Participation in Sports by International Students in UCLan Paper Example

Abstract

International students face a lot of challenges during the transition period from domestic to a foreign learning experience in a different educational system. The University of Central Lancashire is one of the public schools in the UK that receives many students from different parts of the world and who are required to adapt to its learning environment. This research is aimed at establishing how participation in sports can enhance the experience of international students at UCLan. The study used qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect significant information that could be used in developing a conclusive discussion (Bristowe, Selman, & Murtagh, 2015). The data was gathered from 28 international students, both males and females, who are active in various sporting activities offered in the institution. The results of this study, henceforth, revealed that leisure activities played a significant role in modeling the interpersonal and intercultural experiences of international students.

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Background

Students studying abroad have a lot to teach and learn from the host country, school and citizens they interact with. Among the knowledge and experiences shared in learning institutions include different cultures and customs practiced in various regions worldwide. Sports have been a significant platform where students can interact and integrate since there are everyday activities that involve anyone talented or interested regardless of the variances in nationality or ethnicity. The United Kingdom has been a favorite host to students from different countries for many decades due to its favorable learning environment and availability of many institutions offering quality education. The University of Central of Lancashire (UCLan) is one of the higher learning institutions in the country whose considerable part of the population comprises of international students from all over the world that have either enrolled normally or through scholarships. It has over 3,000 international students that have been registered from around 100 countries around the globe. Some individuals face different challenges coping in strange and foreign learning environments considering that some of them, especially those have come through scholarships, have no relatives in the country or anyone to rely on besides themselves. Hence, apart from academic, which is the primary objective of joining the university, some of these learners choose to participate in various co-curricular activities including sports where they can mix with others, make friends and share essential experiences and knowledge.

Research questions

The following research is aimed to answer four significant questions identified below:

• What are the major types of sports that international students at UCLan engage in as their co-curricular leisure activities?
• Is it expensive for international students to participate in sports at UCLan?
• How do international students ensure positive engagement with the various values in UCLan and what are the implications in their adaptation with the local lifestyles?
• How does participation in leisure activities influence the behaviors of international students in UCLan positively?

Purpose

The essence of this research is to establish whether the participation in sports by international students at the University of Central Lancashire enhances their interpersonal and intercultural development. The primary intention is to give a solid conclusion on the benefits of taking part in leisure activities to the emotionally and socially struggling international students in the institution. It will provide insights on the relationship of participating in sports and cultural, social and health development; hence, offering ideas and reasons why the UCLan's administration needs to continue and enhance the development of an environment that can sufficiently meet the needs of international students.

Theoretical foundation

Quality education to acquire the knowledge and qualifications required to achieve the intended career is the primary motive of enrolling in higher learning institution such as the University of Central Lancashire. Besides this, other important objectives include maintenance of physical fitness, cultural expression and socialization which are some of the various multidimensional roles of participation in sports by international students. They are provided with opportunities to meet and interact with multiple cultures including those from similar native backgrounds and others that are foreign and new to them (Li, & Stodolska, 2006). Some learners find leisure activities as effective means to continue and enhance their family legacy and heritage in sporting. Thus, recreational activities are means to boost their efforts in cultural development and expansion, and social networking in foreign lands.

Usually, it is normal for international students to feel lost or abandoned by their friends or families of which is generally expressed through loneliness and homesick effects. Such implications might have significant adverse impacts on the achievement of the learners' objectives. They may be unable to study or concentrate in classrooms, and this can lead to underperformance in their studies which of course does reflect the expectations. Sometimes it is necessary to have a social belonging to accomplish one's ambitions. One of the best ways to achieve this is through participation in leisure activities (Allen & Lyons, 2019). It gives the individuals the chance to be in a group attachment where they can share ideas, cultures and problems that might be affecting them. While in groups, students from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds can build trusts among them as they continue engaging in sports and other recreational activities. It is a platform where they understand and decide the right people have as friends and who call on whenever in need of a companion. Therefore, in this way, they can solve some of the challenges that might be hindering performance in school away from home because they are comforted by relationships and individuals that can be sought for assistance.

International schooling is associated with a lot of negativities including marginalization, discrimination, segregation and all kinds of bullying. Some students, especially the lonely ones within and around the learning environments, are poorly treated by others who feel they are more privileged and superior. Institutions such as UCLan receive students of different races, religions and many others with ethnicity variances from countries such as China, Nigeria, Greece and Mauritius. All these international learners are vulnerable to all sorts of ill-treatment unless the right measures are implemented to protect them. Besides the necessary authorities, which are not always effective, social structures are sometimes the most suitable solutions to unhealthy school environments (Baker, Dilly, Aupperlee, & Patil, 2003). Participation in sports is one of the ways of creating social structures because the people to form them are found through the available leisure activities such as football, basketball and volleyball among others.

In the UK, sporting in schools has been associated with psychological well-being, and this includes the mitigation of stress that might be influenced by loneliness among international students (Webber & Mearman, 2009). Not only do leisure activities help the learners create friends, but it also enhances their cognitive and interpersonal experience such that they can deal with thoughts that might affect their concentration and self-worth in school. As sportspeople, they can feel important through emulation of professional heroes of which boost their confidence and increase their sense of control. They can ignore unnecessary facts such as they do no not belong in the UK or else they do not belong in a school like UCLan. Participation in sports improve how they think, talk and interact with others of which is essential and it depicts that they have high self-esteem and can achieve their primary and other subsequent goals effectively.

Methodology

The study was simultaneously conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research methods which are interviews and questionnaires respectively. A mixed survey design was the most suitable method for collecting data in this research since it provided a wide range of information that was used substantially to support the formulated theories (Merriam, 2014). Also, it helped in covering a wide area including getting access to students who were physically unavailable through the online survey. Some of the demographics that were obtained from the subjects included age, nationality, time length at UCLan and gender. Subjects were provided with opportunities to relate to how participation in sports impacted their interpersonal and intercultural development at the university. Also, they were allowed a chance to elaborate further any issue they felt was of significance to the study.

Participants

The subjects were identified and selected through permission requests from the international students' office and the Institutional Review Board. Potential respondents in the study (n=35), 20 males and 15 females aged between 19 and 25 years, were full-time students and all took part in various sporting activities including netball, table tennis, football, cycling, hockey and other types of athletics at the university. They were from different countries in three continents including Africa, Asia and South America. All the participants were messaged through emails concerning the study and (n=25/35) 16 males and 9 females enthusiastically consented to respond to the questionnaires. The actual samples were updated on several aspects including how to access and complete the online survey. More so, the participants' details' privacy was guaranteed and they were assured of no consequences in case any one of them felt like withdrawing from the survey. The researchers using the written permission picked students at random from the field and identified three respondents, one male and two females aged 18, 23 and 26 years, who agreed to one-to-one interviews regarding the study. They were provided with contacts for further elaboration.

Qualitative and quantitative data

Qualitative information was obtained through a lengthy elaboration of two of the research questions. How do you ensure you engage positively with the values of UCLan and how does this affect your relationship with the local lifestyle? How does sports participation influence your behaviors positively? The researchers used specific focus groups to counter any cases of a language barrier that might have posed challenges during the study. Quantitative data was acquired through responses to two online survey questions. Which leisure activity do you participate in and why do you like it? Do you think participating in sports at UCLan is expensive or not? Why?

Procedures

The interviews were done for more than one occasion, and they involved one-to-one conversations with the identified international students. Each was contacted separately during their free time to ensure the survey did not interfere with studies or any other important activity within their schedule. All three subjects were interviewed on three different occasions to make sure there was adequate time to gather sufficient information to answer the specified research questions. The other participants were sent email messages with the link to the online survey entailing self-reported open and closed questionnaires aimed at collecting quantitative data as highlighted above. All the subjects (n=25) were required to su...