Charting Theoretical Perspectives on Inbound International Students

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Study Abroad: The International Experience

Abstract

This presentation charts theoretical constructs used to study transnational student mobility found in an extensive literature review of 17 higher educational journals that published articles on international students from 2009-2019. We employed a content analysis research design to analyze publications in these journals. In order to map the scope and scale of the field, we developed a tool that uses four theoretical narratives to help understand the influence of each theoretical construct. Based on the findings, we found 136 different theories that are used to study transnational student mobility. The literature review raises subtle questions on how informed decisions in future publishing can balance representation of new voices and perspectives in academic discourse.

Authors

• Rosalind Latiner Raby, California State University

• Yi Leaf Zhang, University of Texas at Arlington