International students make up 21% of all students enrolled in tertiary education in Australia, compared to 6% on average across Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (OECD, 2019). Almost 7% international students (n=15,804) of all students (n=277,590) studied in Australia in the field of Health in 2020 (Australian government, Department of Education, 2022). This new environment can be very intimidating for international students from Cultural and Linguistic Diverse (CALD) backgrounds (Humphrey & Forbes-Mewett, 2021). Students encounter a number of challenges as they adjust to a new environment that impede their development (Forbes-Mewett, 2019).
This study aims to: i) explore barriers, facilitators, and interventional strategies which are used to support international students from CALD backgrounds in their learning from existing literature, as well as from the Southern Cross Model (SCM); and ii) co-design an educational support intervention with academic staff and international students from CALD backgrounds within the SCM. This is a three-stage multimethod research concept which includes: Stage 1 a scoping review of the literature; stage 2 a qualitative focus group study within the SCM; and stage 3 co-designing the educational support strategies with academic staff and international students from CALD backgrounds within the SCM. Specifically, the scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of existing evidence with regards to barriers, facilitators and interventional strategies for international students from CALD backgrounds studying in tertiary health education settings. The qualitative focus group study aims to identify perceived barriers, facilitators and interventional strategies which are used to support international students from CALD backgrounds of their learning within the SCM. The samples will include academic staff who have had experiences in teaching international students from CALD backgrounds within the SCM; and international students from CALD backgrounds. The evidence-based literature and the focus group outcomes will be used to guide the co-designing process of the implementation strategies for international students from CALD backgrounds within the SC Model for different health disciplines (nine disciplines of Bachelor programs and Master program).
Australian Government, Department of Education. (2022). Selected higher education statistics-2020 student data. https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/student-data
Forbes-Mewett, H. (2019). Mental health and international students: Issues, challenges and effective practice. International Education Association of Australia (IEAA).
Humphrey, A., & Forbes-Mewett, H. (2021). Social value systems and the mental health of international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of International Students, 11(S2). https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11iS2.3577
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).(2019). Education at a Glance 2019. https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2019_CN_AUS.pdf