Glocalization and international student retention in higher education

This research explored the potential impacts that glocalization has on international student retention in Canadian higher education. Semi-structured interviews of 16 international students(eight graduate and eight undergraduate) at a medium-sized, research-oriented university in British Columbia were conducted using Critical Incident Technique (CIT). Participants were recruited through the passive snowball sampling technique, and interviews were analyzed using the approaches of grounded theory. Results of this research were consistent with the literature investigating international student retention and glocalization. Twelve promising practices related to university teaching and learning emerged from the analysis. These were categorized into four larger overarching themes: a) pedagogy, b) policies and procedures, c) learning environment, and d) curriculum. The findings provide evidence that glocalization improves the voice, participation, and prosperity of international students by offering a unique platform for mutual understanding of needs, problems, and solutions. It serves as a bridge between international students and the different stakeholders who are willing and able to “think globally and act locally”. As a reconceptualization of educational systems, glocalization represents a growing cluster of strategies for increasing student success and retention in higher education.