Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Factors Impacting International Students’ Sense of Belonging

Hidalgo, Tracey A.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7050-3813
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1620159884600869

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Higher Education.
The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence international students’ sense of belonging. An in-depth review of existing research on sense of belonging helped me identify 18 factors closely connected to the sense of belonging of international students. I categorized these factors into four groups: (a) academic integration, (b) social integration, (c) campus climate, and (d) transition factors, and developed a 41-item questionnaire for students. I administered the questionnaire to international students attending higher education institutions in the Great Lakes region, which consists of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Ten variables connected to each of the four groups of factors emerged as statistically significant predictors of international students’ sense of belonging: (a) academic involvement, (b) relationship with faculty, (c) friends/peer support, (d) learning community, (e) nationalism in host country, (f) on campus services (support staff), (g) diversity on campus, (h) dietary restrictions, (i) language ability, and (j) racism/discrimination. The results of the study suggest that the academic environment, campus services and resources, the racial climate of the campus in regard to diversity or lack of it, and the nationalism in a country play a role in an international student’s sense of belonging. These results show that institutions must pay attention to a complex set of factors when trying to recruit and retain their international students.
Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Ling LeBeau, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Ron Opp, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Sammy Spann, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
212 p.
Higher Education
sense of belonging; international student; academic integration; social integration; campus climate; transition; inclusion; higher education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hidalgo, T. A. (2021). Factors Impacting International Students’ Sense of Belonging [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1620159884600869

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hidalgo, Tracey. Factors Impacting International Students’ Sense of Belonging. 2021. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1620159884600869.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hidalgo, Tracey. "Factors Impacting International Students’ Sense of Belonging." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1620159884600869

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1620159884600869
458
© 2021, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.