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The Journey of Academic Resilience: Lived Experiences of Overcoming Academic Challenges by International Master’s Students in Chinese Universities

 

 

Abstract

Previous studies have documented the globalised educational challenges faced by international students; little has been written about the resilience pathways of master’s students beyond Western contexts, such as China.  This qualitative study fills this gap by addressing the experiences of 16 international master’s students in China through semi-structured interviews. By employing Masten’s (2001) process model of resilience, this study revealed that international master’s students face challenges linked to language and instructional approach. In turn, these students were able to create resilience pathways, including a creative application of hybrid learning, which regained and adapted home and host academic cultures in novel ways, and self-regulation to tackle academic challenges. This qualitative research offers a new contribution by identifying “self-regulation” as a primary resilience pathway and recognising the salient role of cultural hybridity within these pathways. This study highlighted the implications of the findings for stakeholders to ensure that institutional support is culturally and temporally focused, whereby students experience academic persistence and success.

 

Keywords

academic resilience, international master’s students, academic challenges, Chinese universities

JEL Classification

I20, I21, I23

 

1. Introduction

International education has emerged as a key component of global education. In recent years, China, the world’s second-largest economy, has significantly increased international student enrolment. In 2018, 492,185 international students enrolled in 1004 universities, with 52 % in degree programmes (MOE, 2019). Internationalisation of higher education in China has seen incredible progress over the past few decades, placing China as an up-and-coming leading global power in international education, hence shaping the educational systems of China into one of the largest, most promising, and most affordable in the world (Yang, 2014). As global student mobility increased, it manifested the increased scholarship attention. However, succeeding in this competitive and culturally distinct academic environment requires students to develop ‘academic resilience’ to navigate stressors and meticulous academic expectations (Chen, 2020).  

Studying abroad, international students face several problems that impede their successful academic and psychological adaptation, which are critical to their academic success. Other important elements influencing international master’s students’ socialisation, learning, and adjustment include language obstacles and differences in academic approaches. International master’s students may struggle to adapt to this structured approach in China (Caruana, 2014). 

The master’s degree is an interim stage during which students’ perseverance and academic resilience can lay a strong foundation for future careers and doctoral studies (Chen, 2020). In China, almost all the master’s programmes last 3 years, longer than similar programmes in other countries. According to the Ministry of Education of China’s 2020 policy, which focused on increasing master’s enrolment to approximately two-thirds of the total graduates by 2025. The number of Chinese master’s students enrolled in Chinese universities increased by 189,000 in 2020, compared to 2019 (Li & Zhu, 2023). A three-year master’s degree programme (longer than those in the West) and intense academic competition can also add to academic stress and demands (Xue & Hu, 2020).

Academic resilience, defined as the student’s ability to effectively utilise emotional intelligence and externally available resources to cope with academic stress or challenges to achieve desirable goals (Shi & Ding, 2013). Resilience underscores ingenuity and self-regulation; both play an indispensable role in academic success (Xue & Hu, 2020). Researchers hold various ideas on students’ resilience, which has laid a foundation for further study on academic resilience. However, the research on international master’s students’ academic resilience is still limited. Shi and Ding (2013) found that undergraduates’ daily academic resilience is generally at the upper-middle level; however, master’s students are lower. This research addresses the difference in perspectives regarding international master’s students’ attitudes and behaviours toward their learning. This is important because a limited body of research explicitly investigates international master’s students’ academic resilience in the Chinese context. Meanwhile, most previous studies on students’ resilience, such as those by Guo and Yang (2020) and Li et al. (2019), have been qualitative or theoretical expansions on factors affecting resilience as a whole. These studies primarily focused on undergraduate or combined doctoral and master’s cohorts (Smith et al., 2021; Zhang, 2018) rather than focusing on international master’s students in the Chinese context.

The study investigates the resilience processes of international master’s students within the unique setting of Chinese higher education. Previous resilience research has reported on master’s and doctoral level students together (Chen & Wang, 2017) and has concluded mostly from Western contexts (Smith et al., 2021). By studying only the master’s cohort in China, we provide a needed focus on a previously neglected and nuanced demographic. Also, unlike previous quantitative studies or theoretical positions (e.g., Guo & Yang, 2020; Li et al., 2019), we employ a qualitative lived experience approach, which is critical for understanding the how and why of their adaptive processes. There are three expected contributions: (1) the study will provide understanding of the resilience strategies of a previously researched but neglected group, (2) the study extend the theoretical model of the resilience process to include more culturally and contextualised factors, and (3) the study will provide actionable, evidence-based recommendations for Chinese universities to international student support systems as administrators, academic support staff, and future students will all benefit.

This study aims to answer the questions below:

1. What academic challenges do international master’s students face in Chinese universities?
2. What resilience strategies do international master’s students employ to mediate the relationship between academic challenges and their academic achievement? 
3. How do institutional support systems influence the effectiveness of resilience strategies in Chinese universities? 

 

2. Literature Review

The increasing global enrolment of international students highlights the beneficial effects of higher education internationalisation. However, it also highlights the necessity of understanding, investigating, and addressing the various issues and challenges international students face. Academic success is the top priority of international students in China, especially for degree seekers. Academic grades and degrees matter significantly for international students’ prospective higher education or careers. A master’s degree is designed to equip students with advanced skills and is seen as a pathway to future doctoral studies (Conrad et al., 1993).  

In recent days, academic resilience has become an emerging academic construct that aims to develop the capacity of learners to respond to the local and global context of educational crises. According to Caruana (2016), academic resilience and commitment are positively correlated, and highly resilient students are highly committed academically. Academic performance is also the central point at different levels of schooling, including universities (Caruana, 2014). Martin & Marsh (2006) suggested that academic performance correlates with academic resilience, Singh (2019) contended that resilient students could perform better academically.  

Research shows that the challenges experienced by international students worldwide are similar. Low language skills, particularly in Chinese, are a frequent academic obstacle affecting international students’ interactions with faculty and classmates. For instance, Trice (2007) found that isolation from peers and/or faculty members is mainly a result of weak language skills among international students. Parker-Jenner (2018) claims that a healthy working relationship for research projects and the closeness of the student-supervisor relationship depend much on the link between a supervisor and a supervisee. Supporting this, Al-Zubaidi and Richards (2010) notably found that the poor language competency of international students causes communication issues between them and their research supervisors. 

International students face educational challenges due to variations in educational systems and backgrounds, availability of library services at home institutions, and access to information resources compared to those available at host university libraries. Mu’s (2007) research in New Zealand revealed that international students encounter more difficulties utilising library services, including online databases and print indexes, than domestic students because of differing library systems. 

International students also face difficulties in academic adaptability while studying in China, with distinct academic adaptation challenges (Preston & Wang, 2017). International students’ adaptation to their university’s campus culture and learning environment depends on how management services support them and the university’s ability to deliver international education (Larbi & Fu, 2017). Scholars pointed out that teachers and university administrators should create a friendly campus environment for international students. Administrators dealing with international students must have intercultural awareness, and teachers should maintain international standards of teaching (Preston & Wang, 2017). Factors that significantly affect international students’ adaptability in China include academic resilience, interest in language, intrinsic motivation, and self-confidence (Krsmanovic, 2022).

Liao et al. (2017) identified one of the challenges international students face as pedagogical approaches that do not consider their multicultural backgrounds. Students from different geographic regions learn differently because of their cultural backgrounds and personal experiences. According to this viewpoint, the teaching techniques used by the instructor significantly influence graduate students’ learning abroad (Nworgu & AchinewhuNworgu, 2018). Liao et al. (2017) highlight that students from different cultural backgrounds and experiences face several challenges when studying abroad. These challenges include teaching and learning methods, student individual differences, communication barriers, and assessment criteria.  

Students are immersed in unique institutional campus cultures and a hidden curriculum that predictably shapes their behaviour (Reay et al., 2001). This leads to the important realisation that institutional status within the educational system is not only related to organisational opportunities and constraints but also influences students’ goals and perceptions (Lee, 2021). Building resilience equips individuals with life-saving skills, including handling stressors, promoting long-term psychological well-being, and enhancing quality of life (Southwick, 2014). That is why host institutions should provide a support system to international students to develop academic resilience. Perez-Encinas et al. (2017) suggest that facilitating host country information and advice on the study is essential for international students, followed by academic and social services provided upon arrival through orientation sessions concerning adapting to new ways of life at the host university. Support for interaction with the local students should also be available during the entire duration of their studies (Poyrazli & Isaiah, 2018). A great way to promote interaction and engagement between local and international students would be to have social events (Poyrazli & Isaiah, 2018). Enhancing resilience helps students deal with the immediate stressors (Southwick, 2014). Perez-Encinas et al. (2017) emphasise the importance of providing international students with information and guidance about the host country for their overall experience. 

Considering the academic challenges and the need for Chinese higher learning institutions to provide support services, this study explores the academic challenges and resilience strategies employed by international master’s students in their academic settings in China. Resilience has been widely studied among undergraduates and doctoral students (Guo & Yang, 2020; Li et al., 2019). However, little has been learned about international master’s students in China, particularly the distinct challenges they face in culture, language, and institutional factors.  Previous studies have either blended master’s and doctoral cohorts (Chen & Wang, 2017) or examined contexts in the West (Smith et al., 2021), which do not provide the opportunities to understand how resilience functions in China’s universities. This study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the academic challenges experienced by international master’s students in Chinese universities.

2.1. Theoretical Framework

The resilience process model (Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2011) provides a theoretical framework for analysing how international master’s students navigate academic challenges in Chinese universities. This model observes resilience as a context-specific and dynamic process that involves constant adaptation to challenges (Masten, 2001). It displays the interactions between risk factors (e.g., academic stress), protective factors (e.g., self-efficacy, social support), and adaptive outcomes (e.g., academic perseverance, psychological health) (Luthar et al., 2000; Rutter, 1987). Masten’s (2001) work explains resilience as “ordinary magic” resulting from daily interaction with the challenges, while Ungar (2011) underscores the sociocultural contexts that shape the approaches to these challenges. This framework is particularly suitable for master’s students, whose resilience levels are significantly lower than undergraduate students (Shi & Ding, 2013), as these students deal with advanced academic demands and cross-cultural stresses while emphasising the solutions employed to overcome the educational challenges.

The present study employs the resilience process model to explore how international master’s students utilise internal and external factors to overcome academic challenges in Chinese universities. This framework directly addresses the research questions by shaping the research into three dimensions: (1) risk factors (e.g., language barriers), (2) protective factors (e.g., mentorship or coping strategies), and (3) adaptive outcomes (e.g., growth). A qualitative research design aligns with this model because it emphasises lived experiences and context. Semi-structured interviews will get participants’ narratives, and thematic analysis will explain how resilience unfolds in master’s students at Chinese universities.

Figure 1. Resilience Process Model for International master’s Student in Chinese Universities

 

3. Methodology

The study was carried out in four universities with international master’s degree programme students. It is a semi-structured qualitative study aimed at discovering the academic challenges international master’s students face and the strategies or support systems they utilise in response to them. The findings of this study were not intended to be generalised but rather to acknowledge, understand, and examine valuable insights into the phenomenon of the academic challenges and resilience strategies adopted by international master’s students in Chinese universities. 

The study used a semi-structured interview approach, as supported by qualitative researchers (Denscombe, 2007; Kvale, 2007), since it can yield rich and profound understandings of participants’ lived experiences. Specifically, purposive sampling was used to recruit participants through international student offices at four Chinese universities. The study recruited 16 international master’s students (8 female, eight male). The interviews were capped at the 16th participant, as no new themes arose beyond this point, indicating thematic saturation (Saunders et al., 2018).

This study was reviewed and approved by the ethics committee of the authors’ university. All research procedures complied with the ethical standards of this institution and/or the national research ethics committee. Moreover, before the study began, the written informed consent of all participants had been obtained. De-identification of the participants’ university and pseudonyms was used to ensure confidentiality. Before the interview, the participants received the Consent Form and information statement on the purpose of the research and explanations about confidentiality. Interviews were conducted in English and had an average duration of 30 min. The open-ended questions allowed participants to share details about their experiences and practices. The interviews were audio-recorded, and the transcriptions were subsequently coded and analysed. There were 16 international master’s students. Interviews were audio recorded with participants’ permission to enhance (Minichiello et al., 2008) and ensure the reliability and consistency of the transcription process (Langdridge, 2007).

Participants Pseudonyms	Gender	Disciplines	Nationality
R1	M	Geographical Sciences	Sri Lanka
R2	M	Horticulture	Pakistan
R3	F	Chemistry	Pakistan
R4	F	Pharmaceutical Sciences	Bangladesh
R5	F	History	Sri Lanka
R6	M	Mass Communication	Sri Lanka
R7	M	Resources and Environment	Pakistan
R8	M	Chemistry	India
R9	F	Animal Science and Technology	Palestine
R10	M	Mathematics and Statistics	Ethiopia
R11	F	Applied Psychology	Iran
R12	M	Food Science	Bangladesh
R13	F	Teacher Education	Pakistan
R14	M	Fisheries	Tajikistan
R15	F	Management of Soil Resources	Afghanistan
R16	F	Ecology	Indonesia

Table 1. Demographic Information of International Master’s Students

 

4. Findings

4.1 Language Barrier and Pedagogical Dissonance 

International master’s students in Chinese universities faced considerable difficulties adapting to the academic culture; language barriers and pedagogical differences constituted the most significant challenges. This difficulty affects them cognitively and practically in their academic experience. A Pharmaceutical Sciences student from Bangladesh reported significant comprehension difficulties:

I struggled a lot with class notes. I would sit in lectures, knowing I was missing important information. I would spend hours translating the notes every evening, trying to catch up. (R4)

This demonstrates the great investment of time needed to overcome communication issues. The experience of the master’s student illustrated a dual burden that language limitations place not just on a student’s understanding of a lecture in the moment but on the time-consuming translation that takes place after the lecture is over. Comprised of that cyclical lag of comprehension, memorising became the norm. The challenges extended beyond linguistic factors to fundamental differences in pedagogical approaches. A Chemistry student from Pakistan noted:

The lecture-focused teaching style and emphasis on memorisation over critical analysis differed from what I was used to, which made it harder to engage deeply with the material. (R3)

This statement addresses the cognitive dissonance students experience in moving from a more interactive and discussion-based learning environment to a lecture-based learning environment. This transition resulted in considerable adjustment stress for the students in adapting to learning in this new mode of delivery. In spite of these considerable challenges, students were able to demonstrate resilience and adaptability in executing hybrid strategies for learning. A student from Tajikistan described this adaptive process:

In China, there is more emphasis on note-taking and research. I am trying to learn this skill from Chinese classmates so it does not affect my academic goals. (R14)

This response illustrates the strategic approach many students adopted, consciously observing study methods employed by local students. This adaptive behaviour reflects students’ response to academic challenges, which shows both cognitive flexibility and determination to succeed. Thus, students are employing self-initiated strategies to deal with academic challenges. These findings align with the Resilience Process Model (adversity phase), where stressors like language barriers (Zhang & Goodson, 2011).

4.2 Self-Regulation as a Strategic Coping Mechanism 

The students created plans for handling deadlines and academic demands. This adaptive behaviour aligns with the protective/adaptive phase of the Resilience Process Model, where students actively employ behavioural strategies to address academic stressors. A Pakistani Chemistry student articulated a systematic approach:

I prioritised tasks, broke them into smaller steps, and created a schedule. (R2)

The transformation of difficult academic loads into manageable tasks in this example reflects cognitive restructuring. By dismantling tasks, effective coping mechanisms are usually adopted by the participants to achieve academic goals.  Such approaches enabled students to regain control over their academics, converting time from a stressor into a strategic resource. Another student emphasised:

            I developed detailed schedules to avoid feeling overwhelmed. (R14).

The implementation of technological tools emerged as another key adaptation strategy. The student explains the use of apps to improve language skills:

I used planners and language apps to improve my Mandarin skills. (R11)

In fact, using technology for these dual purposes is a quality of how students are addressing organisational and language issues at once. Besides external scaffolding for time management and learning a language, part of successful academic achievement creates a reliance on digital applications as tools of intervention. These technological solutions also reveal students’ proactive efforts to cover up for the limitations imposed by their academic environment due to cultural differences.

Self-study routines were typical to compensate for language barriers. A student explained:

Self-study is a better method for us. I plan tasks to complete assignments on time. (R6)

The emphasis on self-directed learning shows students’ adaptability to limited institutional support and their motivational approach to study. These findings together demonstrate self-regulation strategies as protective factors that enable the students to navigate the challenges in a foreign academic environment.  

4.3 Peer Networks as Primary Scaffolds vs. Institutional Support Barriers

The data reveal complex dynamics in how students used interpersonal relationships and institutional resources. Peer networks emerged as crucial support systems, as evidenced by a male student from Sri Lanka:

My countryman helped me believe in my strengths. Now, I am optimistic and self-confident. (R1)

This statement highlights the psychosocial advantages of peer support. Emotional encouragement from peers can be interpreted as enhanced academic resilience. The transformation of the respondent from self-doubt to confidence emphasises the importance of social connections in tackling academic challenges. The supervisor’s role extended to emotional support, demonstrating how faculty-student relationships can facilitate academic resilience.

Another student stated:

Classmates helped me understand difficult concepts, while my professor provided guidance when I felt overwhelmed. (R9)

Institutional resources, when accessible, proved valuable, as R8 noted:

Academic writing workshops reduced my stress and enhanced my skills. (R8)

The data also indicated a substantial gap in terms of institutional resources available and students’ ability to access them, primarily influenced by the study schedule. This is clear in the case of R7, who acknowledged that support services were useful, but were out of reach in terms of accessing them logistically.

I use many university resources, such as getting help from my seniors. For counselling, I do not have time. I wanted to join, but due to my busy schedule, I could not attend any. (R7)

These statements revealed how important institutional support is to students, but practical constraints often limited them from fully engaging with the support, therefore increasing their reliance on informal support networks. The data highlights the notion of relational resilience at multiple levels, from peer relationships to institutional systems, in helping international students academically adapt. These results resonate with the Resilience Process Model (adaptive/protective factor phase), where students are supported from an external help source or have enough intrinsic motivation to respond to academic challenges (Zhang & Goodson, 2011).

4.4 Building a Resilient Academic Identity

Positive changes concerning academic approaches and professional identities were reported by the students, illustrated here by a student from India who stated:

Overcoming these challenges made me more adaptive and resourceful, learning to balance structured learning with critical thinking. I became more proactive in seeking help, using collaboration and self-discipline to navigate academic pressures. Most importantly, I developed mental resilience, allowing me to face future academic and professional challenges confidently and persistently. (R8)

Academic challenges made me more proactive, adaptive, and confident in handling academic pressure. (R4)

This transformation indicates the multi-dimensional character of outcomes associated with resilience in cognitive, behavioural, and affective domains. The international master’s students’ development of switching to different learning criteria while having core competencies indicates a high level of intercultural academic competence. The growth extended to career aspirations. For instance, a student from Pakistan stated:

I think I am ready to pursue my higher studies Ph.D. I believe I can do anything with planning. (R13)

This shift in academic trajectory demonstrates how overcoming challenges reinforced students’ confidence in their capabilities. The academic challenge experience catalysed professional ambition, with students viewing themselves as capable of undertaking more advanced academic pursuits. To conclude, these findings revealed an overwhelming potential for academic adversity transformed by the intervention of effective coping strategies or support systems. Resilience appeared to be developmental by moving beyond current academic survival towards extended personal and professional.

 

5. Discussion

The study addresses some of the highly needed gaps in the current literature concerning mechanisms of academic resilience among international master’s students in Chinese universities by bringing to light those problems in the existing research on cross-cultural academic adaptation, specifically concerning China’s context (Smith et al., 2021). This research builds on Masten’s (2001) process model of resilience by acknowledging two context-based factors relevant to the experiences of the Chinese students in the study. First, “self-regulation” is the active and strategic use of time management to respond to the pressures of academics, an important factor of resilience not previously socialised into resilience research. Second, we conceptualise the students’ development of hybrid learning strategies that blend their home country educational practices in China as a form of cultural negotiation, a “third space” (Bhabha, 1994), that contributed as an identified protective mechanism for navigating conflicting expectations that supported valued academic outcomes. 

This study directly responds to the research questions with its findings, which demonstrate that: (a) students experience unique challenges that stem from China’s collectivist educational culture (Xue & Hu, 2020); (b) they cultivate resilience by developing unique hybrid learning techniques that combine elements from home country and Chinese academic practices, creating so-called “third spaces” of cultural negotiation (Bhabha, 1994); and (c) institution wide support systems are indeed present (Perez-Encinas et al., 2017), yet their success is mediated through temporal space constraints that result in students prioritising peer-based support. Most importantly, analysis of the participants’ responses points to the often-overlooked importance of self-regulation via careful task scheduling and the use of digital tools, which serves as a key resilience mechanism during intensive graduate programmes (Xue & Hu, 2020).

Unlike the contrasting paradigms of institutional support (Poyrazli & Isaiah, 2018), the current study found that students choose not to depend only on formal services but on peers and their networks because of China’s tightly structured master’s coursework requirements and associated time demands. These results expand the resilience process model by clarifying a critical protective factor (self-regulation) for intensified graduate programs and demonstrating that cultural hybridity is an adaptive mechanism in academic contexts. Theoretical implications include literature by elucidating resilience frames to integrate temporal and cultural dimensions in graduate education and for practice by highlighting that flexibility and culturally attuned support mechanisms represent salient needs in China’s international higher education contexts.

 

6. Conclusions

The findings of this study have revealed that international master’s students in China are determined and highly motivated for a 3-year master’s programme. These findings contradict Chalmers and Volet’s (1997) and Leask and Carroll’s (2011) studies, which show international students as passive learners and reluctant to participate in academic activities. In this study, students from South Asia, Central Asia, and Africa utilized several key resilience strategies to deal with academic challenges. The international master’s students demonstrated important aspects of their lived experiences and resilient strategies related to their potential, such as positivity and self-reliance. The findings have important practical implications, especially from a pedagogical perspective. Universities that support international students in managing academic stress contribute to their psychological well-being and academic success (Holdsworth et al., 2018). To assist international master’s students in their diverse learning experiences, the perspective university’s international office services must be customised according to international students’ needs. The university should identify systemic barriers (e.g., language gaps, academic-cultural misalignment) and promote a culture of building resilience by initiating targeted interventions such as mentorship programmes and stress management workshops twice a semester, at the beginning and end of the semester. These services are vital as they are closely connected with resilience. These findings were fundamentally shaped by the perspectives of international master’s students, who demonstrated that they could respond to challenges through their self-confidence. Such behaviour determines their future learning experiences and those of other international students (Holdsworth et al., 2018).

Although this study provides rich qualitative insights, certain limitations still need to be clarified. The research samples were only from four Chinese universities, which may share similar characteristics and thus limit the transferability of research results to students of other types of institutions in China. To address this, data from more diverse universities can provide a more comprehensive picture. In addition, adopting longitudinal studies may provide us with a more robust perspective to understand this dynamic process.

 

About the Authors

Maria Iftikhar

ORCID ID: 0009-0009-2925-3937

Faculty of Education, Southwest University, China

iftikharmaria44@gmail.com

Xiantong Zhao

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9599-0689

Faculty of Education, Southwest University, China

zxt1981@swu.edu.cn

 

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