"Everything Is so Different…": African Students' Voices on the Challenges of Doing a PhD at a Portuguese University

Autor/in	Pinto, Susana
Titel	"Everything Is so Different…": African Students' Voices on the Challenges of Doing a PhD at a Portuguese University
Quelle	In: Journal of International Students, 11 (2021) 4, S.895-913 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Pinto, Susana)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2162-3104
Schlagwörter	Foreign Students; Doctoral Students; Psychological Patterns; Doctoral Programs; International Education; Foreign Countries; Universities; Barriers; Student Attitudes; Cultural Differences; African Culture; Second Language Learning; Portuguese; Student Adjustment; Financial Problems; Psychology; Language Proficiency; Student Mobility; Portugal + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Doctoral studies; Doctorate studies; Student; Students; Doctoral candidate; Doktorandenprogramm; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Doktorand; Doktorandin; Internationale Erziehung; Ausland; University; Universität; Schülerverhalten; Kultureller Unterschied; Africa; Culture; Afrika; Kultur; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Portugiesischunterricht; Adjustment; Adaptation; Psychologie; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Mobility; Mobilität
Abstract	In the scope of higher education internationalization, Portuguese universities have been receiving an increasing number of students from Portuguese-speaking countries, namely African countries, at the level of PhD studies. As highlighted in research, pursuing a PhD in an overseas context entails critical challenges for students, supervisors, and higher education institutions. Against this background, this article reports on the challenges faced by international African students attending a PhD program in education at a Portuguese university. I conducted semi-structured interviews with seven students, and results from thematic analysis show that the main challenges relate to language, integration into a different pedagogical/academic culture, adaptation to a different research culture, loneliness/homesickness, and financial difficulties. Implications of findings for institutional policy and practice are put forward. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01