ARE TURKISH UNIVERSITY WEBSITES FUNCTIONAL TO MEET THE INFORMATIONAL NEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?

Year 2023, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 777 - 798, 29.03.2023

Huseyin Tutar

https://doi.org/10.30798/makuiibf.1220662

Abstract

International students have become an element of competition among higher education institutions due to the benefits they create. Turkey hosted 125,000 international students and rose to 10th place in the world. In this competitive process, university websites are among the important sources of information for international students. This study aims to examine the websites of universities in Turkey to discover whether they are functional in meeting the information needs of international students. This research used the descriptive statistics method to examine the websites of all universities in Turkey (205) over eight variables. The results show that although 86.4% of Turkish universities have websites that appeal to international students, these websites are not functional in terms of the variables examined. It has been determined that there is a statistically significant difference between state and foundation universities regarding application processes, admission processes, tuition fee information, and residence and accommodation information.

Keywords

Turkish Universities, International Students, University Websites

TÜRK ÜNİVERSİTE WEBSİTELERİ, ULUSLARARASI ÖĞRENCİLERİN BİLGİ İHTİYAÇLARINI KARŞILAMA NOKTASINDA İŞLEVSEL Mİ?

Abstract

Uluslararası öğrenciler, yarattıkları fayda nedeniyle yükseköğretim kurumları arasında rekabet unsuru haline gelmiştir. Bu rekabet sürecinde aktör olma hedefini ortaya koyan Türkiye, UNESCO 2018 verilerine göre, 125.000 uluslararası öğrenciyi misafir etmiş ve dünyada 10. ülke sıralamasına yükselmiştir. Bu rekabet sürecinde, uluslararası öğrenciler için üniversite websiteleri önemli bilgi kaynakları arasında yer almaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’deki üniversitelerin websitelerini inceleyerek uluslararası öğrencilerin bilgi ihtiyaçlarını karşılama noktasında işlevsel olup olmadıklarını keşfetmektir. Tanımlayıcı istatistik metodunun kullanıldığı bu araştırma, Türkiyedeki devlet ve vakıf bütün üniversitelerin (205) websitelerini sekiz değişken üzerinden incelenmiş ve bu değişkenlerin üniversite türleri (devlet/vakıf) ile olan ilişkisi analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, Türk üniversitelerinin %86.4’ünün uluslararası öğrencilere hitap eden websiteleri olmasına rağmen bu websitelerin incelenen değişkenler açısından yeterli ve tatmin edici olmadığını göstermektedir. Devlet ve vakıf üniversiteleri arasında başvuru süreçleri, kabul süreçleri, öğrenim ücreti bilgisi, vize/ikamet bilgisi ve barınma bilgisi açısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farkın olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Türk Üniversiteleri, Uluslararası Öğrenciler, Üniversite Web Siteleri, Turkish Universities, International Students, University Websites

References

• Baumgartner, J. L. (2018). NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool. NAFSA: Association of International Educators. https://www.nafsa.org/sites/default/files/media/document/isev-methodology-2020.pdf (29.06.2022)
• Bevis, T. B., and Lucas, C. J. (2007). International Students in American Colleges and Universities: A History. Palgrave Macmillan, NY.
• Charles, P. C. (1999). Common Stressors Among International College Students: Research and Counseling Implications. Journal of College Counseling, vol. 2.
• Choudaha, R. (2019). Beyond 300 Billions: Th Global Impact of International Students. StudyPortas. https://studyportals.com/intelligence/global-impact-of-international-students. (16.07.2022)
• De Wit, H. (2008). The Internationalization of Higher Education In A Global Context. In H. de Wit, P. Agarwal, M.E. Said, M.T. Sehoole ve M. Sirozi (Editörler), The Dynamics of International Student Circulation in a Global Context. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
• Hechanova-Alampay, R., Beehr, T. A., Christiansen, N. D & Van Horn, R.K. (2002). Adjustment and Strain among Domestic and International Student Sojourners: A Longitudinal Study. School Psychology International, Vol. 23(4)
• Farrugia, C., Sanger, J. (2017). Gaining an Employment Edge: The Impact of Study Abroad on 21st Century Skills & Career Prospects in the United States. Institute of International Education (IIE). https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Publications/Gaining-an-employment-edge---The-Impact-of-Study-Abroad (16.06.2022)
• Irwin, V., De La Rosa, J., Wang, K., Hein, S., Zhang, J., Burr, R., Roberts, A., Barmer, A., Bullock Mann, F., Dilig, R., Parker, S. (2022). Report on the Condition of Education 2022 (NCES 2022-144). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2022/2022144.pdf (08.04.2022)
• London Economics (2021). The costs and benefits of international higher education students to the U.K. economy. London Economics. https://londoneconomics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/LE-HEPI-UUKi-Impact-of-intl-HE-students-on-the-UK-economy-Summary-Report-September-2021.pdf. (28.08.2022)
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators. (2019, 2022). International Student Economic Value Tool. https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/policy-resources/nafsa-international-student-economic-value-tool-v2#trends_reports. (02.05.2022)
• NCES: National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Report on the Condition of Education 2022. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2022/2022144.pdf
• NCES, (2022). National Center for Educational Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/2022/cha_508.pdf (11.07.2022)
• OECD. (2008). Education at Glance, OECD. https://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/41284038.pdf. (8.08.2022)
• OECD. (2014). Education at a Glance 2014, OECD indicators. https://www.oecd.org/education/Education-at-a-Glance-2014.pdf. (8.08.2022)
• OECD. (2021). Education at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/b35a14e5-en. (8.08.2022)
• Open Doors. (2022). Presentation 2022. Retrieved from https://opendoorsdata.org/annual-release/international-students.
• Özöğlu, M., Gür, B.S., Coşkun, İ. (2015). Factors influencing international students' choice to study in Turkey and challenges they experience in Turkey. Research in Comparative & International Education, 10(2), Sage.
• Peker, S., Kucukozer-Cavdar, S., Cagiltay, K. (2016), Exploring the relationship between web presence and web usability for universities: A case study from Turkey. Program: electronic library and information systems, 50(2).
• Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P. R., Baker, A., Al-Timimi, A. (2004). Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students. Journal of College Counseling, Spring, 7.
• Project Atlas (2020). A Quick Look At Global Mobility Trends. https://iie.widen.net/s/g2bqxwkwqv/project-atlas-infographics-2020 (9.10.2021)
• Project Atlas (2015). A Quick Look At Global Mobility Trends. https://iie.widen.net/s/9sdq8lfdk8/project-atlas-infographics-2015 (9.10.2021)
• Radmard, S. (2017). Türk Üniversitelerindeki Uluslararası Öğrencilerin Yükseköğretim Taleplerini Etkileyen Etkenlerin İncelenmesi. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 7(1).
• Saichaie, K., Morphew, C. (2014). What College and University Websites Reveal about the Purposes of Higher Education. The Journal of Higher Education, 85(4), 499-530.
• Taylor, Z. W. (2018). Intelligibility is equity: Can international students read undergraduate admissions materials? Higher Education Quarterly, 72(2).
• Taylor. Z. W., Bıcak, I. (2019). International, Inaccessible, and Incomplete: A Texas Case Study of International Student Websites. Journal of International Students, 9(4).
• Taylor, Z. W., Bıcak, I. (2018). Institutional, Informational, International: Predicting International Student Enrollment and Rate by Online Information. Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, 10 (2018).
• T.C. Kalkınma Bakanlığı (2013). Onuncu Kalkınma Planı 2014-2018.
• Tutar, H. (2010). Bir Kültürel Diplomasi Örneği Olarak Büyük Öğrenci Projesi, (Editörler: Osman Bahadır Dinçer, Habibe Özdal, Hacali Necefoğlu), Yeni Dönemde Türk Dış Politikası: Uluslararası IV. Türk Dış Politikası Sempozyumu, Kars Kafkas Üniversitesi ve Uluslararası Stratejik Araştırmalar Kurumu.
• Yeh, C. J., Inose, M. (2003). International students' reported English fluency, social support satisfaction, and social connectedness as predictors of acculturative stress. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 16(1).
• Yurtdışı Türkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Başkanlığı (YTB) Teşkilat ve Görevleri Hakkında Kanun. Resmi Gazete, Kanun No: 5978, Tarihi, 06.04.2010, Madde 3/d.
• Yükseköğretim Kurulu. (2017). Yükseköğretimde Uluslararasılaşma Strateji Belgesi 2018-2022. Yükseköğretim Kurulu Yayınları, Ankara.
• Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK). (2021). Yüseköğretimde Yeni YÖK Projeleri: Yükseköğretimde Hedef Odaklı Uluslararasılaşma. Yükseköğretim Kurulu Yayınları.
• Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK). (2021b). Vakıf Yükseköğretim Kurumları Raporu, 2021. Yükseköğretim Kurumu Yayınları, Ankara.
• Yükseköğretim Kurulu (2022). Yükseköğretim İstatistik verileri, 2020/2021. https://istatistik.yok.gov.tr (17.7.2022)
• Yılmaz, G., Nezahat, G. (2021). Türkiye’de Uluslararası Öğrenci Hareketliliğinin Görünümü. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 11(1).
• Zhou, E., Gao, J. (2021). Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2010 to 2020. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.
• Zengin, B., Arıkan, A., Doğan, D. (2011). English Major Students' Opinions of Their Departments' Websites. Contemporary Educational Technology, 2011 2(4).