Exploring Factors Influencing Student Study Abroad Choice of Destination in the Contemporary Globalized Era (Kajian tentang Faktor-faktor yang Mempengaruhi Pemilihan Destinasi Pelajar Luar Negara dalam Era Kontemporari Globalisasi)
Abstract
The advent of global and international dimensions in higher education has lifted the trends of students' and researcher’s mobility around the globe. Identification and assessment of international students’ drivers influencing their decision-making process of study destination are imperative to appeal to a larger number of international students. The present study aimed to examine the international students’ motives in the selection of Malaysia as a study destination and the factors influencing their will to recommend Malaysia to their friends and relatives. A qualitative approach was employed and a total of 18 respondents were interviewed. Quality of education and cultural adoption were found as the key concerned fascination for international students in choosing Malaysia as a study destination. Besides, the low cost of living and tuition fees, cultural adoption, environmental beauty, credibility, and international ranking of institutions also appeal to students in the selection of Malaysia. The findings revealed that most of the respondents are willing to recommend Malaysia to their friends and relatives, and the factors prompting their intention are educational cost and quality, available research facilities at institutions, the credibility of Malaysian universities, and low tuition fee for higher education. The results would offer the current trends to the government and higher education institutions in offering an exclusive experience to the existing and potential students and in achieving Malaysia’s Vision-2025 of attracting 250,000 international students. The limitations and directions for future research have been provided.
Keywords: International students; Study destination; Quality of education; Cost of education; Global mobility; Internationalization
Abstract
Dalam era globalisasi kini dan konsep pengantarabangsa dalam pengajian tinggi yang menyeluruh telah meningkatkan kecenderungan pergerakan pelajar dan penyelidik di seluruh dunia. Pengalaman para pelajar yang telah menjalani program pengajian di luar negara sebagai pelajar pertukaran dan sebagainya menjadi faktor kepada rakan mereka dalam membuat keputusan memilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi bagi melanjutkan pengajian mereka. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan motif pelajar antarabangsa dalam pemilihan Malaysia sebagai destinasi bagi mereka untuk melanjutkan pengajian atau hadir sebagai pelajar pertukaran untuk tempoh masa yang tertentu. Pendekatan kualitatif telah digunakan dan seramai 18 orang responden telah ditemuramah. Kualiti pendidikan dan penerimaan budaya didapati sebagai daya tarikan utama bagi pelajar antarabangsa dalam memilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi kajian. Di samping itu, kos sara hidup dan yuran tuisyen yang kompetatif, penerimaan budaya, kecantikan alam sekitar, kredibiliti dan kedudukan institusi pengajian di peringkat antarabangsa juga menjadi faktor kepada pelajar memilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi. Selain itu, dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa faktor lain yang mendorong niat para pelajar memilih Malaysia adalah kerana kos pendidikan dan kualiti, kemudahan penyelidikan yang ada di institusi, kredibiliti universiti di Malaysia, dan yuran pengajian rendah untuk pendidikan tinggi . Hasilnya akan menawarkan trend semasa kepada kerajaan dan institusi pengajian tinggi dalam menawarkan pengalaman eksklusif kepada pelajar yang sedia ada dan berpotensi dan dalam mencapai Wawasan-2025 Malaysia untuk menarik 250,000 pelajar antarabangsa. Batasan dan arahan untuk penyelidikan masa depan telah disediakan.
Kata kunci: Pelajar antarabangsa; Destinasi; Mobiliti global; Kualiti Pendidikan; Kos pendidikan; Pengantarabangsaan
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