A home away from home? An interpretative phenomenological analysis of Vietnamese students’ acculturation experiences in Aotearoa-New Zealand

Master's Students ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Hard Time ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Academic Settings

International students’ experiences are a major concern for universities and educational researchers. Globally, Vietnam is a top source country for international students. Universities in Aotearoa-New Zealand host an increasing number of Vietnamese students, but researchers often subsume this group into generic cultural and ethnic categories such as ‘Asian student’. As a result, little is known about their experience.<div> This study explores the everyday experiences of 10 Vietnamese master’s students from an Aotearoa-New Zealand university through a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach enabled me to capture the essential meanings of the participants’ experiences and understand what it was like to be Vietnamese students in Aotearoa-New Zealand. <div> </div>As the participants built new lives in Aotearoa-New Zealand, they dealt with the practicalities of uncomfortable or difficult housing conditions as well as established relationships within the diverse cultural contexts of the host country. Accommodation issues had a significant impact on their studies and sense of security and belonging. The students had a hard time finding a place to live. Not feeling comfortable, safe or at peace in their new houses, they did not feel like they were at home. They did not view their houses as a place where they could take refuge and leave the hustle of life outside. In academic settings, the students initially struggled to deal with a range of new and unfamiliar learning and teaching styles (e.g., classroom discussion) and conventions about referencing and citing. These made them feel overwhelmed and bewildered. During these formative months, many of them experienced language difficulties, a sense of cultural dislocation, and a deep yearning for their families. These difficulties forced them to learn to deal with challenges and become independent. The students drew strength from their Vietnamese cultural values and practices to overcome difficulties. Based on the findings, I propose a framework for exploring the experience of short-term Vietnamese international students. The study provides implications for host universities to assist Vietnamese students as they orient themselves to daily life in Aotearoa-New Zealand.</div>

The experiences of Vietnamese students in New Zealand: A new country – a new home

10.26686/wgtn.12960215 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hau Ho

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

The Everyday ◽

And Gender ◽

Harsh Reality ◽

Everyday Living

This study explores the everyday living experiences of five Vietnamese postgraduate students in New Zealand, employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The analysis revealed one minor theme which captures the students’ preparations before coming to New Zealand, and one overarching theme which focuses on living arrangements and circumstances. The students were ill-prepared for their lives in New Zealand, which contributed to the difficulties encountered. They were shocked to find that their studies and lives were affected by accommodation arrangements, which forced them to learn to cope with unfamiliar issues. The overarching essence is that a variety of factors (e.g., familial, cultural, and gender factors) influenced the students’ experiences. However, drawing on traditional cultural values, the students could overcome these difficulties. The study has implications for host universities to assist students in coping with the harsh reality of everyday living issues, including having a roof over one’s head.

The experiences of Vietnamese students in New Zealand: A new country – A new home

Transitions Journal of Transient Migration ◽

10.1386/tjtm_00022_1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 203-221

Author(s):

Hau Trung Ho

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

The Everyday ◽

And Gender ◽

Harsh Reality ◽

Everyday Living

This study explores the everyday living experiences of five Vietnamese postgraduate students in New Zealand, employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The analysis revealed one minor theme that captures the students’ preparations before coming to New Zealand and one overarching theme that focuses on living arrangements and circumstances. The students were ill-prepared for their lives in New Zealand, which contributed to the difficulties encountered. They were shocked to find that their studies and lives were affected by accommodation arrangements, which forced them to learn to cope with unfamiliar issues. The overarching essence is that a variety of factors (e.g., familial, cultural and gender factors) influenced the students’ experiences. However, drawing on traditional, cultural values, the students could overcome these difficulties. The study has implications for host universities to assist students in coping with the harsh reality of everyday living issues, including having a roof over one’s head.

The experiences of Vietnamese students in New Zealand: A new country – a new home

10.26686/wgtn.12960215.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hau Ho

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

The Everyday ◽

And Gender ◽

Harsh Reality ◽

Everyday Living

This study explores the everyday living experiences of five Vietnamese postgraduate students in New Zealand, employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The analysis revealed one minor theme which captures the students’ preparations before coming to New Zealand, and one overarching theme which focuses on living arrangements and circumstances. The students were ill-prepared for their lives in New Zealand, which contributed to the difficulties encountered. They were shocked to find that their studies and lives were affected by accommodation arrangements, which forced them to learn to cope with unfamiliar issues. The overarching essence is that a variety of factors (e.g., familial, cultural, and gender factors) influenced the students’ experiences. However, drawing on traditional cultural values, the students could overcome these difficulties. The study has implications for host universities to assist students in coping with the harsh reality of everyday living issues, including having a roof over one’s head.

Cessation strategies used successfully by individuals in recovery from methamphetamine addiction

Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work ◽

10.11157/anzswj-vol33iss2id863 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 32-44

Author(s):

Yvonne Gordon ◽

Christine Stephens

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Health Issue ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Appropriate Treatment ◽

Important Health ◽

Important Health Issue ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Insight Into

INTRODUCTION: Methamphetamine (MA) misuse is a recognised health issue in Aotearoa New Zealand, and there is a lack of appropriate treatment available for individuals who are methamphetamine dependent. This exploratory study, undertaken in 2019, sought to gain insight from individuals in Aotearoa who have experienced MA dependence and now identify as being in recovery, to discover which strategies, approaches or treatment appeared helpful in their recovery.METHODS: The participants in the study were seven adults (New Zealand European, Samoan and Māori ethnicity) who had abstained from methamphetamine for six months or more. In-depth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed before being analysed. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, which has its theoretical origins in phenomenology and hermeneutics.FINDINGS: Four themes emerged to describe the lived experience of recovery from methamphetamine misuse: Getting Away, Support, Personal Sources of Strength, and Treatment. Each theme held importance in the participants’ recovery from MA and provided insight into their journey in abstaining and being in recovery.CONCLUSIONS: These findings may be used to assist others entering recovery. The present findings are limited by the size of the sample; however, they provide valuable information on this important health issue as a basis for further research, which is urgently needed in Aotearoa.

Digital Storytelling Experiences of Social Studies Pre-Service Teachers

International Journal of Technology in Education ◽

10.46328/ijte.v3i2.25 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 70

Author(s):

Emine Özlem Yiğit

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Social Studies ◽

Digital Storytelling ◽

Social Studies Teachers ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Face To Face ◽

Survey Questions ◽

Digital Stories

The purpose of the present study is to determine the pre-service social studies teachers’ opinions about digital storytelling process that they were experienced during 2018-2019 fall term. Mainly, their attitudes towards learning and teaching are tried to determine according to their opinions after their digital storytelling experiences. This study employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a framework. Pre-service teachers were encouraged to create their own digital stories by telling the story along with the pictures through programs like windows movie maker, IMovie and so on. Data were collected through a survey and with semi-structured face to face interviews. A survey developed by researcher was given to all students who were enrolled to democracy and human rights course in 2018-2019 fall term and a total of 37 students completed it. Six pre-service social studies teachers in the group were selected for face to face interviews depended on their answers to survey questions. Three of them were who generally stated most positive views towards the digital storytelling process and other three were who generally reflected the challenges and difficulties during the process.

An interpretative phenomenological analysis on the intercultural experiences of international students

10.17760/d20291678 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Ferreria

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

Intercultural Experiences

Quiltmakers’ meaning-making in Aotearoa New Zealand: Social interactions, embodied experiences and material mediation

Craft Research ◽

10.1386/crre_00040_1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 51-78

Author(s):

Linda Claire Warner ◽

Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen ◽

Kai Hakkarainen

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Informal Learning ◽

Meaning Making ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Community Context ◽

The Body ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Craft Knowledge ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Embodied Experiences

The research study focuses on the phenomenon of informal learning and teaching, as it materializes through the quiltmakers’ engagement in idiosyncratic community practices. The present study considers the construction of craft knowledge from a sociocultural perspective, focusing on social and material mediation, and embodiment as a form of meaning-making for quiltmakers. The ethnographic data were collected from two quilting communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and in total 66 quilters volunteered to participate. The fieldwork extended over an eight-month period with data consisting of interviews, observations, fieldnotes and reflective diaries including the visualization of interactive happenings in situ. Chronological content logs were created, and data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The primary interest was on the verbal (i.e. social), non-verbal (i.e. embodied) and material (inter)actions that were central to the quilters’ meaning-making processes. This praxis and process of informal learning usually make it invisible because it is a ubiquitous element embedded in the quilting community context. Identifying different aspects of multimodal making foregrounds how the quilters’ learning is socially interactive, with ‘hands on’ and ‘minds on’ processes tied to their bodily experiences and material world. This study demonstrates the significance of the ongoing communicative (inter)actions for meaning-making, highlighting the role of the body, mind and environment in shaping quilting practices and appropriating craft knowledge.

Caring for children with disabilities in a foreign land: Experiences and perceptions of a group of Korean parents and professionals

Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work ◽

10.11157/anzswj-vol29iss4id398 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 61-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Clara Choi ◽

Hong-Jae Park ◽

Michael O'Brien

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Children With Disabilities ◽

Service Providers ◽

Cultural Barriers ◽

Immigrant Parents ◽

Korean Immigrant ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Korean Parents ◽

Parents Experiences

INTRODUCTION: This article aims to provide an overview of the experiences of Korean immigrant parents raising children with disabilities in Aotearoa New Zealand, primarily focusing on their experience of disability services and systems.METHODS: As the present exploratory study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of immigrant parents’ experiences and perceptions, a qualitative approach was employed to collect rich and lived information from participants. Ten participants were recruited and interviewed among Korean parents of children with disabilities and professionals working with those families.FINDINGS: Lack of trust among Korean parents living in Aotearoa New Zealand was frequently discussed by the participants in the present study. Lack of information around available services and alternative support and cultural barriers were often identified to have a significant impact on Korean parents’ experiences with services. A sense of obligation to integrate into the host society and the services provided was also evident. Further, there was a contradictory perception between parents and associated professionals in relation to services’ expectations of Korean parents. CONCLUSIONS: From analysis of the findings, three main themes emerged: experiences of services and its relations with trust, cultural values and expectations, and looking to the future. The study suggests that there is a need for professionals, service providers and government to consider ways to build trusting relationships with Korean parents and their children with disabilities, and makes a number of recommendations.

The impact of socio-cultural values on autistic women: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Autism ◽

10.1177/13623613211037896 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132110378

Author(s):

Stella Mo ◽

Nina Viljoen ◽

Shivani Sharma

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Cultural Beliefs ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Dominant Culture ◽

Norms And Values ◽

The Impact

It is well recognised that culture plays an important role in how people experience the world. However, there is limited knowledge on the impact of socio-cultural norms and values on the lives of autistic women. This qualitative study used individual semi-structured interviews to explore how eight cis-gendered autistic women, without co-occurring intellectual disabilities, describe dominant socio-cultural beliefs, values and norms and their influence on their own sense of self. Findings elucidated three interdependent themes related to the ‘pervasive influence of cultural values’, ‘individualisation as an autistic woman’ and ‘social connectivity’. Autistic women described how they experienced their environments and made choices about their place within the dominant culture and the impact of these decisions on their identities and experience. The findings of this study have implications for the continued need to shift societal and clinical attitudes towards understanding and appreciating diversity among autistic women. Lay abstract Autistic women with average or above intellectual abilities are often overlooked clinically or identified at older ages compared to autistic males. Their experiences can provide insight into the socio-cultural factors that impact on how they develop and are seen by others. This study asked autistic women to describe the culture around them and explore how this has influenced their lived experiences. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight autistic women without a co-occurring diagnosis of intellectual disabilities. These were used for interpretative phenomenological analysis. Overall, we found three closely connected themes on the pervasive influence of cultural values on autistic women, how autistic women define themselves and the importance of connecting with society. These findings suggest that dominant cultural beliefs, values and norms effect how autistic women are recognised by others and develop their sense of self. Broadening how people think about autistic women in society and clinically may benefit how we identify and support autistic women.