avoiding uncertainty tend to have lower expectations in being successful in a new culture. The last study was conducted by Aydinol (2013). He conducted a study entitled “Understanding the International Student Experience”. He explored three research questions which were 1) what are the international students’ experiences with their professors, classes and other students? 2) What are the challenges, if any, that international students experience in both their academic and social lives? 3) What are their perceptions regarding the changes, if any, that they have experienced in their personal, social and academic lives after their time in the United States? Qualitative research approach was applied to explore the international students’ experiences. Participants of this research were international graduate students currently studying or have recently studied in a college or university in the United States, who were asked for interview to collect qualitative data. This study found that culture shock, loneliness and homesickness, hard to make friends with local people or other international students, learning culture differences, academic challenges and cultural dissonance were the challenges international students faced. On the other hand, the study gives out some suggestions in order to help the international students. Like, establish some specific unit to support international students’ requirement, like a writing center, language service; the university should organize more activities to help the international students have more chances to know the local students, in order to make friendships with each other; the university should support the international students to help them know the new environment, maintain their well-being, accomplish their present goals, and contribute to the class through connections and collaboration.

2.7 Summary The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of overseas graduate students studying in International Graduate programs in a Thai public university, and suggest assistance which the university may consider doing to improve International graduate students’ learning and living.

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The literature and 10 studies show the challenges international students faced. The review focused on international students’ living challenges, learning challenges, adaption, necessary conditions to overcome the difficulties, enhance international students learning motivation and the importance of assistance international students study and living. However, the researcher found a lot of suggestions that could be used to assist international students. Based on the literature review, a qualitative research method was used in this study with 10 Chinese international graduate students from a public university in Thailand as the key informants in this study.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design in this Study The researcher collected the data based on informants’ experiences and chose a qualitative approach to understand the experiences of Chinese overseas graduate students studying in international graduate programs in a selected Thai public university. According to Yauch and Steudel (2003), qualitative research is a systematic, subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning. The qualitative approach is an inquiry that is broad and open-ended, allowing the participants to raise issues that matter most to them. The qualitative researcher typically does not have a preconceived, finite set of issues to examine. In this study, by using qualitative study, the researcher could get the details of the interviewees’ experiences. Maxwell (2009) described the strength of the qualitative approach could be the strength used in this study, and guided the researcher where to focus. He pointed out that: Understanding the particular context within which the participants act and the influence this context has on their actions. Qualitative researchers typically study a relatively small number of individuals or situations and preserve the individuality of each of these in their analyses, rather than collecting data from large samples and aggregating the data across individuals or situations. Thus, they are able to understand how events, actions, and meanings are shaped by the unique circumstances in which these occur (Maxwell, 2009, p. 221).

Lichtman (2013, p. 83) stated, “The purpose of phenomenology is to describe and understand the essence of lived experiences of individuals who have experienced a particular phenomenon”. While, Creswell (2003) recommended the use of Moustakas’s (1994) psychological phenomenology for studies in which rich, semi- structured analysis of psychological phenomena are required. The phenomenological 24

approach was used in this study, which helped the researcher to understand the essence of a phenomenon by examining the views of people who have experienced that phenomenon.

3.2 Research Strategy in this Study In this qualitative study, the phenomenology strategy was used as the main strategy. The reason that this study has been categorized as a phenomenological study can be clearly seen when Creswell (1998) compared five strategies of research inquiry as shown in the table below.

Table 3-1 Five Strategies of Research Inquiry

Dimension Biography Phenomenology Grounded Ethnography Case Study Theory Focus -exploring -understanding -developing -describing -developing the life and the essence of theory and an semi- individual experiences grounded in interpreting a structured about a data from cultural and analysis of a phenomenon the field social group single case or multiple cases Discipline -anthropology -philosophy, -sociology Cultural -political origin -literature sociology, anthropology, science, -history psychology sociology sociology, -psychology evaluation, -sociology urban studies, other social science

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Table 3-1 (Continued)

Dimension Biography Phenomenology Grounded Ethnography Case Study Theory Data -primarily -long -Interviews -primarily -multiple collection interviews interviews with with 20-30 observations sources and up to 10 people individuals and interviews documents, document to ‘‘Saturate’’ with additional archival categories artefacts records, and detail a during interviews theory extended time observations, in the field physical (e.g., 6 months artefacts to a year) Data -stories -statements -Open -description -description analysis -epiphanies -Meaning coding -analysis -themes Narrative -Historical -meaning -axial -interpretation -assertions-in- form content themes coding -description of depth study of -detailed -general -selective the cultural a ‘‘case’’ or

picture of an description of coding behaviour of a ‘‘cases’’ individual’s the experience -conditional group or an life -description of matrix- individual the ‘‘essence’’ theory or of experience theoretical model

Source: Adapted from Creswell (1998, p. 65)

By considering all types of qualitative strategies (see Table 3-1), the researcher strongly insists that phenomenological strategy should become the most appropriate research strategy in this study. In order to answer all research questions, the participants were asked to tell their stories or share their life experiences during

26 the time they were studying in their international graduate programs in a Thai public university.

3.3 Research Methodology 3.3.1 Participants Purposive sampling technique was the idea to draw up criteria that could help the researcher to identify the most suitable participants. The researcher believed that the participants who could provide him with useful information should be Chinese International students who currently enrolled in one public university. Their student status, additionally, was full-time students of one international graduate program. They had spent at least one year studying in a selected Thai university. 3.3.2 Data Instrument and Data Collection In this study, the researcher applied semi-structured interviews to obtain data from the key informants. According to the number of suitable participants suggested for a phenomenological study by Creswell (2003), not less than ten international students were interviewed who met the abovementioned criteria. A name list of Chinese international students was requested from the department administration. To begin the step of data collection, the researcher needed to identify his first participant. This starts by getting some opinions concerning potential students from the head of the department. The recommended students were, as a result, asked whether they were interested in joining this survey project. In addition, to identify informants who could be rich sources of information, the researcher also applied the snowball effect technique to link his participants from one to another. After identifying enough participants willing to join this exploratory study, the researcher started contacting them and asking for a convenient time to meet and have a conversation regarding their overseas experiences. To have a smooth conversation, the researcher chose to see them in a quiet room at their university. The reason that university is the best place to interview them is because the researcher viewed that a good interview should take place in a location where his informants can feel relaxed. The ideal place should be a place which has an atmosphere where they can easily recall, allowing them to respond well to questions asked by the researcher. Before the interview, the researcher explained to his informants about the purposes of his

27 research project and asked for their permission to record the conversation for the benefit of data analysis. Although the initial number of participants taking part in this study was 10, the researcher kept in mind that if the data gained from interviewing 10 participants was not saturated, new potential participants could be identified and all steps of data collection might be repeated. The researcher discontinued collecting data after confirming with his research advisor that there was no new information emerging from interviewing new participants. 3.3.3 Data Analysis To analyze the data obtained from interviewees, the researcher transcribed the recorded audio files into text or document files. After all text files were created, the researcher started identifying possible themes according to steps of data analysis called modification of the STEVICK-COLAIZZI-KEEN Method of Phenomenological Data. These well-known steps of phenomenological data analysis were proposed by Moustakas (1994). Moustakas (1994) suggested that the following steps allowed the researcher to understand and search for essence experiences of the subjects of interest. This method consists of six steps. They are as follows: 1) Begin with a full description of the personal experiences of the participants concerning the phenomenon. 2) Develop a list of significant statements. 3) Group the significant statements into “meaningful units” or themes. 4) Write a textural description. 5) Write a structural description. 6) Write a composite description of the phenomenon incorporating both the textural and structural descriptions. 3.3.4 Data Management To ensure that all documents and data were kept safely and easy to retrieve, the researcher backed up all files and stored them in different safe places, such as one set in his computer secondary memory, one set on Google drive and in his e-mail inbox.

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3.4 Ethical Considerations The interview questions were sent to a Burapha University research committee to ensure that all questions were approved and aligned on the criteria of valid ethical standards. The researcher, for example, will not release the name of the participants who provided the researcher with their experiences. The researcher will also not refer to the educational institution which is chosen for this study. The ethical considerations in this study were approved as required by the university where the researcher was studying.

3.5 Conclusion This study involved a qualitative research approach applying phenomenological strategy. Around ten full-time Chinese international graduate students studying in international graduate programs in a Thai public university for more than one year were asked to attend semi-structured interviews with the researcher in a quiet room at their university. The steps of data analysis proposed by Moustakas (1994) were used in analyzing the data obtained from informants. The participants were contacted by e-mail or mobile phone in order to make an interview appointment. A computer program called Atlas was used as a data analysis tool in coding and categorizing data. E-mail, Cloud and an external memory were used to store and backup all data produced in this study. This study followed the ethical procedures according to ethical standards regulated by a Burapha University committee to ensure that participants had freedom to withdraw; they are protected from mental harm and they understand their rights and confidentiality of information they share.

CHAPTER 4 DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Participant Profile In this chapter, the findings addressing the six main research questions proposed in Chapter 1 are presented. The researcher began this by outlining steps of data analysis proposed by Moustakas (1994). His six steps are widely known as “modification of the STEVICK-COLAIZZI-KEEN Method of Phenomenological Data”. Moustakas (1994) suggested that essence of experiences reported by informants could be entered and interpreted when phenomenological researchers: 1) Begin with thoroughly examined full descriptions of the personal experiences of the informants concerning the phenomenon. 2) Develop a list of significant statements. 3) Group the significant statements into “meaningful units” or themes. 4) Write a textural description. 5) Write a structural description. 6) Write a composite description of the phenomenon incorporating both the textural and structural descriptions. The researcher then presents the demographics of the participants before disclosing the findings of each research question. The direct quotations appearing in this chapter are used to highlight participants’ statements as part of the researcher’s trustworthiness techniques. By adding direct verbatim together with codes and themes categorized by the researcher, readers could evaluate the accuracy of data analysis and how the researcher entered into the inner world of his informants and interpreted the meaning that they shared. To ensure that informants’ identities are kept secret and the data cannot be used to identify the informants in this study, the report replaces the real names of his participants and identifies their messages as Stu1, Stu2, Stu3,… Stu10.

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Table 4-1 Demographics of the Participants

No Gender Age Years of living in Thailand Years of studying in Thailand 1 Male 28 8 8 2 Female 23 3 3 3 Female 28 8 8 4 Male 30 3 3 5 Female 27 9 9 6 Female 23 3 3 7 Male 24 6 6 8 Female 23 2 2 9 Male 29 6 6 10 Male 27 8 8

The above table shows that half of the participants in this study were female (50 %). Most participants (60%) were between 27 to 30 years old, and 40% were either 23 or 24 years old. The majority of the participants, 6 people or 60%, have lived in Thailand for more than 6 years. While 4 of them (40%) were new students coming to study for their Master degree in Thailand, 6 of them (60%) graduated with their Bachelor degree from a Thai university.

4.2 Research Findings 4.2.1 Research Question One To report the findings of the first research question which is “What learning challenges are experienced by overseas graduate students studying in a selected Thai public university?” The researcher presents the following themes as reported by the students. Theme 1: English Language Proficiency Needed in Studying both Inside and Outside their Classroom 1) Not being able to understand the accented spoken English of their lecturers impedes many Chinese students in taking notes and understanding lessons.

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2) Lacking fully-developed skills in spoken and written English compounded with the previously mentioned lecturers’ accent difficulties makes homework and research projects hard to complete as well. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…we used English in all classes, at the beginning, I couldn’t understand what teachers tried to say. I was not used to listening to their accents. It took a while before I could recognize words and understand their accent styles. (Stu 10)…//… My English is just OK, but when I was a new student, I could not adapt to the accents of my teachers. (Stu 6)…//…I am not good at English, I often used a dictionary application on my mobile phone to translate lessons in class. I kept checking the meaning of words, sometimes I couldn’t follow what the teachers were saying and could not continue paying attention to my teachers. (Stu 2)…//… I couldn’t face my advisor alone when I wanted to consult about my thesis project, because I can neither speak English nor Thai. (Stu 7)…//… because I lack English skills, group work became a problem. It is difficult for me to have discussions with my classmates. (Stu 5)…//…Homework is quite difficult for me because it is assigned in English and I need to do it in English. I have to take more time than others to finish the work and sometimes I do it wrong… (Stu 8)…// Theme 2: Individual Issues 1) Facing personal problems in living could result in losing motivation to learn. 2) Lack of self-discipline could delay students in completing an assignment before the deadline. 3) Busy work occupies some students’ time and they are too tired to study at the end of the day. 4) The introverted personality of some students makes them feel uncomfortable to meet and get a consultation with their teachers. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…I enjoyed spending most of my time playing computer games more than getting books and reading them. (Stu 7)…//…I was used to procrastinating when I did things, such as homework, I always start to do it on the last day. (Stu 9)…//…

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When I was broke up with my girlfriend, I felt very sad and didn’t want to do anything including study. (Stu 1)…//… All my good friends were in China, I didn’t have friends I could trust here in Thailand. This made me feel very frustrated. It somehow affected my learning motivation. (Stu 3)…//… Living in Thailand alone there were a lot things to deal with, at times things couldn’t work out easily. This is because of the language problem. I couldn’t express what was on my mind and what I needed, when I felt upset, I had a lot of psychological stress that influenced my study. (Stu 6)…//… I was teaching Chinese in a school in Thailand, and it kept me busy from Monday to Friday. After work, I tried to finish homework before going to study again on the weekend. Sometimes I was too tired to focus on studying. (Stu 4)…//… Unless someone went to see them with me, I was afraid to talk to teachers by myself. (Stu 2)…// Theme 3: Different Education Modes 1) Unable to adapt to the diverse teaching methods causes many Chinese students to tire of studying. 2) Unaccustomed to the Thai education system could influence learning efficiency. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… Thai teaching methods are more flexible than Chinese. When in class, I prefer to study alone than group learning. I couldn’t adapt to it in the beginning, and had to spend one semester getting used to their methods. (Stu 1)…//…in my opinion most Thai teachers’ teaching methods are very good, but some of them are not, this caused me to tire of studying. (Stu 2)…//… Chinese teachers use textbooks to teach and we can use the books to preview the knowledge we are going to learn, but in Thailand this is not the case. The only thing I can do is to search on the internet without books as a guide. It does affect the results of learning. (Stu 6)…// Theme 4: Academic Problems 1) Lack of HRD knowledge, professional vocabulary and work experience could affect motivation. 2) Misunderstanding the homework assignments causes mistakes. 3) Lack of research writing experience impedes the thesis process. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include:

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//… I lack work experience therefore I couldn’t understand the subject easily. (Stu 2)…//…Before I began this program, I didn’t know anything about HRD. In the beginning, the professional concepts and professional vocabulary made it difficult to learn. Sometimes I wanted to drop out of school. (Stu 8)…//… one time I misunderstood the homework assignment. So I did it wrong. As a result, I was feeling quite low and depressed, I thought that if the teacher gave me an F, I would drop out, but I was lucky, the teacher gave me another chance to do the work right. (Stu 7)…//… I met difficulties when I was doing my thesis, because I had no experience in writing papers, I do not know what to do first, I wanted to ask my advisor but I didn’t even know what to ask. (Stu 5)…// 4.2.2 Research Question Two The Second research question was: What are the living difficulties overseas graduate students have encountered during their study in the selected public university? The following themes are the life challenges that overseas graduate students faced. Theme 1: Language Problem 1) Lack of Thai language skills makes everyday life difficulty. 2) Unable to communicate verbally in Thai, impedes Chinese students making friends with Thais. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… English is not widely used in Thailand. When I first came here I couldn’t speak Thai, so I couldn’t communicate with Thais very well. (Stu 1)…//… the language problem would made me afraid that I would get lost, when I would try to go somewhere, and when I wanted to buy something, I didn’t know how to say the word in Thai. (Stu 2)…//… when I wanted to ask for Thai’s help, I was unable to express my thoughts, I felt helpless. (Stu 3)…//…my English and Thai are very poor, I was afraid they would laugh at me when I spoke to them. (Stu 7)…//…when I first came here, I couldn’t order the food, the only thing I could do was to use my body language, or point. But sometimes I ordered food which was not my expectation, I didn’t know how to express myself to Thais. (Stu 8)…//… Thais are very nice, but it

34 was hard to be friends with them, because of the language problem, I couldn’t communicate with them semi-structured. (Stu 1)…// Theme 2: Culture Differences 1) Culture differences resulted in misunderstandings. 2) Lack of Thai culture, customs and language cognition, causes Chinese international students to feel like outsiders. 3) Different dietary habits cause some Chinese students to not like Thai food. 4) Different climate because most Chinese students couldn’t adapt to the hot weather. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… Chinese talk loudly, but Thai people are very soft when they talk, so Thais thought Chinese needed to speak softly. But we are already used to the way of talking. When I realized this, I softened my voice, in order to remove the misunderstanding. (Stu 5)…//… in Thailand, people greet each other using the wai, when I first came here, I didn’t know the rules, sometimes Thais thought that I was impolite, but I didn’t know. (Stu 8)…//… when I first came here, I didn’t know the Thai festivals and rules, so I was afraid to go outside until I learned the Thai culture and rules from the internet. (Stu 10)…//…when I first came here, I didn’t know the language and the culture, everything was strange to me, many times I felt I did not belong here, afraid to go outside, just wanted to stay in my room. (Stu 7)…//…the process of adapting to the new culture caused huge psychological pressure in me and, I do not like the food in Thailand, it’s too sweet and too spicy for me. (Stu 6)…//… the weather in Thailand is too hot and humid, although I have lived here more than three years, I cannot adapt. (Stu 4) Theme 3: Individual Issues 1) Living abroad for a long time causes many Chinese students to feel homesick. 2) Without best friends around, the result is loneliness. 3) Lack of self-discipline causes difficulties in daily life. 4) Family issues causes a few Chinese students to have financial problems.

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5) Tired of maintaining friendships makes Chinese students feel exhausted. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… I miss my family sometimes. I want to go back, especially during the time of festivals in China. (Stu 10)…//…during the period of time in Thailand, families and my friends are not by my side. It makes me feel alone. (Stu 1)…//… it is hard for me to make trusted Thai or Chinese friends. When I had problems, or felt sad, no one could speak to me, I felt lonely. (Stu 2)…//… I was afraid to go somewhere alone, unless someone was by my side. (Stu 8)…//… my self-discipline is not good enough, my parents took good care on me when I was in China, but now I am in Thailand, I have to do everything on my own, I cannot adapt to it. (Stu 9)…//… my family’s financial difficulties, I didn’t have enough money for living, although I had a job teaching Chinese but it was not enough, I was always worried about the cost of living. (Stu 8)…//… I had to fix the relationship with my friends after a quarrel, but after several times I began to feel tired. (Stu 7)…//… I used to have Thai friends, but the difference in our ways of talking and thinking were huge. Therefore, it was too tiring to me to maintain those relationships. (Stu 6)…// 4.2.3 Research Question Three The third research question was: What are the techniques overseas graduate students have used to overcome the learning difficulties during their graduate study in the selected public university? The following themes present how the Chinese international students cope with learning difficulties. Theme 1: Other Peoples’ Help 1) With teachers’ help, Chinese students could learn better. 2) With friends’ and classmates’ help, Chinese students could increase learning confidence. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…teachers encouraged me and helped me a lot. For example, teachers know that I’m not good at English, they worried that I might not understand what was going on in class. So every time after class, they would ask me proactively what didn’t I understand. (Stu 2)…//…when I had homework problems or couldn’t

36 understand the subject, if I asked, the teachers were willing to help. (Stu 5)… //…when I had problems with writing my thesis, I would ask for help from my advisor. (Stu 6)…//… when I thought about dropping out of school, I usually talked to my family and friends, they encouraged me and give me the courage to continue. (Stu 6)…//… my classmates were good at English, so I asked them to translate for me. (Stu 7)…// Theme 2: By Using Electronic Devices 1) Using a translator in class helped a bit, but also the class would be affected. 2) Using a translator to do homework helped a lot. 3) Using the internet and the university library, Chinese students could find a lot of useful information when doing homework and thesis work. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… I used my phone to translate in class if I couldn’t follow the teacher, and I would ask my friends to help me. (Stu 8)…//…I used a computer to translate and search related information on the internet to do homework. (Stu 1)…//…I usually went to the library to do homework because of the free Wi-Fi, and I found the information I needed in the library. (Stu 2)…//…the library also provided me with a quiet learning environment, free internet, and abundant books. Therefore, I could get any information there. (Stu 8)…// Theme 3: Self-improvement 1) Studying English helped Chinese students to better communicate with their teachers, and helped in class and doing homework. 2) Strength self-management increased Chinese students’ self-discipline, but sometimes the effect was not obvious. 3) Studying the related specialized knowledge after class helped Chinese students understand and learn the subject better. 4) Adapting to Thai teaching methods helped Chinese students improve their learning efficiency. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…I learned English by myself after class, now I can communicate with my teachers with simple words and I can understand them better. (Stu 2)…//… I tried

37 to learn English by myself, but my English was too bad to learn, but now I can understand some words. (Stu 8)…//... I tried to make myself to learn the language and knowledge, instead of playing computer games, but the effect was not good. (Stu 7)… after a period of time, finally I found the balance between work and study, now I can manage the time to learn and work effectively. (Stu 4)…//… I had to push myself to learn or finish homework on time, but it was hard for me, sometimes it worked but sometimes it did not. (Stu 10)…//… after class, I would use one night to study the HRD material in Chinese in order to understand it better. (Stu 8)…//…the only thing I could do was try to get used to Thai teaching styles, after one semester I adapted. (Stu 1)…// 4.2.4 Research Question Four The fourth research question was: What are techniques the overseas graduate students use to cope with their living difficulties in the selected public university? The following themes present how the Chinese international students cope with learning difficulties. Theme 1: Ask Help from a Third Party 1) With the university’s assistance, Chinese students could solve a lot of living problems, such as housing, visa extensions, etc. 2) With friends’ help, Chinese students also could cope with the living difficulties such as communication, shopping, eating, etc. 3) By using a translator or body language, Chinese students could barely express their needs and thoughts to Thais. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… When I first came here, I had no place to live, the faculty office staff were very nice and helped me find an apartment. (Stu 1)…//… I had problems with visa extensions, the university helped me deal with it as soon as possible. (Stu 2)… //…I had a motorcycle accident. I couldn’t speak Thai, fortunately, some Chinese students who study here could speak Thai. They helped me communicate with Thais. (Stu 3)…//…Chinese students are united here, when I had a problem, or needed help, they were willing to help me. (Stu 5)…//…every time when I went out to shop or eat, I usually asked a Chinese friend who could speak Thai to go and translate for me. (Stu

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7)…//… I used a mobile phone to translate from Chinese to Thai, in order to communicate with Thai people when I want to buy something. (Stu 8)…//… most of the time I used finger pointing or body language. It was hard but it worked. (Stu 10)… // Theme 2: Adapt to Culture Differences Study Thai language and culture are the only way to help Chinese students adapt to living in Thailand. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… I learned Thai which was used in daily life by myself. Now I can say some simple sentences and understand some words in Thai. (Stu 1)…//…it was good for me to teach Chinese in a school, it’s easy for me to study and practise Thai, and learn Thai culture from them, in order to understand Thai people better. (Stu 4)… //…the faculty invited me to attend some parties when Thai local festivals came. This gave me a chance to understand Thai culture. (Stu 8)…//… after I came to Thailand, I found that if I wanted to be a part of them, I must learn their language, their culture and show respect for what they believed, so I studied the language, culture and customs from Thai people, and life became much easier here. (Stu 9)…// Theme 3: Self-improvement 1) Keeping in touch with their friends and family to overcome the loneliness, homesickness, etc. 2) Adjusting their psychology to solve their individual problems to lead an active life. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…sometimes Chinese students will get together to have dinner or travel around Thailand, my solitude was reduced with people around me. (Stu 1)…//…when I had difficulties which I could not solve and it upset me, I played computer games or watched a movie to distract myself from the problem. (Stu 2)…//…I bravely pushed myself to communicate with Thai people, no matter what the result was, the point is I overcame my fear, and I am learning from my mistakes every day. (Stu 5)… //…some Chinese students do not like Thai food. I am good at cooking, so sometimes I made Chinese food and sold it, this relieved the problem and helped my cost of

39 living. (Stu 8)…//…while living in Thailand, I improved my self-maintenance. (Stu 9)…// Theme 4: Expand Social Acquaintances Developing their interpersonal skills, make more new friends with Chinese and Thais. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… Thai people are very nice, I made a lot of Thai friends here. I could know more about Thailand through them, and also when I had problems they helped me a lot. (Stu 5)…//… I am widening my circle with Chinese students here, we help each other solve many living problems. (Stu 6)…// It can be seen that, from the Chinese international students’ point of views. When they had some serious living difficulties they knew clearly who could help them, when they had communication problems they would ask for assistance from their friends and classmates, or on their own by using a translator and body language. The Chinese students know that if they want to adapt to their life in Thailand, they need to study the language, culture and customs in Thailand. Some of them chose to self-study and the others learned directly from Thai people, and also tried to be strong to overcome their individual issues. 4.2.5 Research Question Five The fifth research question was: What kinds of assistance are needed from the university for international graduate students for learning and living in the selected public university? The following themes are what the Chinese international students’ expect from the university. Theme 1: Update Teaching Methods and Teaching Equipment for Learning 1) Chinese students hope the teachers can design more activities to gain more opportunities to practice their professional knowledge. 2) Chinese students hope their faculty can update teaching facilities to enhance the quality of teaching. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include:

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//… teachers were focusing on teaching basic knowledge, I hope that the faculty can provide more chances to practise, such as, scene simulation and going to companies for visiting and learning. (Stu 1)…//…I want to have more chances to practice the knowledge after class, it would be better for my study. (Stu 5)…//… I hope that after we finish class, the faculty can support us in finding internship opportunities. (Stu 7)…//…I hope the faculty can provide more computers for students in class, also could use more flexible teaching methods. (Stu 9)…//… I hope the faculty can update the multimedia teaching equipment, as it was a little bit old, and strengthen the wireless network in class because sometimes we were unable to connect. (Stu 10)…// Theme 2: English and Thai Training Program for Living and Learning 1) Chinese students hope the faculty can provide the English language training class, could help the Chinese students to strength their English skills in the class. 2) Chinese students hope the faculty can provide the Thai language training class, could help the Chinese students to solve their communication problems in daily life. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //… based on the students’ needs and hobbies, the university could set up some kinds of English or Thai class for the international students’ interests. (Stu 3)…//…if the faculty could support a class for me to improve my English skill, I would learn better. (Stu 7)…//…I hope the university can offer Thai language class to the students who want to study, it can help me have a better living experience in Thailand. (Stu 10)…// Theme 3: Improve Students’ Learning and Living Motivation 1) Chinese students expect to get more concern about their living and learning from their faculty. 2) Chinese students expect to get more chances to gain international student scholarship or foreign student financial aid.

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3) Chinese students expect to attend more activities in the university, it could increase their happiness in living and learning, and make more friends from other countries and other Chinese students. 4) Chinese students expect to obtain more chances for job interviews, to have job experience after finishing their study in Thailand. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…I hope the office staff can be more positive in caring about our social life, because not many students would take the initiative to contact the university or ask for help. (Stu 1)…//…most Chinese students had a lot of problems when doing visa extensions, I hope the university can send teachers with us go to the immigration office. (Stu 2)…//…if I could get some financial aid from the beginning of the study in Thailand, I could pay more attention to my study, and would not need to worry about my living difficulties. (Stu 8)…//… I’d like to suggest that the university set up more scholarships for the international students, to encourage the international students to study hard. (Stu 10)…//… the university should have more parties for the international students, such as summer camp or some tour plans, we could meet more friends from other countries and experience studying abroad. (Stu 7)…//… I’m very happy because the university gave me a chance for a job interview after I finish my studies, but it was only a few chances, not enough for other students. (Stu 9)…// 4.2.6 Research Question Six The sixth research question was: What kind of assistance could help graduate students to adapt to their new living environment? Theme 1: Thai Language and Culture Study Assistance Chinese students believe that studying Thai and Thai culture, would help them to adapt to living in Thailand. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…In Thailand, people speak Thai as their native language and it is a different culture from other countries, most of the international students who come here cannot speak Thai and do not understand the culture here, it was hard to adapt to a new environment when we cannot speak Thai. (Stu 8)…//…If the university could,

42 before or in the first semester, provide international students a Thai language class and introduce Thai culture to them, it would be easier for students to adapt (Stu 10). Theme 2: Improve International Students’ Living and Learning Service 1) Chinese students believe that if the university could provide a guide to show them around the university and lead them to admission, it could help them to better adapt to their new living environment. 2) Chinese students believe that if the university could set up an international student support center, in that way, Chinese students could get help when they have problems. Some examples of direct quotations supporting the above theme include: //…I think it is necessary to arrange for the university’s staff to assist the new foreign students to the university and help them to adjust to the new environment. It would be a big advantage for them to adapt to life. (Stu 2) …//…the university should set up an international student help center or an organization that could provide assistance for the new students, when they have difficulties, a place where they can come to ask for help. (Stu 4)…//… I hope the university can introduce us to students who are already studying here. This would help us fit in more quickly. (Stu 5)…//… when I just came here, everything was unfamiliar to me, if someone could have helped me to adapt, it would have been wonderful. (Stu 6)…//

4.3 Conclusion This chapter describes and interprets the research findings addressing the six research questions outlined in Chapter 1. In responding to the first research question, it has been found that the Chinese international students have met a lot of learning challenges when they were studying in Thailand, which include: 1) English language problems cause difficulties because some students’ English is good enough, they only need to adapt to the accent of the teachers, and when they get used to it, it would not be a problem. However, for other students who lack good English listening, writing and speaking skills, it causes a lot of difficulties inside and outside of class. It impedes their study efficiency during their period of study in Thailand. 2) Individual issues, living problems, affective

43 factors, working, lack of self-control and introverted personality distract Chinese international students from study, it can be seen from the individual issues as some Chinese students couldn’t cope with the living problems, affective factors and work, life and study balance, which causes mental stress and physical exhaustion ultimately resulting in the thinking about dropping out of school. 3) Different education modes affect Chinese international students because they need to spend time adapting to a different teaching system which is distracting at the beginning of their study. 4) Academic problems influence the students’ learning progress and learning motivation. The second research question shows the Chinese international students’ living difficulties. 1) Lack of Thai language skills. English is not widely used in Thailand, most of the students only speak English, and the language is always a problem that impedes their daily life and making Thai friends. 2) Culture difference. Most of the Chinese international students didn’t know the culture and rules in Thailand, everything is totally different from their hometown, the students tried to learn from Thai people, in order to understand Thai culture and rules, but they couldn’t understand the Thai language, it causes the inability to communication with Thais to acknowledge the culture and everything in Thailand. They could mingle with the new environment better, and it also causes a lot misunderstandings which make them feel like an outsider. This can lead to huge psychological pressure and some students were afraid to go outside or talk to the local people. 3) Individual issues. Chinese international students were homesick and lonely. Also, students had personal problems such as the inability to take care of themselves, family’s financial problems and overly introverted. Some students thought about dropping out of school and even seriously depressed. All of these living difficulties would influence their mental health as well. The findings of research question 3, concerned the techniques of Chinese international students to overcome learning difficulties. 1) Ask others for help or using electronic devices. When students had problems with studying, most of them would ask for the teachers’ help, in order to easily solve the difficulties. But a few of the students were afraid to speak to their teachers, they asked for classmates’ and friends’ help, or used mobile phones and computers to translate or searched on the

44 internet instead. 2) Self-improvement. Chinese international students tried to solve their own problems, tried to make themselves learn better. Such as, improve their English skills by themselves to solve the learning problem, increasing their self- discipline to change their careless and idleness, through self-study abilities to improve the insufficiencies of professional knowledge. And also use the time in the class to get used to the teachers’ teaching style. Research question 4 shows the techniques the Chinese international students used to deal with their living problems. 1) Ask help from other people. When they had some seriously living difficulties they would ask help from the university and their trusted friends in Thailand. On the other hand, when they had communication problems they would ask for assistance from their friends and classmates, use internet translator applications and body language. 2) Adapt to the Thai living environment and make friends with Thais. Chinese students know that if they want to adapt to their life in Thailand, they need to study the language, culture and customs in Thailand. Some of them chose to self-study and the others tried to make friends with Thai people and learn directly from them. 3) Self-improvement. They tried to solve their own individual issues and strengthen their heart by themselves. In response to the fifth research question, it was found that Chinese international students requested 3 things from the university. 1) Update teaching methods and teaching equipment for learning. 2) Set up an English and Thai training program for living and learning. 3) Want the university to help them to improve their learning and living motivation. It can be seen that the Chinese international students want the university to update the hardware equipment to have better learning experiences, and want to have more chances to practice what they have learned. Some of them also want the university to offer more job interview opportunities to begin their working life in Thailand. On the other hand, most Chinese international students lack English skills, somehow it would influence their learning quality, and also, they couldn’t speak Thai. It would make their life hard in Thailand, and most of them didn’t have the independent learning ability, so they need the university to set up an English and Thai training class for them, in order to help them have better learning and better living experiences.

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However, the Chinese international students expect and hope they could get more assistance from the university. They expect the university to pay more attention to their life in Thailand, and they also hope the university could offer more chances for them to get scholarships or financial aid, these could encourage their learning motivation and help them to alleviate the living pressure. Many Chinese international students have lived in Thailand for a long time, but some of them still do not fit in, because they couldn’t expand their social circle in Thailand. They hope the university could set up more activates to gathering the students together, in order to help them to make more friends from different countries, and increase their living experiences. In answering the last research question about what kind of assistance could help the Chinese international graduate students to adapt to their new living environment. First, Thai language and culture study assistance because Thailand uses Thai as their native language and most of the Chinese international students could not speak Thai when they first came here, and English is not widely used in Thailand. The language issues caused a lot difficulties that imped them to adapt to living in Thailand, some of them had tried to study by themselves, but it was not effective. They thought that if the university could provide a class to learn the Thai language and the culture it would be easier for them to adapt. Second, improve international students’ living and learning service. When the Chinese international students first came to Thailand, most of them didn’t have friends or any familiar person here. They knew nothing about this new strange environment, they hope that the university could send someone to assist them at the university and help them to know the new environment surrounding the university.

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

5.1 The Overview of the Study Currently, more and more Chinese students prefer to continue their graduate studies and experience life in Thailand. However, when they step into the new environment, most of them have faced many difficulties from their living and learning. This study was designed to disclose the challenges international graduate students face, share the methods they use to cope with difficulties, and inform teachers and universities about what assistance they need to provide. The intention is so that the international graduate students may have good experiences living and learning in Thailand. The researcher has studied culture differences, psychological adaptation, sociocultural adaptation, culture shock theory, etc., and also, the researcher has reviewed some kinds of assistance which have been offered to help international students from western universities. Furthermore, in order to make this study more comprehensive, the researcher also reviewed ten related studies. These sources of information guided the researcher to design this research. According to the profile of the ten participants, the majority (60%) were aged 27-30 years, and 40% were between 23-24 years old. 60% graduated with their Bachelor degree from a Thai university have stayed in Thailand more than six years, 40% were new students coming to study for their Master degree in Thailand, have stayed in Thailand more than two years. The purposive sampling technique was used to draw up criteria that helped the researcher to identify the most suitable participants. The phenomenological study by Creswell (2003) was used as data collection instruments. The researcher first contacted his participants by phone telling them about the research plan and asked for permission to interview them in a quiet room in the university’s library. The researcher took around 45 minutes for each participant, and also used an audio recording device to record the conversation. Moreover, the ethical concerns form was submitted and approved by the university’s ethical research committees. The “modification of the STEVICK-COLAIZZI-KEEN Method of 47

Phenomenological Data” by Moustakas (1994) was used for data analysis, which helped the researcher analyze their shared experiences.

5.2 Summary of the Findings The findings addressing the first question have shown that the Chinese international graduate students experienced four learning difficulties which are: 1) Most Chinese international students have the most trouble with English, which includes communication in class and doing homework. A few students can speak English but are unable to understand the accented spoken English of their lecturers. 2) Some Chinese students are addicted to playing instead of studying, lack self- discipline, and some students worked which left them too tired to study. Other students, who do not have good English skills, do not feel comfortable enough to meet and get a consultation with their teachers. 3) Different education modes are also a problem for Chinese students, they couldn’t adapt to the diverse teaching methods in the first semester, and were unaccustomed to the Thai education system. 4) Some of the Chinese students lacked HRD knowledge, professional vocabulary and work experience, therefore, sometimes when they do homework, some of them would misunderstand the homework requirements, and lack of paper writing experience impedes the thesis process. The findings of the second research question have shown three living problems Chinese students have faced. 1) Language is the main issue which impedes Chinese students living in Thailand and making friends with Thai people. 2) Lack of knowledge of Thai culture, customs and language cognition causes Chinese international students to feel like outsiders and also results in misunderstandings. And a few students didn’t like Thai food or couldn’t adapt to the hot weather. 3) Many Chinese students living abroad for a long time feel homesick, lonely and tired of maintaining friendships. Some Chinese students lacked self-care ability which caused difficulties in daily life, and a few were facing financial problems. For the third research question, Chinese students have used three techniques to cope with the learning difficulties. 1) Chinese students looked for classmates’, friends’ and teachers’ help. 2) They have used device assistances when they were learning. 3) Most Chinese students study English in order to communicate with their

48 teachers well, and it also helped in class and doing homework. And also strength self- management but most of them couldn’t manage it. Addressing the fourth research question, four techniques were used by Chinese students to cope with living difficulties. 1) When they faced difficulties, Chinese students would ask for help from the university and friends, and use a translator or body language to communicate with Thai people. 2) Chinese students study Thai language and culture to adapt to living in Thailand. 3) Self-improvement to solve their individual issues. 4) Developing their interpersonal skills to make new friends with Chinese and Thais. For the fifth research question, four kinds of assistance were needed from the university when Chinese students were learning and living in Thailand. 1) The students hope the university can update teaching methods and teaching equipment for learning. Such as, the teaching methods need to be more useful for their future careers and better teaching techniques could help the students better understand the lessons, and also, the students hope that advanced teaching equipment can increase the learning content; 2) Chinese students hope that the university can provide an English and Thai Training Program, in order to solve the language problem of living and learning in Thailand; 3) Chinese students expect to get more concern about their living and learning from their university, and also they expect to have more chances to get scholarships or financial aid, and more activities in order to increase the learning motivation and expand the scope of communication. For the last research question, Chinese students believe that two kinds of assistance can help them to adapt to the new living environment. 1) Thai language and Thai culture learning assistance would help them adapt to living in Thailand; 2) More international student living and learning service could help them to better adapt to the new living environment.

5.3 Discussion From the findings of research questions 1 and 2, these perspectives match with Suwannaset (2010), who found that the language problem could be one of the biggest problems for the international students and some students need took time to adapt to a new learning environment. The researcher found that the results disclosed

49 that Chinese international graduate students experienced four learning difficulties (language problems, individual issues, different education modes and academic problems), and 3 living difficulties (language problems, culture differences and individual issues). Studies and theories related to this research also support these living and learning difficulties. Pang and Barlas (1996) agreed that language and culture differences would make study aboard more difficult, and Luget (2014) confirmed that overseas students face several living challenges when they study aboard not only caused by the external factors (language, culture differences, finances, family plans), but also from the students themselves (emotional burden, self-control and time management). For research questions 3 and 4, the researcher found that Chinese students know if they want to have a good living and learning experiences in Thailand, they need to cope with culture shock. Harzing (2016) found that when culture shock happens it may come from Homesickness, Loneliness, Depression, Need for more sleep than normal, Withdrawal from social activities, Compulsive eating or loss of appetite, Stereotyping of and hostility towards host nationals and Lack of energy. Moreover, Bin (2009) outlined the ways of solving these problems to help the Chinese international students adjust to the new culture, like friend’s help, language learning and study the local culture. For the learning difficulties, the researcher found that Chinese international graduate students have used techniques to cope such as, asking others for help (the university, classmates and friends), by using electronic devices and self-improvement. However, in order to cope with living difficulties they asked for help from a third party and self-improvement as well, moreover, they tried to adapt to culture differences and expand social acquaintances. Everything the students have done were aimed at adapting to the new living and learning environment, which include Psychological adaptation (Castro, 2003 cited in Sumer, 2009) and Sociocultural adaptation (Ward & Rana-Deuba, 1999 cited in Sumer, 2009). For research question 5, this perspective also matched with Suwannaset (2010), who found the international students learning expectations and teaching methods needed to be more useful for their future careers. Better teaching techniques could help students better understand the lessons, and also, the students hope that

50 advanced teaching equipment could increase the learning content. On the other hand, the international Chinese students hope that the university can provide a Thai and English language learning program to help them study Thai language and culture, Bin (2009) agreed that, studying the language and local culture could help students cope with the difficulties. For research question 6, Aydinol (2013) pointed out that universities should establish some specific unit to support international students’ requirements, and organize more activities to help the international students have more chances to know the local students, in order to make friendships with each other, and also should support the international students to help them know the new environment, maintain their well-being, accomplish their present goals, and contribute to the class through connections and collaboration.

5.4 Practical Contribution Based on the findings, the researcher would like to provide some practical contributions to the government, Thai universities, heads of departments, and incoming Chinese students. For the government, the researcher suggests that both the host government and Thai government should build some websites and publish some handbooks, in order to provide some suggestions before the Chinese oversea students go to study in Thai universities, so that the international students will know better what they should be prepared for well before they go to study abroad. Thai universities should establish and consummate the quality of university websites, in order to assist the international students to know the pre-arrival information, like providing advice on how to adjust their life to the Thai environment and find personal support on practical matters of everyday life. And also, the international students could get help from the universities through the website, such as, admission, information to obtain visa extensions, academic concerns, housing problems, and so on. On the other hand, the Thai universities should build an International Student Center, not only to assist the international students’ daily life in Thailand, but also to provide the international students a place for activities to expand their social circle.

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For the heads of departments, based on the findings, most of the Chinese international students lack Thai (living difficulties) and English (learning difficulties) skills that caused the students difficulties to adapt to the new environment of living and learning. In this case, the researcher suggests that, the faculty should provide Thai and English courses for the international students, after they attend the program. And appropriately raise the admission standards for some students who wish to attend classes but lack the English skills, the department could send them to English training class first, and Thai language and culture class should be a compulsory course in the program. On the other hand, the Chinese international students expecting to get more concern about their living and learning from their department, and some of them hope they can get more time to communicate with their lecturers and office members in order to know each other better, and remove uncomfortable feelings. So, the researcher suggests the department should set up more activities in the first semester. For incoming Chinese students, the researcher makes the following suggestions. First, they need to study Thai culture and try to learn Thai, by taking a Thai language course or study by themselves. Second, develop independent living and learning skills, and the courage to deal with the difficulties. Last, keep a positive attitude to face every day’s challenges when living in Thailand.

5.5 Future Research Topics The researcher found there is the need for more diverse and extensive research topics. The following topics are ideas that have arisen from the interview process or are topics that the researcher has considered. 5.5.1 What are the different experiences of Chinese international graduate students from the first year to graduating when they study in Thai universities, and how does they change from year to year? In the process of interviewing, the difficulties that the participants experienced every year were different. From this topic, the researcher will disclose the changing experiences of Chinese international graduate students from year 1 to year 4. 5.5.2 What are the experiences of oversea undergraduate students studying in international programs in a selected Thai public university?

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The undergraduate students are younger than the graduate students, and the researcher is interested to know when they face difficulties and how they cope with them? Is it different from the graduate students or not? 5.5.3 What are the experiences of oversea graduate students studying in Thai graduate programs in a selected Thai Public University? The researcher wants to know what difficulties the Chinese international graduate students who can speak Thai and understand Thai culture face. 5.5.4 What attracts Chinese students to higher education in Thailand? This topic aims to analyse Chinese graduate students’ choice of Thailand as their study destination and the associated factors that influenced their decision-making process.

5.6 Conclusion This research was conducted with qualitative research. The purpose of this study was to better understand what experiences Chinese international graduate students have faced, and the strategies they used to overcome the difficulties. More important is to give voice to the Chinese students, and assist Thai universities to be able to recognize the challenges and necessary assistance required by Chinese International students in Thailand.

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Gebhard, J. G. (2013). EFL learners studying abroad: challenges and strategies. Asian EFL Journal, 15(3), 155-182. Harzing, A. W. (2016). Culture shock. Retrieved from https://www.harzing.com/ resources/living-and-working-abroad/culture-shock Leiden University. (2016). Supports for international students. Retrieved from http://www.students.leiden.edu/organisation/practical-advice.html Lichtman, M. (2013). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Lin, Y., & Kingminghae, W. (2014). Social support and loneliness of Chinese international students in Thailand. Journal of Population and Social Studies [JPSS], 22(2), 141-157. Luget, L. (2014). The common challenges students face when studying abroad: Learning our lesson. Retrieved from https://futurechallenges.org/local/the- common-challenges-students-face-when-studying-abroad/ Maxwell, J. A. (2009). The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ngamkamollert, T., & Ruangkanjanases, A. (2015). Factors influencing foreign students’ satisfaction toward international program in Thai Universities. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 5(3), 170-178. Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical anthropology, 7(4), 177-182. Pang, G. C., & Barlas, R. (1996). Culture shock: All you need to know about studying overseas: A student’s guide. Singapore: Times Books International. Reungthai, K. (2012). Intercultural sensitivity of Chinese students in a Thai private university in Bangkok. Masters’ thesis, Business English for International Communication, Faculty of Humanities, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. Study Aboard 101. (2016). Study abroad in Thailand. Retrieved from https://www.studyabroad101.com/countries/thailand

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Sumer, S. (2009). International students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptation in the United States. Doctoral dissertation, Educational Psychology, College of Education, Georgia State University, the United States of America. Suwannaset, W. (2010). The experiential pattern of emotional intelligence displayed by international BBA students. HRD Journal, Burapha University, 1(1), 42-50. Texas A&M University. (2012). Student assistance services. Retrieved from http://studentlife.tamu.edu/sas/ Tulsa University. (2017). International student services. Retrieved from https://utulsa.edu/international-students/international-student-services/ Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1999). The measurement of sociocultural adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23(4), 659-677. Wendorff, F. V. (2013). Top 5 challenges of studying abroad. Retrieved from http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/top-5-challenges-studying-abroad Wilson, G. P. (2011). Fitting-in: Sociocultural adaptation of international graduate students. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=nera_2011 Winkelman, M. (1994). Cultural shock and adaptation. Journal of Counselling & Development, 73(2), 121-126. Yan, Y. (2015). The reasons why Chinese students come to studying in Thailand and difficulties, countermeasure analysis (Translated from Chinese). Retrieved from http://wenku.baidu.com/view/cb22189ede80d4d8d05a4f0b.html? re=view Yauch, C. A., & Steudel, H. J. (2003). Complementary use of qualitative and quantitative cultural assessment methods. Organizational Research Methods, 6(4), 465-481. Yeoh, J. S. W., Le, T., & Doan, T. (2013). The challenges of international research students studying in an Australian university context. In Lê, Q., & Le, T. (Eds.), Conducting research in a changing and challenging world (pp. 303‐ 308). Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

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LIST OF EXPERTS

1. Associated Professor Dr. Anong Wisessuwan Instructor, Department of International Graduate Studies in Human Resource Development Faculty of Education, Burapha University 2. Associated Professor Dr. Chalong Tubsree Instructor, Department of International Graduate Studies in Human Resource Development Faculty of Education, Burapha University 3. Dr. Chalermsri Chatarathong Instructor, Department of International Graduate Studies in Human Resource Development Faculty of Education, Burapha University

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EXAMPLE OF THE INVITATION LETTER TO THE EXPERT

APPENDIX B

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ETHICAL APPROVAL FORM

APPENDIX C

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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What are learning challenges experienced by overseas graduate students studying in a selected Thai public university? The interview questions for research question 1 are: Q1. Does anything distract you from your study? Q2. What learning challenges experiences influence you to study? Q3. What kinds academic problems have you had? Q4. Tell me a story about learning experiences in Thailand Q5. Please share with me your difficult learning experiences at the period of your study?

2. What are the living difficulties overseas graduate students have encountered during their study in the selected public university? The interview questions for research question 2 are: Q1. How do you feel living in Thailand? Q2. What living difficulties influence you to living in Thailand? Q3. What kinds living difficulties have you had? Q4. Tell me a story about living difficulties in Thailand. Q5. Please share with me your living difficulties at the period of your study.

3. What are the techniques overseas graduate students have used to overcome the learning difficulties during their graduated study in the selected public university? The interview questions for research question 3 are: Q1. How do you coping with the learning difficulties? Q2. What kinds of techniques you have used to overcomes the problems, when you met learning difficulties? Q3. How many techniques you have acknowledged, that would help you to coping with the learning difficulties in the future?

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Q4. Please share with me a story about you using the techniques to overcome the learning difficulties. Q5. What kinds of techniques do you think is more effective to coping with the learning difficulties?

4. What are techniques the overseas graduate students use to cope with their living difficulties in in the selected public university? The interview questions for research question 4 are: Q1. How do you coping with the living difficulties? Q2. What kinds of techniques you have used to overcomes the problems, when you met living difficulties? Q3. How many techniques you have acknowledged, that would help you to coping with the living difficulties in the future? Q4. Please share with me a story about you using the techniques to overcome the living difficulties. Q5. What kinds of techniques do you think is more effective to coping with the living difficulties?

5. What kinds of assistances that are requested from the university by international graduate students’ learning and living in the selected public university? The interview questions for research question 5 are: Q1. What kinds of assistances does the university offered you to help you in your study? Q2. What kinds of assistances does the university offered you to help you in your living? Q3. Please share with me a story about the assistances from the university to help you in your study or your living in Thailand. Q4. What kinds of assistances do you need from the university to help your studying in the universities? Q5. What kinds of assistances do you need from the university to help your living in Thailand?

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6. What kind of assistances that could help graduate students to adapt themselves in their new living environment? The interview questions for research question 6 are: Q1. What is your feeling when you came to Thailand for your study at the first time? Q2. What are the feelings when you interacting with the people from different countries? Q3. Do you adapt to learning in Thailand at the period of your study? Q4. Do you adapt to living in Thailand at the period of your study? Q5. What kinds of assistances do you think that may help you to adapt to the new environment?

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BIOGRAPHY

Name Mr. Qian Yang Date of Birth March 11, 1988 Present address 148 Bangsaen Road, Saensuk Chonburi Thailand 20130 Education 2008-2012 Bachelor of Arts (Marketing) Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing City, China 2013-2017 Master of Arts in Human Resource Development (M.A. in HRD), Faculty of Education, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand