Psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges to Saudi Arabian students in Australia

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 1; p. e0262585
• Main Authors: Jameel, Tahir, Baig, Mukhtiar, Tariq, Saba, Gazzaz, Zohair Jamil, Butt, Nadeem Shafique, Althagafi, Nouf Khaleel, Hazazi, Eman Yahya, Alsayed, Razan Saleh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 31-01-2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Academic Success; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Australia; Biology and Life Sciences; Colleges & universities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cultural Characteristics; Data collection; Diet; Education; Education, Higher; Ethics; Female; Food sources; Foreign students; Humans; Internal medicine; Language; Male; Medical students; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Participation; People and Places; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Research facilities; Response rates; Saudi Arabians; Social aspects; Social Sciences; Society; Student organizations; Students; Students, Foreign; Students, Medical - psychology; Students, Nursing - psychology; Study abroad; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching; Universities - statistics & numerical data; Australia; Pakistan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262585

This study investigated the perceptions of Saudi Arabian medical disciplines students undergoing training in various institutes of Australia regarding psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges.
This cross-sectional study was from March 15 to June 15, 2019. Data were collected by an online questionnaire. It consisted of questions regarding demographic, psychosocial, cultural, and academic challenges. Two hundred nineteen students studying in Australia responded to our questionnaire.
Of the total 219 students, 13(6.0%) were undergraduate, 167(76%) were postgraduate, and 39(18%) were Ph.D. students. For most students (171[79.2%]), Australia was the country of choice for studying. Most of them were satisfied with their academic performance and adjustment to the Australian way of living. Most of the students (180[82.2%]) showed satisfaction over the availability of fair chances of their religious practices in Australia. Few of them faced difficulties coping with the Australian climate (25[11.4%]), homesickness (59[26.9%]), and food and dietary sources (44[20.1%]). Students were overall satisfied with the student advisory system (156[71.2%]), university assessments (147[67.2%]), and available research facilities (170[77.6%]). Among participants, 77 (35.1%), 119(54.3%), and 23(10.5%) students indicated that they wished to stay in Australia only until completion of their studies, temporarily and permanently, respectively.
Our findings showed that Saudi students in Australia had strong psychosocial well-being, cultural integration, and academic success. Most of them were satisfied and adjusted well to Australian culture.