International Students in Australian Secondary Schools: Longing for Belonging

Project overview

The project team interviewed international and domestic students, students, teachers, homestay parents and policymakers. The project provided the first systematic data interrogating how international students experience living and studying during the final years of Australian secondary education. All aspects of the international student experience were considered including the students’ capacity to forge friendships with international and domestic peers and homestay. In particular, the study focused on their sense of belonging and how the online environment facilitated their connectedness with friends and family. International students’ experiences of the Australia school system are highly situated depending on their aspirations, school context and cultural mix.