Counseling international students: implications of the relationship between religious commitment and psychological adjustment
Globalization and the internationalization of higher education have led to the increase of the number of students studying in foreign countries. Countries like Malaysia are hosting hundreds of thousands of international students every year. There are issues of cross-cultural adjustment faced by t...
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
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Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Negeri Padang
2016
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/54929/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/54929/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/54929/1/Siraje%20Padang.pdf |
| Summary: | Globalization and the internationalization of higher education have led to the
increase of the number of students studying in foreign countries. Countries like
Malaysia are hosting hundreds of thousands of international students every year.
There are issues of cross-cultural adjustment faced by these students which, if not
properly handled, may create problems for the students at their host institutions.
Considering that religious atmosphere is one of the strengths presented by
countries like Malaysia and Indonesia for attracting Muslim students from OIC
member countries, it is interesting to explore the interplay of religious beliefs and
practices and the psycho-educational adjustment of Muslim students in these
countries. This paper is part of a larger study that sought to analyze the
relationship between religious commitment and the degree of cross-cultural
adjustment problems among international students in Malaysia. Data were
collected from 118 students (males=94 & females=31), originating from 38
countries around the world. The instruments used for data collection included the
Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1989), College
Adjustment Scales (CAS) by Anton and Reed (1991), and a self-constructed Islamic
Religious Commitment Questionnaire. It was found that religious beliefs and
practices were positively correlated with positive aspects of adjustment, but
negatively correlated with indicators of distress. Implications for counselling
international students in a way that capitalizes on their religious beliefs and
practices are discussed. |
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