International students in australia: What makes them happy? student data from the positive education perspective

Abstract

The process of internationalisation of education in Australia and globally is frequently viewed from the deficit perspective of difficulties and challenges international students face while studying in another country. This paper examines a different perspective of the international educational experience. It explores the positive aspects of the international students' view on their life in Australia and studying at an Australian university. The paper examines possible interpretations of data from student surveys using dimensions from educational positive psychology for the analysis. First, it outlines the concepts of negative and positive emotions and their role in learning. Then, it introduces the applications of positive psychology in Australia, to provide a wider background for understanding the role of positive education at an Australian educational institution. The research project uses the qualitative data from the international students' survey. The paper explores in detail student perspective on various aspects of their studying and living in Australia.