Factors Affecting the Tendency of International Students to Pursue Study in Universiti Malaysia Sabah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/0gnrdj22Keywords:
Factors, International Students, Tendency, Study, Abroad, Higher Education, Enrollment, InternationalizationAbstract
This study discusses the tendency of international students to pursue their studies at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the factors involved in their selection. The enrolment of international students in higher institutions nowadays has become a significant element to be recognized as a world-class study center. Therefore, various efforts and strategies need to be designed to increase the number of international students. Understanding the factors affecting the decision of an international student can give an idea to the university in order to implement the appropriate strategy and simultaneously attract them to enroll in the program, resulting in positive effects for the university itself. There are two main objectives of this study, which are firstly to identify the factors that influence international students to study abroad and secondly, to evaluate the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) selection factor as a destination for international students. The methodology of this study is using a qualitative research method and a case study type. A total of 20 respondents from various nationalities were randomly selected and interviewed in depth to get the required appropriate data. Based on the conceptual framework of Suh Li Phang (2013), the factors influencing university selection by international students were divided into three significant categories: (i) (i) communication, (ii) location, and (iii) social. The author analyzed the causes for international students to choose UMS and found three newness as a contribution to the body of knowledge. Hence, this information should be adapted to develop a better plan of international student enrolment strategy in UMS and to ensure the sustainability of the Malaysian higher education sector.
Downloads
References
[1] Anisur Rahman Faroque & Sussie C. Morrish. 2015. Incorporating International Entrepreneurship IntoFirm
Internationalization: An Integrative Research Model. Journal of International Marketing Strategy, Vol. 3,
No. 1, Summer 2015, pp. 19-35, ISSN 2122-5307,
[2] Bernard Spolsky & Kiwan Sung. 2015. Secondary School English Education in Asia: From Policy to
pratice. Routledge
[3] Clark, N. (2013).Vietnam: Trends in International and Domestic Education', World Education News & Review.
[4] Chuing Prudence Chou & Gregory S. Ching . 2015. Cross-Straitization of Higher Education: Voices of the
Mainland Chinese students studying in Taiwan. International Journal of Information and Education
Technology, Vol. 5, No. 2.
[5] Ewah, S., & Osang, J. E. 2018. Influence of Cross Cultural Differences on International Marketing.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 363-376.
[6] Endang Sri Sunarsih. 2018. The Role of Service Quality and Institutional Image in Establishing Relational
Commitment Between Private Universities and the Students. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education.
Vol. 21. Issue 3
[7] Hiroshi Ota. 2018. Educational Studies in Japan: International Yearbook No. 12, March, 2018. pp. 91-105
[8] Herlina J, Irma Wani Othman, Norazah Mohd. Suki, Muhammad Safuan Yusoff, Hasbullah Awang, and Rudie
Adie Razak. Factors Influencing International Student's Decisions in Choosing Study Destination Abroad.
Labuan e-journal of Muamalat and Society, Vol. 11, pp. 86-97
[9] Herlina J., Irma wani Othman, Muhammad Safuan Yusoff., Hasbullah Awang. 2016. Faktor
Mempengaruhi Keputusan Pelajar Antarabangsa dalam Pemilihan Destinasi Pengajian Luar
Negara International Conference on Social and Economic Development
[10] Irma Wani Othman, Herlina Jupiter, Hasbullah Awang, Muhammad Safuan Yusoff. 2017. Faktor Ekonomi
dalam Mempengaruhi Keputusan Pemilihan Destinasi Pengajian Pelajar Antarabangsa di Luar Negara.
Journal of Islamic, Social, Economics, and Development, Volume: 2 Issues: 3.
[11] Irma Wani Othman, Muhammad Safuan Yusoff, Hasbullah Awang, and Herlina Jupiter. 2016.
Mengantarabangsakan Pendidikan Tinggi: Universiti dan Kewarganegaraan Global. Journal of Global
Business and Social Entrepreneurship (GBSE), Vol. 3: No. 5 (2016), 107–118.
[12] John W. Creswell. 2017. Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 5th
edition. SAGE Publications Inc
[13] Jane Knight. 2015. Updating the Definition of Internationalization. International Higher Education
ejournal.bc.edu
[14] Katherine Esme Norah Willis. 2018. Word on the social street: Examining the role of social media in
decision-making for graduate students. era.library.ualberta.ca
[15] Sarah Nicholls. 2018. Influences on International Student Choice of Study Destination: Evidence from
United States. Journal of International Students, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 597-622
[16] Leslie Bank & Glenda Kruss. 2019. Beyond the campus gate: Higher education and place-based
development in South Africa
[17] Lee, C.K.C., & Morrish, S.C. 2012. Cultural values and higher education choices: Chinese families.
Australasian Marketing Journal 20, 59-64.
[18] Malaysia Higher Education Statistics: http://mohe.gov.my/en/download/awam/statistik/2017-3 [last retrieved]
on 31st July 2019]
[19] Ngozi, Nwankwo Precious, Ifeoma, Okonkwo Rita, S. Nebo Chidiebere. 2015, The Role of Efective
Communication on organizational performance. A Study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Review of Public
Administration and Management. Vol. 4. Issue . pp. 131-148
[20] Page, A.G. & Chahboun, S. High Educ. 2019. Emerging empowerment of international students: how
International student literature has shifted to include the students’ voices.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00375-7. Springer Netherlands
[21] Reddy, Malathi, and Kumar, Dr. L. Kuladeep. 2016. A Study on Effectiveness of Social Media Advertising
in India. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2751745
[22] Sanghyeop Lee, Hong Ngoc Nguyen, Kai-Sean Lee, Bee-Lia Chua, & Heesup Han. 2018. Price, people,
location, culture and reputation: determinants of Malaysia as study destination by international hospitality
and tourism undergraduates, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 16:4, 335-347, DOI:
10.1080/14766825.2017.1336242
[23] Shapiro, S., Farrelly, R., & Tomas, Z.2014. Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education.
Alexandria, VR: TESOL press.
[24] Sivasamy Periyasamy. 2016. A Case Analysis on Demand and Supply of Gold in India. EPRA
International Journal of Research & Development (IJRD) Volume 1, Issue: 9, November 2016
[25] Suzanne E. Beech. 2019 The Geographies of International Student Mobility : Spaces, Places and Decision
Making. Palgrave Macmillan
[26] Tran Le Huu Nghia. 2019 Motivations for Studying Abroad and Immigration Intentions: The Case of
Vietnamese Students. Journal of International Students. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v0i0.731
[27] Tobias Weidinger, Stefan Kordel, & Julia Kieslinger. 2019. Unravelling the meaning of place and spatial
mobility: analysing the everyday lives of refugees in host societies by means of mobility mapping.
Journal of Refugee Studies. fez004, https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez004
[28] UMS Strategic Plan 2018-2022 http://www.ums.edu.my/v5/ums-strategic-plan [last retrieved on 31st July]
2019]
[29] Wei-Ta Fang, Eric Ng, Ching-Ming Wang, & Ming-Lin Hsu. 2017. Normative Beliefs, Attitudes, and
Social Norms: People Reduce Waste as an Index of Social Relationships When Spending Leisure
Time. Sustainability, Volume 9, Issue 10.
[30] Wilkins, S., Balakrishnan, M. S., & Huisman, J. (2012). Student Choice in Higher Education: Motivations for
Choosing to Study at an International Branch Campus. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(5),
413–433. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315311429002
[31] Yao-Chuan Tsai, Le Thu Trang, & Kazuhiko Kobori. 2017. Factors Influencing International Students to
study at universities in Taiwan. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, Vol. 5, No. 1
[32] Zeynep Aksoy, Burcu Yaman, & Ebru Uzunoglu. 2017. Study Abroad Process from Intercultural
Communication Perspective: An Exploratory Study on Erasmus Experience in Turkey Global Media
Journal TR Edition, 8(15) Guz/Fall 2017
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Author
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
