How Well Do International Students Adapt to The Turkish Higher Education System?

Abstract

Purpose: Although several studies have been conducted on international students regarding different variables related to internationalization in higher education, the adaptation issues have been neglected or given little attention in general. This study, designed as descriptive cross-sectional research, explores the general adaptation levels of international students in relation to various variables frequently discussed in the related literature through the data obtained from 1266 participants from 58 countries at a state university with the highest number of international students in Türkiye. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data collected through the General Adaptation Scale for International Students was analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients. Findings: Findings reveal that more than half of the international students are at a fairly adapted level. While they achieved the highest mean scores in sociocultural adaptation, the lowest mean scores were in psychological adaptation. Analyses indicate that gender, scholarship, host language proficiency and international students' countries create significant differences in their adaptation levels. Also, there are significant low or moderate positive correlations among the sub-factors and general adaptation. Highlights: Findings, discussion, and implications offer novel insights for higher education administrators, authorities, and policymakers to facilitate the adaptation process of international students at universities.