Transnational Education Review

Editorial: Transformative Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Higher Education

2023-10-29T08:23:00+00:00

Welcome to this second issue of Transnational Education Review (TER) in 2023. In this editorial, we also would like to reflect on an emerging phenomenon: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on higher education. We would like to invite colleagues to submit their research, commentaries, debates and viewpoints in coming issues to share views and shape the agenda regarding AI and the future of learning and teaching in higher education. In this second issue of Transnational Education Review (TER) in 2023, we have a set of interesting articles from around the world. In the opening article, Görsev Sönmez and Serkan Gürkan examine the perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding the refugee students in the education faculty of a private university in Istanbul, Turkey. Second paper by Emel Kiliç explores the socio-cultural integration of Turkish-speaking migrants in Belgium. As Emel explains migration can be a challenging but rewarding experience, in Belgium, integration courses are available to provide essential support for migrants so that they adapt to their new environment. In Betül Dilara Şeker and Ibrahim Sirkeci’s insightful article, they argue that language proficiency was the most critical variable in education and adaptation to the host culture, and their findings indicate the importance of schools in the acculturation and adaptation of the Syrian refugee students. We hope you will find these contributions useful. Finally, once again, we extend an open invitation to all researchers, practitioners and scholars to join us in this debate with their research, views, comments and reviews.

Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Future Refugee Students

2023-10-13T10:09:43+00:00

Present study aimed at investigating the perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding the refugee students who are possibly the participants’ future students when they start their career. In order to examine the issue in depth, a mixed methods design was adopted. Numerical data were gathered through “Refugee Student Attitude Scale” from 168 pre-service teachers, and the written responses of the same participants for the open ended questions constitute the qualitative data. During the analysis procedure, mean scores and standard deviation for the variables were estimated, and the content analysis was performed. Results of the study showed that most of the participants do not approve the idea of involving refugee students in classes for the fear of possible problems. The participants also stated not being ready to teach refugee students in their future careers. In light of these findings, implications for different groups such as teacher education programs, policy makers, and ministry of education were also suggested in the end of the paper.

Social-integration courses serve as a bridging function for migrants by increasing peer support and life learning opportunities

2023-06-28T16:19:17+00:00

Although migration and people’s encounters with other cultures are significant life events, factors that influence migrants’ relationships with host countries remain understudied. This study examined the socio-cultural integration of Turkish-speaking migrants in Belgium from their perspective, using a holistic approach for participants to share their stories. Fifty-nine Turkish-speaking migrants with different religious, national, and regional backgrounds who attended common classes in a (mixed) social integration course in Antwerp participated in the study. They were subdivided into six focus groups for interviews, which allowed participants to deconstruct their knowledge of local people, their subjective beliefs, and prejudices that separated them from other cultures. We found the focus-group interviews to be valuable interventions in the integration process. The study recommends that those who organise integration courses for migrants should approach this process with kindness, empathy, and an open mind.

The Acculturation and Adaptation of Syrian Refugee Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2023-10-15T14:00:46+00:00

In the contemporary landscape, we confront the global refugee crisis, a complex phenomenon rooted in a confluence of political, economic, and social factors. Refugees are compelled to immerse themselves in unfamiliar cultures, often markedly distinct from their places of origin. As they navigate the intricacies of integrating into novel social and cultural milieus, the concepts of acculturation and adaptation assume paramount significance, particularly within the sphere of education. The primary objective of our review paper is to provide a meticulous and systematic examination of academic studies undertaken to illuminate the experiences and outcomes of the acculturation and adaptation processes among Syrian refugee students in Turkey. To accomplish this, we conducted comprehensive keyword searches across ten English-language databases and three Turkish-language databases. In the initial sweep of the literature, we identified a total of 591 pertinent studies. Subsequently, following rigorous scrutiny, we selected and included 14 full-text articles, authored in both English and Turkish, spanning the period from 2011 to 2022, for our analysis. These fourteen articles were assessed and reported in accordance with the PRISMA criteria. Our analysis of the available sources revealed that language proficiency emerged as the most pivotal variable influencing educational outcomes and adaptation to the host culture. Indeed, our findings underscore the pivotal role that educational institutions play in facilitating the acculturation and adaptation of Syrian refugee students.

Front Matter

2023-10-30T16:39:44+00:00

Front Matter