Sociology Research Proposal: International Students in Australia

This research proposal investigates the impact of international student enrollment on the Australian economy. It begins with an abstract and introduction, highlighting globalization's influence on higher education and student mobility. The research problem focuses on the economic benefits of international students, including their contribution to GDP and cultural exchange. The study poses primary and secondary research questions to understand the relationship between international student enrollment and the Australian economy, aiming to identify recommendations for economic improvement. The research setting is Australia, utilizing secondary data, governmental reports, and surveys. A literature review examines the role of human capital and education in economic growth, referencing models and data on international student numbers. The methodology adopts a positivism philosophical approach and an explanatory research design. The research methods will include the use of primary data. The research will utilize both probability and non-probability sampling techniques. The results will be disseminated using quantitative data analysis and graphical representations, with ethical considerations including informed consent and confidentiality. The proposal includes appendices with a timeline, information letter, consent forms, interview questions, and a budget.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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Table of contents
Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................................2
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Research problem............................................................................................................................4
Research questions...........................................................................................................................5
Aims and significance of the study..................................................................................................5
Research setting...............................................................................................................................6
Literature review..............................................................................................................................6
Methodology:...................................................................................................................................8
Philosophical approach................................................................................................................8
Research design...........................................................................................................................8
Research methods........................................................................................................................9
Sampling......................................................................................................................................9
Dissemination of results..............................................................................................................9
Ethics...........................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................11
Appendix........................................................................................................................................13
Timeline.....................................................................................................................................13
Information Letter......................................................................................................................14
Consent forms............................................................................................................................15
Interview Questions...................................................................................................................17
Budget........................................................................................................................................18

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Acknowledgements
Thank you to all of those who have helped listened and encouraged me throughout this study. I
am indebted to my supervisor ......................... whose guidance, advice and patience have been
immeasurable. My sincere thanks to all members of the............... [Mention your
university/college name], both staff and students, whose continuous support have made this
thesis possible.
I would like to thank all of the participants in the study: students, teachers and Local Education
Authorities, for the time and help given throughout. Without their participation, this research
would not have been possible. In this context, I am also thankful to them, whose research work
helped me to execute this paper well.
Finally, I thank my family, without whom this thesis would not have been started or completed!
Your encouragement and support have never faltered; thank you.

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Abstract
Internationalization is becoming an important element of the world's university education.
Higher education is expected to globalize in institutional terms in the coming years and
internationalism is therefore expected to become a strong tendency in an increased intensity. In
the locally and nationally economies, higher education institutions are precipitating factors.
International mobility of students has implications for several aspects regarding the policy on
higher education that includes tuition as well as the medium of training together with the quality
of universities. Moreover, the countries ' interested in receiving more international students has
gained economic advantages both directly and indirectly. The research study aims to analyze and
understand the essentiality regarding the impact of international student’s enrolments in
Australian universities on the Australian economy.

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Introduction
The context of globalization has several impacts over the financial, economic, sociological,
political and the cultural developments together with influencing the field of education. One of
the major outcome of the impact of the globalization is the increase in the mobility of the
international students.
Internationalization has now become a crucial element of world higher studies. Higher
education is expected to globalize in institutional terms in the next few years and
internationalism is consequently expected to become a strong trend with growing intensity. The
mobility of students is one of the major indicators related to internationalization of the higher
education. Student mobility concerns students who seem to be in foreign countries for academic
achievement and is viewed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as
an essential sphere of globalization.
Research problem
University education is becoming extremely globalized with a growing student number
who want to study and have a degree from foreign unversities. The selection of studies abroad
not just to benefits the life experience of the individual student but also generates economic
value both at the hosting country and also in his home country. With global Community as a
whole, the context of growth has been one of the most essential aspects regarding globalization
that boost cultural communications and accelerates capital flows for the foreign student
inhabitants. While international students and their visitors spend their money on exports, it also
adds value to domestic GDP as well as government revenue. Foreign students also bring

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significant spillover gains, such as acknowledging skill gaps, increasing tourism, and enhancing
local communities ' cultural values. There is an significant category of foreign students within
the colleges and university of Australia each year.
Research questions
Primary research question -
 What is the impact of international students’ enrolments in Australian universities on the
Australian economy?
Secondary research questions -
 What is the relation between enrolment of international students in Australian university
and the economy of Australia?
 What are the recommendation for the Australian economy in the context of international
student’s enrolment in Australian University?
Aims and significance of the study
The aim or the significance of the research study is to analyze and understand the
essentiality of effect of enrolment of international students in Australian universities on the
Australian economy.
The objectives the research study are as follows.
The primary objective includes
 To understand the impact of international students’ enrolments in Australian universities
on the Australian economy

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The secondary objective includes
 To find out the relation between enrolment of international students in Australian
university and the economy of Australia
 To identify the recommendation for the Australian economy in the context of
international student’s enrolment in Australian University
Research setting
This research will be done on the setting of the Australia. Data will be collected from the
secondary sources from the Australian University. Governmental reports and the secondary data
regarding the current economic status of the country together with the contribution of the foreign
student’s enrollment within the university will be analyzed for the research study. Survey will
also be done over general population to record their opinion about the benefits of the enrollment
of international student over the economy of the country, 2 governmental officials and the
principle of one Australian university.
Literature review
A number of theoretical and empirical data reports have demonstrated that highlighted
human capital as a significant driver of the growth in the economy and an essential factor
towards explaining per capita income differences among countries. Vickers and Bekhradnia
(2007) identified that the human capital, that included training, education and health have some
of the positive and statistically significant impact over the rate of growth. Education is an
important component of the human capital that generates considerable social and private returns

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and also affect personal wages. This human capital plays a very critical part towards the
economic growth of the country.
Two models that explained the economic impact of the human capital, especially education: the
endogenous growth model as well as the expanded neoclassical growth model (Thalheimer,
2018). The former model perceives education as a system that alters development equipment,
facilitates the permeability of leading countries ' superior technologies and encourages the
handover of resources to even more terms of technology diverse economies (NAFSA, 2015). The
latter model perceives literacy to be an additional input towards the estimation and the
production regarding positive higher education that is associated with the growth rates of
country’s economy.
Foreign students have become a fundamental category of the student population at the globe’s
most prominent educational institutions. Australia has seen advanced education as a door leading
to the outside world and thus aims at economic and cultural growth (Throsby, 2019). This
country's strategy is to reach the brand of international educational like U.K with both national
wealth and the human capacity. Table below shows the number of foreign students receiving
education in Australia.
Source - Australian Government, Department of Education and Training (2014)

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The number of international students studying in Australia in 2014 increased AT THE RAT OF
13.4 % as compared to the year of 2012. While majority of these students were enrolled in
university education, many learners in institutions were there who were enrolled in “English
Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students” as well as “Vocational Education and
Training”. Education at the international platform is at the top of the list in the Australian export
service industry. Taking into account all industries, it is second in revenue after coal and iron
export. “Australian Higher Education” earned $8.9 billion from the services of education in the
year 2013. Australia gained a total amount of $20.2 billion from the services of education in
2012-13 (Australian Government, Department of Education and Training, 2014).
Methodology:
Philosophical approach
In order to analyze and develop a study in detail, research philosophy is perceived. There are
three kinds of philosophies of research, which include interpretation, realism, and positivism.
Positivism research philosophy will be used in this particular study as it will help to examine the
issue logically and critically (Bryman, 2016). It should be comprehended that the philosophy of
positivism research is derived from the sensory experiences and that the assessment is supported
by facts.
Research design
The three types of research designs are descriptive or analytical, exploratory and explanatory. Of
these, the design of analytical research contributes to a descriptive understanding and evaluation
of the research. In the initial stage of the research, the exploratory design is used to understand

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the concept and the illustrative design is being used to establish a relationship between both the
two parameters under evaluation (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).
The above research paper will use explanatory design to develop the relationship between
international student mobility with Australian University and Australia's economy.
Research methods
This research will rely only on the primary data sources. These data will be collected by
interviewing the chosen sample for the research study.
Sampling
The sampling techniques to be used for this research include both the sampling technique of
probability and non-probability (McDavid, Huse & Hawthorn, 2018). In addition, this research
will be using simple random sampling to develop a better understanding of the subject matter
Dissemination of results
The data obtained will be numerized and percentages will be translated to obtain comprehensive
and comparative information of the collected data to carry out analyzes of the quantitative data
obtained from government reporting and news articles concerning the economic status of
countries (Levent, 2016). It will also take into consideration data collected from the survey of 8
general population, 2 government officials and a university principal. To present a graphical or
pictorial representation of the same, these data will then be converted into charts and graphs. The
thematic approach will be used to evaluate the data collected
Ethics
During the entire research, strict ethical directives will be followed. None of the participants will
be forced to participate in the research survey and their consent will be taken after stating the

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entire purpose of the interview. None of the participants of the survey will be misguided or
forced to reveal any of their personal data. Furthermore this research will follow the clauses of
confidentiality and will delete all the data collected just after the completion of the research
study.

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References
Australian Government, Department of Education and Training (2014). End of year summary of
international student enrolment data. Retrieved from:
https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-StudentData/Documents/
Monthly%20summaries%20of%20international%20student%20enrol ment%20data
%202014/12_December_2014_MonthlySummary.pdf
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage publications.
Levent, F. (2016). The economic impacts of international student mobility in the globalization
process. Journal of Human Sciences, 13(3), 3853-3870.
McDavid, J. C., Huse, I., & Hawthorn, L. R. (2018). Program evaluation and performance
measurement: An introduction to practice. Sage Publications.
NAFSA. (2015). NAFSA international student economic value tool. Retrieved from:
http://www.nafsa.org/Explore_International_Education/Impact/Data_And_Statistics/
NAFSA_International_Student_Economic_Value_Tool/
Thalheimer, W. (2018). The learning-transfer evaluation model: Sending messages to enable
learning effectiveness.
Thomas, G. (2017). How to do your research project: A guide for students. Sage.

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Throsby, D. (2019). FINANCING AND EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONALISATION IN HIGHER
EDUCATION -The Economic Costs and Benefits of International Student Flows. [online]
Oecd.org. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/2093396.pdf [Accessed 29 Sep.
2019].
Vickers, P., & Bekhradnia, B. (2007). The economic costs and benefits of international students.
Oxford: Higher Education Policy Institute. Retrieved from:
http://www.hepi.ac.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/32Economiceffectsofinternationalstud
ents.pdf

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Appendix
Timeline
Figure - The Gantt Chart

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Information Letter
Date :
University Name
University Address
Dear Professor,
Please find the proposal of the research that I aim to do in my upcoming semester. The research
proposal for “ Name of the course study” proposes the conduct a study over the impact of
international students’ enrolments in Australian universities on the Australian economy. The
Survey will also be done over general population to record their opinion about the contribution
of international students enrollment over the country’s economy, 2 governmental officials and
the principle of one Australian university.
I will be serving as the person for contact for this research study and project. I look forward for
your comments and your approval.
Thank you
Sincerely,
Name

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Consent forms

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---------------------------------------- ----------------
Signature of the research participant Date

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Interview Questions
1. What is your opinion regarding the enrolment of foreign students in Australian university?
2. Do you think the country benefits from this?
3. Do you think the cost for the foreign students by the university of Australia is justified?
4. What trends have you seen in the enrollment of international students in the last five years?
5. Which of the country’s students are major among the international students in the current
date?
6. Do you think the country is gaining enough or it should adopt new strategies to attract more
students?
7. Is the process of application for enrollment in the Australian university for the international
students easy?
8. What is the most preferred stream of study by the international students ? Does it differ as per
their country of origin?

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Budget
($A’000) ($US’000)
General administration
(infrastructure costs, salary
overhead, general non salary)
500 350
Student Support (Sponsorship
of incoming group of
students)
110 80
International co-operation
and links
(exchange programs, student
scholarship )
220 150
Recruitment (market
development, marketing )
1546 1200
Overseas graduation (travel,
hire and use of facilities )
210 150
TOTAL 2586 1930
Tuition Fees
Arts Science Med Cost of living
and
accommodation
Australia
($)
5,450 -9,500
($)
5,450 – 11,250
($)
14,500 – 16,500
($)
7,800
$US per foreign student
Tuition Fees 8,500
Accommodation and the expenses of living 7, 400
Other expenses 2,560
Total expenditure 18,670
Less earnings 6,000
Net expenditure 12,300

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