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Pownall, Ian; Raby, Alison; Stork, Andrew; Lochtie, Dave and Walker, Ben W.
(2023).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8198-1.ch011
Abstract
This chapter explores, through rich interviews with international postgraduate students, their experiences of higher education transition as they enter and move through their studies. The authors use a social identity mapping activity developed for personal tutoring that visually surfaces the social nature of these transitional changes focusing upon how their identity is constructed and developed. Through using semi structured conversations, the activity aimed to surface aspects of their identity which are otherwise difficult to access. Strong evidence was found for the need to support international students in a variety of ways. These included support to manage expected and unexpected changes in who they are becoming, to manage changes in their stressors, and to develop reflective and reflexive awareness.