Examining and Demystifying the Social and Learning Issues of International Students at Indian Educational Institutions

Indian education industry has started experiencing the higher inflow of international students in their campus. In order to survive and outshine the competition, Institution has to understand the need of their students. India has a very glorified past with having the first international University to its credit. After independence the education sector slowly revived its self as to attract foreign students. The last few years have seen international students enrolling in our country. Those studying in host country contribute a lot to the economic development too. Practical Implications:This paper provides insight to cognize the learning and social difficulty issues of the international students. Originality and value:It is undeniable that, international students bring in economic, cultural and social benefits to the host country. In current scenario, Higher education is undergoing robust growth, which invariably contributes to the development of the country economically.This article can be accessed by higher education sector to understand the needs of the international students. Thus, research study was formulated to find out the problems and difficulties faced by International students. Methodology and Findings: Learning related problems and social interaction problems, under which 13 contribution factors were studied. Data were collected from 100 international students studying at Chennai city, India.Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis to evaluate association between variables. The finding revealed that learning related problem was most contributing factor for decreasing the quality of Indian education from the perspective of international students. Scope for further study: This study can be further extended to other cities in India, where large number of international students throng for higher education. Arrangement of sponsors, English difficulty, disciplinary issues, funding issues, Visa problems, perception of faculties are the other factors that can be considered for further study.


Introduction
The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 permitted the liberal democracies to claim victory and triumph for the capitalist system and contributed to the exponentially increasing pace of globalization which was already under progress at break neck speed . Globalization has a profound impact upon the education sector which has opened platforms for education globally. Almost all entities required well being is considered a commodity nowadays that could be produced and delivered with the assistance of the private sector in line with the market forces and in accordance with the doctrines of supply and demand. One after the other, the basic necessities of well being such as water, electricity, postal services, health, and now education, have been modified into a commodity and marketed. The ever varying environment has burdened the education sector with immense pressure resulting in heavy competition. Also, with the dawn of globalization, students voyage across globe to pursue their studies. Goswami (2007) In the last few years, fewer numbers of foreign students have chosen India as their ideal destination for higher education. In 1992-93, there were 12,765 international students here, as compared to only 7,745 nearly a decade later. This fall in numbers is rather drastic when compared to 40,000 international students who were enrolled in Chinese universities in 2003, a quantum leap from 22,755 in 1995. Education experts have points out that, the Indian institutions for such a declining trend, blaming the poor marketing strategy that they have adopted for the failure. Quality has been another key issue that needs to be addressed with no delay. The pursuit of international students enrolling in Indian colleges will continue to speed up, provided, the students get the best of the amenities. Students will demand the best value for their money from the institutions in the form teaching expertise, placements, world-class amenities etc. It is vital to comprehend the need of the international students and cater to them accordingly. Providing quality education would be worthy of the money they are investing in pursuing the same.
This paper aims to identify the most important factors contributing to the problems faced by international students studying in India in terms of academic and learning dysfunction and also social interaction. According to this study, the term learning dynamics explains a setup or a list of factors such as academics, language, classroom, interactive content, food and accommodation, financial implications and so on that influences the learning process as a whole. And it also attempts to unearth the repercussions of social interaction (Acculturation, feeling of social connectness, health and so on) of international students on the problems experienced by them. Krishna (2018) UNESCO Institute of Statistics defines international students as "those who have traversed a national or territorial boundary for the purpose of education and are presently enrolled in an educational institution outside their country of origin". "The definition of UNESCO rules out students who are enrolled in a program for a duration of less than a year. However, the Institute of International Education (IIE) in its Open Doors Reports does not mention the one-year time restriction which is stated by the UNESCO" (Knight, 2014). Table No1 given below highlights the universities equipped with amenities and resources to accommodate International students. The report precisely states that Indian universities are lacking and need to improvise on their resources provided to students from abroad with special regards to the financial support aspect and customized program for the sojourners.  (2016) states that there is a steady decline in the enrollment of international students from African countries. The representation of African students in the classrooms of the Indian universities has fallen to about 15 percent when compared to the numbers who were present in the early 1990"s. Internationalization, along with the introduction of programs of academic cooperation and the strength of international students are important criteria for consideration in the major world ranking systems globally. The failure of Indian universities to make it to the top 200 is partially due to the trivial component of internationalization.
International students bring diversity to our university campuses and would also bring forth healthy conversations and exchange of ideas between the student"s thereby provoking creativity and uniqueness in their thought processes. It would also enhance the skills of the Indian students due to the exposure they get about educational systems worldwide.
Associaion Of Indian universities (2016)"In due course of time, international students will make India"s stance on education more evident in the global, social and political arena. Measures taken to pool in more number of international students would indirectly influence the quality, flexibility and diversity of the Indian education system. The system is more likely to be geared and equipped appropriately in order to meet the standards and converge the innovative and flexible requirements of the main stake holders of education viz. the student community. Opening the portals of the education system for the international students from around the globe in the fields such as research could result in better international collaborations, superior quality in publications in reputed journals and greater recognition amongst the peers and reviewers who rank the universities. A rise in the enrollment of international students in Indian educational institutions would eventually bring in additional revenue to the country, not only in the form of tuition fees but also through the business of local goods and services that are essential for the international students. International students are representatives of an "emerging market" in the "business" of higher education".
The above report clearly highlights the plight of Indian higher education system, with special regards to the presence and perspective of the international students in India. It is the need of the hour to analyze the issues and challenges confronting the enhancement of the number of international students and their induction in Indian institutes. This in turn will ensure the economic growth of the Indian universities, but also in terms of improved status, recognition and acknowledgement globally.

Objectives of the Study
 To study the demographic profile of the international students.  To identify the determinants of learning dynamics problems of the international students.  To identify the determinants of social interaction of the international students  To identify the most important factor contributing to the decrease in the quality of education for international students using structural equation modeling analysis with the help of standardized regression weights.

Empirical Research Method is Followed in This Research
A five-point scale (5 indicating strongly agree and 1 indicating strongly disagree) was used in preference to a seven-point scale to increase the sensitivity of the measure. In this study, international students" problems were measured with a self-administered questionnaire. International students" problems were elicited from them under two types of determinants-Learning dynamics problems and social international problems. A total of 13 factors were studied to assess and develop the structural equation model. This study uses both primary and secondary data. Data were collected from 100 international students pursuing their education in Chennai city, India. Data analysis. Collected data were analyzed with the help of software package SPSS and analysis of moment structure (AMOS) 16. Statistical techniques like descriptive analysis and Structural equation modeling (SEM) were used for data analysis.

Significance of the Study
With the advent of globalization in the field of education, students travel across the globe to pursue their studies, enhance their skills and fulfill their dreams. With heavy competition creeping into the education industry between the private and the deemed universities, it is essential to magnetize, convince, retain and maintain the student strength especially of the international students. In order to sustain and emerge victorious in an otherwise competitive domain, a thorough understanding of the requisites, requirements and problems of the students is vital. Hence the need of this study was evolved. Hair A. R. (2006) defines Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as a statistical modeling technique that combines factor analysis and multivariate multiple regressions. Hair J. F. et al. (1998) quotes that "structural equation provides an estimation of multiple and interrelated dependence relationship and the capacity to stand in favor of unobserved or dormant concepts in these associations and gives an explanation for measurement of error in the process of estimation. Yu-Kai (2009), states that SEM, a multivariate technique, combines the confirmatory factor analysis modeling obtained from psychometric theory and structural equations modeling. The principal aim of SEM is to explain the model of a sequence of inter-related dependence associations concurrently among a set of dormant or unobserved constructs where each is measured by one or more manifest or observed variables. Schumaker R. and R. (1996) suggest that in order to recognize an apt model for the sample data, fit indices have no single statistical test of significance. Campbell et al. (1995) explains the existence of numerous goodness of fit (GOF) indices with which one can make comparisons, thereby asserting that "fit should be evaluated from the position of numerous fit statistics". The overall fit measures, the goodness-of-fit statistic (GFI), adjusted goodnessof-fit statistic (AGFI), root mean squared residual (RMR), and the normed fit index (NFI). Bentler and Bonnet (1980) support the fact that they are all useful measures in assessing the quality of the hypothesized measurement model. Mc Donald and Ho (2002) Claim that Absolute fit indices determine how well a priori model fits the sample data. Hair A. R. (2006) further adds that Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is one of the most commonly employed tools to test the construct validity of the developed instrument.

Literature Review
Diana backs this fact and adds that this technique provides a more preciseand accurate interpretation of the dimensionality than the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique. (Schumaker RE. and Lomax, 2010) Suggest that the CFA can be used as an interpretation of model fit indices. (de Araujo, 2011)express their opinion that the students who are newly admitted such as freshmen, international students, and first-generation graduate students often struggle with the transition to academic life as it differs greatly from the system that they were exposed to in the past. Sherry et al. (2010) add that these students must deal with an array of difficulties such as language barriers, acclimatization to new cultures, understanding of the cultural philosophies and approach to a curriculum that they are not familiar with. Poyrazli and Lopez (2007) conclude that language barriers contribute significantly to socialization, companionship issues and also play a powerful role in the other challenges that international students may have to overcome. For example, students who reported to be less proficient with English skills also reported to have experienced higher levels of discrimination due to their inability to communicate their ideas effectively with their counterparts. Luminita and Cristina (2013) mentions that there are several studies that analyze the psychological processes that students experience during and after their international travel, stay and educational journey, as well as the impact that these processes and procedures have on their scholastic performance and social connect with the teaching and student fraternity. Though a steady rise in the number of individuals pursuing their studies in foreign countries has been observed, the difficulties these sojourners face in the form of differences between their home and the host culture still remain unchanged. These cultural and edifying differences can result in problems pertaining to acclimatization to the foreign environment, host culture and consequently reflects on the performance of the students in their respective courses. These issues often result in the sub standardized performance of the students in their international assignments "(as cited in Luminita and Cristina (2013),Vol.8.No.2,pp.263-264). Anderson (2009) debates that the concerns pertaining to adaptation and acclimatization of international students to the host atmosphere could be scrutinized from five main perspective angles: (i) Psychological issues relating to homesickness, isolation, loneliness, hopelessness, helplessness, frustration, depression, anxiety, (ii) Comprehending academic language, new medium of instruction, communication apprehension and communication barriers. (iii) Difficulty in adapting to the academic culture of the educational institution such as complicatedness in the utilization of library and other infrastructural facilities and services (iv) Socio-cultural issues like cultural shock, cultural fatigue, formation of groups among students with similar background and ethno genesis, racial discrimination (v) transitional challenges from their residing country to the host country such as counseling and health services, documentation issues, dietary restrictions and career enhancement concerns.
Students from overseas undergo a tremendous amount of pressure, intensified levels of stress and an exhausting process of getting accustomed to a new environment commiserates Sumer et al. (2008). During the phases of arrival and adapting, there are several factors that contribute to the smooth transition thereby facilitating an easier procedure of getting accustomed to the new environment. The authors establish a clear discernment between the pre-sojourn and in-sojourn contributory factors. The pre-sojourn factors refer to the dispositional factors or factors regarding the temperament of the student such as the sojourners" willingness and inclination to embrace change. It may also include linguistic abilities, personality traits, eye for cultural details such as cultural intelligence, cultural empathy, open-mindedness, and social initiative, emotional intelligence, intrinsic knowledge about the host country, prior overseas experience, and inherent motivation for studying abroad (Mesidor and Sly 2016). (Schartner and Young, 2016) In-sojourn contributory factors impact the students" degree to adapt upon their arrival to the host country. The extent of social connect a student possesses with both the host nationals and international students and the social support system function as the in-sojourn contributory factors which influence the successful acquaintance of the international students to the foreign environment. In this model developed by Schartner and Young (2016), acclimating is discussed from a scholastic, socio-cultural, and psychological perspective.
Yusliza (2011) conducted a study on the impact of globalization on the economy and society along with its influence on the Malaysian higher education institutions, especially universities. The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education aims at intensifying their stance on globalization through encouraging the admission of students from foreign countries into their universities. However, a majority of international students struggle through this process as they find it difficult to adapt to a new environment and adopting the systems which are present in the host country which is foreign to them. Adjusting to a new culture also poses a problem for them. In order to overcome such issues, social support systems for international students are beneficiary. In Malaysia, these social support systems are very helpful in addressing their problems and challenges pertaining to academics and cultural issues. The study therefore examined the equation between the apparent (perceived) social support systems and psychological adjustment of international students who were enrolled in a Malaysian public university. A total of 185 international students from various countries and regions of the world completed the questionnaires about their apparent social support systems and psychological adjustment. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support was utilized as a tool to assess the international students" social support. Psychological adjustment was measured and calculated with the Satisfaction with Life Scale. In line with the hypothesis, the two dimensions of perceived social support is significantly related with psychological adjustment. The study also discusses about the implications of the results for better and smoother transition and adjustment in a foreign university environment in the midst of international students. In addition, it also enunciates the scope for future research on international students with emphasis on their ability and need for acclimating to their host country environment. Table No 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E shows the demographic profile of the international students participated in the survey: (n= 100). As per the Table 1a, out of 100 international students, 64 % were male and 36 % were female. With regard to the age group of the international students participated in the survey, 65% falls into the category of below 30 years, whereas 26 % falls into the category of 30 -40 years. All the international participated in the survey was full-time students (Table no 1c).AS per table No 1d ,the survey also revealed that 33 % of the surveyed international students stayed in India for less than 1 year,45 % for 2 years and 45 % stayed for more than 3 years.

Results and Discussion
In terms of education, table No 2E shows that, out of 100 international students participated in the survey, 30 % were in their undergraduate degree, while 50 % in their post graduate degree, followed by 8 % pursuing their doctorate and remaining 12 % falls into the other category.

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM): Model Fit Assessment
To evaluate the fit of the model, structural equation modeling was used upon the collected samples. As recommend by Anderson J. and Gerbing (1988), measurement model to test the reliability and validity of the survey instrument was analyzed first, and by using AMOS version 16 the structural model was analyzed.
Peter and John (2011) SEM is the worthwhile model ,which can be used to evaluate and determine the causal relationship between the observed and dependent variables.And at the same time it also used for verifying the compatibility of the model.Structural equation modeling evaluates whether the data fit a theoretical model. In order to evaluate the model, emphasis was given to Chi-square/degrees of freedom (x2/df), CFI, GFI, AGFI, NFI, RMR and RMSEA Table 3. As per the result, Common model-fit measures like chi-square/degree of freedom (x2/df), the comparative fit index (CFI), Goodness of Fit Index(GFI) ,root Mean Residual (RMR) ,root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the normed fit index (NFI), were used to estimate the measurement model fit. Table  3shows the estimates of the model fit indices from AMOS structural modeling.  (Hair A. R., 2006) Reference: Gerbing and Anderson (1992) According to Gerbing and Anderson (1992), the criteria for an acceptable model are as follows: RMSEA of 0.08 or lower; CFI of 0.90 or higher; and NFI of 0.90 or higher. The fit between the data and the proposed measurement model can be tested with a chi-square goodness-to-fit (GFI) test where the probability is greater than or equal to 0.9 indicates a good fit (Hu and Bentler, 1999). The GFI of this study was 0.963 more than the recommended value of 0.90 the other measures fitted satisfactorily; AGFI=0.920, CFI=0.943and NFI=0.921 with chi square 178.150 which is greater than suggested value of 0.05,chi-square/degree of freedom(CMIN/df) is at 3.426 which is less than the suggested cut-off and RMSEA=0.07 (Bagozzi and Yi, 2012)  Overall obtained values indicate the absolute fit of the model and goodness of fit supports the acceptability of the structural developed under this study.

Structural Equation Model on Improving Quality of Indian Higher Education for International Students
The variables used in the structural equation model are  .902 -d13_tot <---LD -1.481 .391 -.443 3.787 <0.001* d13_tot <---SI -1.387 .409 -.380 3.390 <0.001* +Unstandarized co-efficient ++Standardized Co-efficient *Denotes significance at 1%level **Denotes significance at 5%level Table 4 shows the unstandardized coefficients and associated test statistics. The amount of change in the dependent or mediating variable for each one unit change in the variable predicting it is symbolized by the unstandardized regression coefficient. The Table 7 shows the unstandardized estimate, its standard error (abbreviated S.E.), and the p-value and t-value.

Observed, dependent Variables
From Table 4, the co-efficient of linguistic problems is 0.445 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the learning dynamics problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive, which represents the fact that learning dynamics problems increases by 0.445 for every unit increase in linguistic problems. And the co-efficient value is significant at 1%level. The co-efficient of learning problems is 0.590 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the learning dynamics problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive, which represents the fact that learning dynamics problems increases by 0.590 for every unit increase in learning problems. And the coefficient value is significant at 1%level. The co-efficient of academic cultural gap is 0.515 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the learning dynamics problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive, which represents the fact that learning dynamics problems increases by 0.515 for every unit increase in Academic Cultural Gap but the co-efficient value is significant at5 %level. This is followed by co-efficient of Engagement & ethnocentric problems (1.000),food and accommodation problems(0.423),financial hardship (0.636),lack of support services(0.959) which simultanesly represents the partial effect of these factors towards learning dynamics problems. The estimated positive sign implies that such positive which represents the fact that learning dynamics problems increases by 1.000 for every unit increase in ethnocentric and engagement problems followed by , 0.423 for food and accommodation problems, 0.636 for financial hardship ,0.959 for lack of support services 0.959 keeping the co-efficient value significant at 1 % level.
The same holds good for the social interaction problems also. The co-efficient of stress is 1.152 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the social interaction problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive ,which represents the fact that social interaction problems increases by 1.152 for every unit increase in stress level; keeping the co-efficient value is significant at 1 %level. The co-efficient of acculturation is 0.799 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the social interaction problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive ,which represents the fact that social interaction problems increases by 0.799 for every unit increase in acculturation keeping the co-efficient value is significant at 1%level. The co-efficient of security issues is 0.942 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the social interaction problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive ,which represents the fact that social interaction problems increases by 0.942 for every unit increase in security issues keeping the co-efficient value is significant at 1%level.
The co-efficient of lack of connectness is 1.000 represents the partial effect of linguistic problems towards the social interaction problems holding other variables as constant. The estimated positive sign implies that such effect is positive, which represents the fact that social interaction problems increases by 1.000 for every unit increase in lack of connectness.
<---SI -.380 Table 5 shows the standardized estimates for the fitted model. Relative contributions of each predictor variable to each outcome variable can be evaluated by standardized estimates. Figure 1 shows the education structural model. Based on the standardized regression weights mention in table no 4,d4 factor (ethnocentric and engagement problems -0.911) is the most important problem to increase the learning dynamics problem followed by d6 factor (Financial hardship -0.654),lack of support services(.637),d2 factor (learning problems -0.547),d5 factor (Food and Accommodation -0.514),d1factor (Linguistic problems -0.422),d3 factor(Academic cultural gap-0.262).simultaneously the most important factor to increase the social interaction problem is Stress(0.921),feel of connectness(0.902),Security(0.814)Acculturation(0.451).

Conclusion and Implications
The aim of this research is to conduct an empirical analysis of the factors determining the problems associated with learning dynamics and social interaction problems among the international students who are pursuing their studies in India using the structural equation modeling. By identifying the factors, these lacunae can be improvised to enhance the quality of the Indian education system from an international student"s perspective. The proposed model is then calibrated using the data collected from international students studying at Chennai. Twelve significant determinants under two major factors were identified and are classified as follows : Learning Dynamics problems:-Linguistic problems, Learning Problems, Academic cultural gap, Engagement & ethnocentric problems ,Food and Accommodation, Financial hardships and Lack of support services and under Social interaction:-Stress, Acculturation, Security and Feel of connectness.
The model fitness is tested and the results show that the top three factors under learning dynamics problems which influence the well being of an international student are ethnocentric and engagement problems, Financial hardships faced by students and lack of support services. Likewise under social interaction problems security issues, feel of connectness and stress level experienced by international students top the list. We can also infer from the standardized regression weights (table no 4) that learning dynamics problems ( -0.443) is the most important variable for that manifests as a factor for the erosion of the quality of higher education when compared to social interaction(-0.380) for international students.
This study will be definitely useful for educational institutions, academicians and policy makers to widen their understanding about international students studying in their institutions and also understand the problems and challenges that are put in front of them. Indian universities should augment their focus more towards enhancing the numbers of international students in their institutions.
On addressing these areas with the right attitude, modifications can be implemented with ease which would also help to enrich the quality of education provided in India. The perspectives of the international students must be taken into consideration and persistent efforts are to be directed towards increasing their level of comfort and compatibility which would ensure their well being. An increase in the number of international students enrolling in programs conducted by colleges and universities in India will ultimately result in the opening of frontiers for the Indian education system globally and also bring about the impelling need for the elevation of standards.

Scope for Further Research
The present study includes the analysis of only 12 contributing factors. Owing to time constraints and other restrictions, few other challenges faced by international students were not included. This study can be carried out further with a larger sample size. Individual studies can also be performed by considering each factor under the learning issues and social interaction issues categories. Upon considering individual factors, a detailed study can be done and the issues faced by the international students can be analyzed and discussed in-depth. These issues can be explored in a thorough manner and conclusions could be arrived at which would be of good aid in the framing of recommendation. As mentioned earlier, several other factors like arrangement of sponsorship, difficulty in communicating in English, disciplinary issues, financial difficulties, funding issues, visa and immigration difficulties, perception of faculties, level of complexity of the curriculum, work load and several other practical difficulties that international students face on a daily basis during their stay in the host country can also be considered for further study.