Untangling the International PGR Student Experience in the UK

1. Untangling the evidence!How well do we understand the International PGR Student Experience in the UK?Advance HE Surveys ConferenceBristol, May 8th 2019 Dr Rob Daley Heriot-Watt University r.a.daley@hw.ac.uk @RD531 Dr Dely Elliot University of Glasgow Dely.Elliot@glasgow.ac.uk @DelyLElliot

2. PRES Overall Experience Question Overall, I am satisfied with the experience of my research degree programme UK Non-EU Other EU UK Non-EU Other EU 2015 2017

3. PRES Section Responses Only differences > 4% UK Other EU Non-EU

4. Teaching Non-UK students do less teaching …. …..but feel better supported & prepared? UK Other EU Non-EU

5. Responsibilities International PGRs happier with responses to feedback UK Other EU Non-EU

6. Development Opportunities Not really a surprise as Visa issues and other cultural elements –would expect it to be less! UK Other EU Non-EU Less involved in public engagement

7. Development Opportunities Other Qs: Does this suggest that non-EU students less valued as academics than others? Or are less motivated to gain academic capital? UK Other EU Non-EU

8. Whose experience is reflected in PRES 2017?

9. EBSCOhost Database Search or “foreign students” or “overseas students” or “challenges” or “barriers” or difficulties” or “issues” or “problems” or “limitations” or “obstacles” or “PhD students” or “doctorate” or “doctoral” or “United kingdom” or “Britain” or “England” or “Wales” or “Scotland” or Northern Ireland”

10. Issues affecting local & international PGRs

11. Issues affecting international PGRs

12. International PGRs’ & Mental Health

13. A UKCISA Funded project, see: https://areyouokinternational.wordpress.com/

14. Are you OK? A UKCISA funded project researching: how well supervisors understand the support needs of international doctoral students, and what support supervisors feel confident to provide More detail at https://areyouokinternational.wordpress.com/

15. Preliminary Findings 1 Key PhD journey stress points for international students were: initial entry into the country and ‘settling in period’ into the PhD; ‘During field work - especially if the field work was in their ‘home’ country. As well as the period leading up the viva due to issues with academic writing.

16. Preliminary Findings 2 Triggers that were seen as ‘unique’ to international students, generally focused around: ‘legal and financial’ such as visa and funding expectations; ‘Isolation’ such as loss of family support network; ‘difference in education style’ such as expectations and quality of work; ‘external pressures’ such as supporting a family back in their home country or this country.

17. Questions for Discussion What is your initial response to this presentation? Are you aware of other existing data that might be helpful? What data do you think would be helpful but might not yet exist? How can we gain a better understanding of the international PGR experience?

18. References • Elliot, D.L., Reid, K., & Baumfield, V. (2016). Beyond the amusement, puzzlement and challenges: an enquiry into international students’ academic acculturation. Studies in Higher Education, 41(12), 2198-2217. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1029903. • Elliot, D.L., Baumfield, V., & Reid, K. (2016). Searching for ‘a third space’: a creative pathway towards international PhD students’ academic acculturation. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(6), 1180-1195. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1144575 • Elliot, D.L., Baumfield, V., Reid, K., & Makara, K.A. (2016). Hidden treasure: successful international doctoral students who found and harnessed the hidden curriculum. Oxford Review of Education, 42(6), 733-748. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2016.1229664. • Evans, C. (2007). The experience of international doctoral education in nursing: An exploratory survey of staff and international nursing students in a British university. Nurse Education Today, 27(5), 499-505. • HEA (2017). Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2017 National results available at https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/postgraduate-research-experience-survey-report-2017 (accessed on 10/04/18) • HESA (2017). Where do HE students come from? https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from (accessed on 21/05/18) • Holliday, A. (2017). PhD students, interculturality, reflexivity, community and internationalisation. Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development, 38(3), 206-218. doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1134554. • Metcalfe, J., Wilson, S., & Levecque, K. (2018). Exploring wellbeing and mental health and associated support services for postgraduate researchers. Report available at https://re.ukri.org/documents/2018/mental-health-report/ (accessed on 29/04/19) • Odena, O., & Burgess, H. (2017). How doctoral students and graduates describe facilitating experiences and strategies for their thesis writing learning process: a qualitative approach. Studies in Higher Education, 42(3), 572-590. doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1063598.

19. Acknowledgements • Are You OK? Project Team: • Dr Chris Blackmore (University of Sheffield) • Dr Kay Guccione (University of Sheffield / GCU) • Dr Dely Elliot (University of Glasgow) • Sally Ohlsen (University of Sheffield) • Participants at previous workshop at the: • UKCGE Annual Conference, Bristol, July 2018 • 15th Enhancement Conference: Evaluation, Evidence & Enhancement: Inspiring Staff & Students, Glasgow, June 2018.

20. Thank You!