Lived experience of international students within a volunteering program: A hermeneutic phenomenological study.
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| Title: | Lived experience of international students within a volunteering program: A hermeneutic phenomenological study. |
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| Authors: | Pradhan, Sojen1 (AUTHOR) Sojen.Pradhan@uts.edu.au, Litvinov, Aleksandr1 (AUTHOR), Dyson, Laurel E.2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Innovations in Education & Teaching International. Apr2026, Vol. 63 Issue 2, p481-493. 13p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Foreign students, *Communication barriers, *Experiential learning, *College environment, *Psychology of students, Volunteer service, Phenomenology, Social isolation |
| Abstract: | International students face many challenges when embarking on a course of study overseas including language barriers, social isolation and an unfamiliar academic environment. Volunteering is one strategy that provides a holistic experience of the host country, allowing international students to acquire contextualised language and new skills, make friends and become part of the community. Considering the benefits of volunteering, various educational institutions offer different volunteering programs for students. This study is focused on investigating the lived experience of international students to make sense of the challenges and phases that are experienced during a specially designed volunteering program. The research contributes new insights into how students proceeded through the program, specifically by undergoing three phases: Uncertainty; Leaping into the Program; and Advancing, characterised by sub-themes defining their feelings and states, and also revealed the various internal and external elements that shaped their journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | International students face many challenges when embarking on a course of study overseas including language barriers, social isolation and an unfamiliar academic environment. Volunteering is one strategy that provides a holistic experience of the host country, allowing international students to acquire contextualised language and new skills, make friends and become part of the community. Considering the benefits of volunteering, various educational institutions offer different volunteering programs for students. This study is focused on investigating the lived experience of international students to make sense of the challenges and phases that are experienced during a specially designed volunteering program. The research contributes new insights into how students proceeded through the program, specifically by undergoing three phases: Uncertainty; Leaping into the Program; and Advancing, characterised by sub-themes defining their feelings and states, and also revealed the various internal and external elements that shaped their journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 14703297 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/14703297.2025.2489976 |
