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38UDC 159.9:37.015.3
DOI: 10.23951/2782-2575-2022-2-65-77
SOCIOCULTURAL ADAPTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
FROM NEIGHBORING AND DISTANT COUNTRIES: INTEGRATING ANALYTICAL
CONTEXTS
Tamara V. Chernikova1, EduardA. Sokalskiy2, Valentina V Boluchevskaya3,
Olga I. Shutova3
1 Volgograd State Socio-Pedagogical University, Russian Federation
2 Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov, Russian Federation
3 Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russian Federation
Abstract. This article presents a comparative study of the sociocultural adaptation of international students coming to Russia from neighboring (former Soviet republics) and distant countries and studying at the universities of the South Russian region. The preliminary overview of the studies reflects the different contexts in which the problem of adaptation is studied: economic, political, ethno-cultural-differential, and socio-identitarian. It is noted that the Russian approach to the organization of the educational process in groups of international students is characterized by its integrative nature. The implementation of educational tasks includes communicative opportunities for adaptation. This increases the well-being of international students in everyday life. At the same time, concern for the quality of the educational process and advanced teaching technologies affects the prestige and, consequently, the economic competitiveness of the university and the international status of Russian higher education.
The study of various aspects of international students' adaptation - psychological (resources) and sociocultural (expression) - was conducted on a group of 397 individuals, mainly from countries with Eastern culture, 247 men and 150 women. Among them, 110 were from distant countries, and 287 were from neighboring countries. We used an express diagnosis method developed based on an adapted version of the method "Self-assessment of psychological adaptability" by A.L. Svensitsky and the scales "Social commitment to the country" and "Cultural commitment to the country" from the questionnaire by S.V. Frolova. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis of the obtained data. The psychological and sociocultural adaptation of respondents from both subgroups showed a similar correlation between adaptation resources and their expressions at p < 0.01. At the same time, significant differences between the samples were found in the indicators. The students who came to study from distant countries (Asian and African countries) showed low psychological (active and communicative) potential for successful sociocultural adaptation, while they had high expectations for successful adaptation. Improving their adaptation potential through educational means can be achieved by combining academic work with problem-solving activities in the educational, vocational, social, and communication domains. Students from neighboring countries (former Soviet republics) based their claims of successful adaptation on the social ties between the countries but simultaneously showed a distance from Russian cultural values. In this case, the work of educators would be effective
* Original Russian language version of the article: Chernikova T.V., Sokal'skiy E.A., Boluchevskaya V.V., Shutova O.I. Etnokul'turnyye osobennosti akademicheskoy adaptatsii studentov dal'nego i blizhnego zarubezh'ya [Ethnocultural Features of Academic Adaptation of Students of the Near and Far Abroad]. Nauchno-pedagogicheskoye obozreniye - Pedagogical Review, 2021, vol. 6 (40), pp. 178-189. https://doi. org/10.23951/2307-6127-2021-6-178-189
if they continued to develop positive dynamics for intercultural relations and incorporate the traditions of interethnic good neighborliness on the territory of the southern region of Russia.
Keywords: analytical context, academic adaptation, ethnocultural characteristics, international students, psychological adaptability, sociocultural adaptation
The psychological and sociocultural adaptation issues of international students studying at Russian universities are considered in a broad contextual field. However, a shift in priorities is evident - increasingly, economic and international political status factors are combined with issues of the well-being of those who come from other countries to study.
Nonetheless, the economic context of exporting higher education and the associated position in the global market for educational services are considered priorities. According to the state program "Development of export potential of the Russian education system," the number of international students is expected to increase to 3.5 million by 2025, which will not only increase the revenue of Russian universities but also attract talented, educated people from other countries to the national economy [1]. The presence of economic factors in the organization of student life is evidenced by the study of T. Bille on the impact of economic development on the determinants of love. Furthermore, the study of the main sociocultural origins of the behavior of student youth, who are in the age of the search for romantic relationships and true love ("the one and only," "true love"), leads to the question of educational emigration as a way to expand the contingent for partner selection [2].
The political context of educational exports is addressed in the seminal work Power in World Politics, edited by F. Berenskoetter & M. Williams. The book examines the nature of power through various Conceptual Lenses, focusing on the phenomenon of Soft Power in international politics where, on the one hand, there is a "battle for hearts and minds" and, on the other hand, forces are expended for empowerment between nations [3]. The results obtained by M. Muthukrishna & M. Schaller have shown that influencing populations with greater social sensitivity, a tendency to change cultural norms, and leveling cultural differences are effective within a short period of time [4].
The relationship between ethno-cultural differences in social norms in studying international students' adaptation has always been the focus of scientific interest, especially among the representatives of the neo-behaviorist branch of psychology. The psychological research of M. Gelfand, which had begun ten years earlier, was initially aimed at determining the cultural contrast (typology of everyday situations, tolerance of deviations) and its consequences [5]. Based on cross-cultural studies, M. Gelfand and his co-authors illustrated the multilevel social consequences that occur when a person comes into groups with different social norms [6]. This author and his colleagues used modeling the cultural dynamics of human behavior as a research tool to gain new insights into cultural adaptation processes [7]. M. Muthukrishna & M. Schaller studied cross-cultural differences in heterogeneous samples to predict long-term effects (stability or change) [4]. The discovered psychological effects of interpersonal influences allow modeling other variables to predict the content of cultural changes and the speed of their implementation [8]. The results help explain the statistically significant difference in the sociocultural adaptation of international students from neighboring and distant countries presented in this paper.
The context of social identity is perhaps as popular in cross-cultural psychological studies among students as the context of ethnocultural differences. The social identity mechanism
regulates interaction in the face of individual-group differences. However, it is argued that collective action (including learning) brings together individuals with different social identities, contributes to group responsibility, and serves to maintain morality and dignity [9]. The reconfiguration of identity in another culture occurs in the context of extended educational exchange. It broadly recognizes cross-cultural positions, promotes understanding between nations, and supports universal values [10]. Researchers who have studied student academic mobility have found little about the additional values that international students bring to the educational environment and work culture when they work in another country. However, it is undisputed that they enrich the learning environment with diversity and contribute to a tolerant acceptance of other cultures [11].
In Russia, the successful adaptation of international students is a task to strengthen international relations in education and public policy in general. This contrasts the emphasis on differences in sociocultural norms behind the economic competition and political aspirations of more countries. Young people from abroad who have received their education in Russia are an outpost in stabilizing relations between nations. International students are expected to be willing to accept a different lifestyle and culture with its values. Hosts are expected to empathetically activate and strengthen adaptation resources by overcoming language difficulties [12]. In this regard, the tasks of facilitating the adaptation processes of international students have become equal to the quality of their academic education at universities and the state orientation of socioeconomic and international policies. In the South Russian region, these processes are complicated by the multicultural circumstances of the educational environment and everyday life. In this regard, it is necessary to study the peculiarities of psychological and sociocultural adaptation of students from neighboring and distant countries in order to implement a differentiated teaching approach that precisely meets the needs of the international community in psycho-pedagogical care
A total of 397 students from three universities participated in the study of psychological and sociocultural adaptation: B.B. Gorodovikov Kalmyk State University (Elista), Volgograd State Medical University, and Adygei State University (Maikop). They studied natural sciences (62.47% of the sample - future doctors, chemists, biologists, pharmacists) and exact sciences (27.96% - future mathematicians, physicists, and specialists in information technologies, engineering technologies). The ratio of men (247) to women (150) in the total sample was 5:3.
The conducted research aimed to determine the peculiarities of the relationship between psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation of students from neighboring and distant countries to specify the goals of the pedagogical work of teachers and their retraining with regard to different international contingents.
The theory of V.I. Slobodchikov about the correlation between the processes of separation and identification, which reflect two sides of adaptation, was taken as the basis for the content of the concept of adaptation. This theory emphasizes, on the one hand, the importance of strengthening and developing basic psychological foundations and, on the other hand, the identificational features of establishing external connections and relations in the course of identification of persons with a cultural environment. V.I. Slobodchikov claims that "the structure of any human association can be described by the concepts of ties and relationships" and says that "the driving force behind the process of development of objective reality lies in a common community of life." According to the author, common everyday life consists of separation-identification processes [13, p. 17]. V.I. Slobodchikov concludes that "the unity and opposition of separation and identification is a constantly acting, living contradiction of coexistence, which
determines and directs the entire course of formation and development of human subjectivity, is the overall mechanism of this development. The development of new means in the one process becomes a prerequisite for unfolding the other."
The division of the adaptation process into internal and external factors is also relevant to contemporary foreign language research. The internal predictors of learning adaptation include communication skills, activity motivation, self-efficacy, and value orientations. External adaptation factors include a cultural distance between home and host countries, demographic characteristics, home circumstances, and different climatic conditions. It is expressly noted that much attention has been paid abroad to the issues of social well-being of international students-awareness, emotional, and instrumental factors [14].
The study of the adaptation peculiarities of international students at the universities of the South Russian region was carried out by the method of express diagnosis to obtain a general idea of the characteristics of the studied attribute. The aim of the study was to identify the differences between the samples of students from neighboring and distant countries in the characteristics of the relationship between internal psychological resources of adaptability and the successes of sociocultural adaptation in real-life circumstances in another country. The divergence of indicators provides a basis for the differentiation of teaching strategies with different international students and determines the choice of the content of specialized courses in the system of additional training for university staff and teachers.
The study of adaptation characteristics was carried out to get an overview of the connecting characteristics between general and detailed indicators of psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation of students from neighboring and distant countries. The obtained results formed the basis for formulating answers to the research questions:
1. How do psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation indicators differ in teachers' strategies, content, and forms of academic work with international students from neighboring and distant countries?
2. What issues are central to designing and implementing professional development programs for university teachers working with students from neighboring and distant countries?
The first part of the express diagnosis was based on an adapted version of the "Self-assessment of psychological adaptability" method by A.L. Sventsitsky [15]. The diagnostic judgments were divided into "Activity adaptability" and "Communicative adaptability" groups. The second part is based on the content of the scales "Social attachment to the country" and "Cultural attachment to the country" of the questionnaire "Attachment to the country" by S.V. Frolova [16]. The indicators of sociocultural adaptation are divided into two groups reflecting the consumptive-pragmatic (realization of personal interests by receiving an educational service) and the identificatory-consolidative (acceptance of the new environment with the possibility of transition to it) character. While in the first part, the psychological aspects of adaptation were considered as a generalized attribute characterizing the potential possibility of successful implementation of the process, in the second part, the sociocultural aspects were analyzed from the point of view of the meaningfulness of the attribute characterizing the actual outcome of the implementation.
The rs rank correlation coefficient by Spearman [17] was used to determine statistically significant relationships between the diagnostic indicators. Its application made it possible to determine the significance of the correlation relationship between pairs of attributes. IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 software was used for processing.
The results of express diagnosis showed approximately equal correlation between the general indices of psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptability in students from neighboring (rs = 0.227; p < 0.01) and distant (rs = 0.246; p < 0.01) countries. The correlation indices, which are not very high, reflect the differentiated content of the different sides of the adaptation process among international students. It should be noted that no correlation at the highest level of significance (p < 0.001) was found for any of the pairs of attributes studied.
Results of express diagnosis of adaptation characteristics of students from distant countries. The research sample of students from distant countries included 110 individuals, 76 men, and 34 women, who were admitted to study from 18 countries in Asia and Africa. The majority of the sample was from India (31.81%), Egypt (30.92%), China (6.36%), and Jordan (5.45%).
The overall measure of psychological adaptability was directly related to its activity (rs = 0.709; p < 0.01) and communication (rs = 0.777; p < 0.01) content. The high significance of the correlation between the general index of sociocultural adaptation and its components-consumption-pragmatism (rs = 0.698; p < 0.01) and identification-consolidation (rs = 0.776; p < 0.01)-proved to be logical. These correlations are three times higher than in similar indicators providing the statistical results of psychological adaptability when revealing their correlations with the components of sociocultural adaptation: rs = 0.261; p < 0.01 and rs = 0.215; p < 0.05, respectively. On the side of the general indicator of sociocultural adaptation, the correlations with the activity content of psychological adaptability proved to be significant but two times weaker than on the side of the general indicator (rs = 0.347; p < 0.01), the correlation with the communicative component is absent (rs = 0.074).
It turned out that the psychological adaptability of students from distant countries is significantly related to moderate interest in Russian national culture and art (rs = 0.327; p < 0.01) and the experience of compatriots living in Russia (rs = 0.263; p < 0.01). At the same time, psychological adaptability to new conditions is even more moderately related to motivation to learn (rs = 0.210; p < 0.05) and willingness to expand contacts in Russia (rs = 0.190; p < 0.05). When analyzing the probability of living in the country of education, there is a negative correlation with the overall index of psychological adaptability, but it is not statistically significant (rs = -0.141).
The overall index of sociocultural adaptation of students from distant countries correlates significantly at the p < 0.01 with all its aspects and individual expressions. However, there are differences in the quantitative expression of this correlation. Thus, the most significant indicators characterizing the position of students from distant countries as tourists are in the first line of correlation relations: Interest in the peculiarities of another country (rs = 0.633), positive perception of morals, habits, and lifestyle of representatives of another culture (rs = 0.615), understanding and acceptance of traditions of another country (rs = 0.609). In the second line, where the significance of correlation relations decreases, we find features of coping with a new educational and living environment: Positive attitude to study in Russia with a further stay in the country (rs = 0.571), expression of intention to move to Russia as an opportunity to be close to important people in life (rs = 0.562), concern for expansion of contacts in the country of education (rs = 0.544), admiration for the cultural heritage of the country (rs = 0.537), acquaintance with compatriots who have successfully settled in Russia (rs = 0.530). Finally, the content of the third line of correlation relations, the most insignificant, was determined by the evaluation of the probability of living permanently in Russia (rs = 0.392) and attitude towards studying the Russian language (rs = 0.291).
Fig. 1. graphical representation of correlations between indicators of psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation
of students from distant countries
Legend:
cons-pragm. - the consumption-pragmatic character of sociocultural adaptation
id.-consolid. - the identification-consolidation character of sociocultural adaptation
1. Study - attitude towards further education in Russia (the country of education).
2. Language - attitude to learning Russian (the language of the country of education).
3. Interest in the country - attention to the peculiarities of Russian (other) culture.
4. A different way of life - acceptance of the customs and traditions of people in Russia (the country of education).
5. Culture and art - attitude to the achievements of national culture and art in Russia (the country of education).
6. Consideration of moving to Russia - analysis of the probable prospects of living in Russia (the country of education).
7. Compatriots in Russia - acquaintance with the experiences of compatriots who have emigrated to Russia (the country of education).
8. Contacts - expansion of the circle of acquaintances in Russia (the country of education).
9. Emigration intentions - plans to emigrate to Russia (the country of education).
10. Identification - becoming familiar with the habits of the inhabitants of Russia (the country of education).
The graphical representation of the correlation relationships in Fig. 1 shows an imbalance in the resources of the general indicators of psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation among students from distant countries. The correlated resource of psychological adaptability is weaker than the set of sociocultural connections. The basis of the resource of psychological
adaptability consisted of low requirements of a consumer-pragmatic nature (rs = 0.261) and weak connections in the field of social communication with compatriots in Russia (rs = 0.263) and other people (rs = 0.190). Therefore, it can be assumed that psychological adaptability is rather superficial-communicative in nature, which probably does not provide sufficient resources for sociocultural adaptation in a foreign country.
The survey by T.V. Chernikova and V.V. Boluchevskoya showed that students from Asian and African countries identified problem areas and suggested ways to strengthen their adaptability
[18]. First of all, young people insisted on learning together in groups with Russian students. They viewed learning to communicate as a means of mastering social space and expanding interpersonal and business relationships. At the same time, they missed extracurricular educational and recreational contacts with students and teachers (discussion forums, parties, celebrations, excursions). A quarter of the requests to teachers were requests for personal development and self-actualization, expressed in the need for support in improving soft skills - critical thinking, creativity, business collaboration, evidence-based thinking, and future-oriented design.
Research conducted by V.A. Fedotova and S.Y. Zhdanova on groups of Indian and Arab respondents showed that students from India most often expressed the need for this type of help
[19]. They find it very difficult to anticipate situations and therefore seek social support. In comparison, Arab students are more adapted to the learning process due to their inclusion in the group. As a result, they are also more able to make personal-situational predictions. O.S. Pavlova, V.M. Minazova, and O.E. Khukhlaev have drawn attention to the importance of the relationship between religious parameters and social consolidation as an example in the study of religious identity among Muslim students [20]. The consequence of this situation is probably the more favorable microenvironment of students in the group of compatriots from Egypt.
The correlation indices obtained from a sample of students are clearly shown in Figure 1. They can be considered a guiding framework for selecting and developing teaching content and methods. The limited psychological resources for adaptation and the expectation of high academic and sociocultural outcomes challenge higher education organizers to intensify the learning process by designing learning and activity content in forms that motivate the expansion of the realm of social interaction. Thus, after studying the nature of the sociocultural adaptation of international students studying at a technical university in Kazan, the reasons why students from distant countries approach their compatriots instead of integrating into the Russian student community were revealed [21]. The level of Russian language proficiency, the authors emphasize, provides security and protects against discrimination. Therefore, new developments in language pedagogy and the organization of intercultural interaction are coming to the forefront of university teaching. Above all, work must be done to increase interest in learning Russian, for example, through creative tasks aimed at spontaneous dialogic communication. The experience gained will serve as a basis for discussion in several ways. First, cultural differences and their reasons will be recognized, which will increase interest in the livelihood of people in another country. Second, understanding the origins of unknown phenomena will broaden the field of communicative security and ensure the active exploration of the new social reality. Third, it will open up additional opportunities for building cooperative relationships with people in the country where the learning takes place. The last point is the most vulnerable, considering that there are no significant correlations with the questions that assess the likelihood of living in the country of education, moving there, meeting people who are intellectually close to you, and having an attractive lifestyle. Therefore, targeted work on improving psychological adaptability as a general attribute will strengthen the potential basis for implementing a holistic adaptation process. The main demand of students from distant countries (psychological and educational support through
gradual help in sociocultural adaptation to identify and consolidate with new people under new living conditions in another country) will be technologically secured.
The results of express diagnosis of adaptation specifics of students from neighboring countries. The research sample of students from neighboring countries comprised 287 people, 171 men and 116 women. They all came to study from former Soviet republics located mainly in Central Asia: Turkmenistan (86.40%), Uzbekistan (6.97%), Tajikistan (2.44%), and Kyrgyzstan (2.09%).
Fig. 2. graphical representation of correlations between indicators of psychological adaptability and sociocultural adaptation of students from neighboring countries. Legend: cons-pragm. - the consumption-pragmatic character of sociocultural adaptation; id.-consolid. - the identification-consolidation character of sociocultural adaptation
1. Study - attitude towards further education in Russia (the country of education).
2. Language - attitude to learning Russian (the language of the country of education).
3. Interest in the country - attention to the peculiarities of Russian (other) culture.
4. A different way of life - acceptance of the customs and traditions of people in Russia (the country of education).
5. Culture and art - attitude to the achievements of national culture and art in Russia (the country of education).
6. Consideration of moving to Russia - analysis of the probable prospects of living in Russia (the country of education).
7. Compatriots in Russia - acquaintance with the experiences of compatriots who have emigrated to Russia (the country of education).
8. Contacts - expansion of the circle of acquaintances in Russia (the country of education).
9. Emigration intentions - plans to emigrate to Russia (the country of education).
10. Identification - becoming familiar with the habits of the inhabitants of Russia (the country of education).
The general indicator of psychological adaptability and its two aspects (activity and communication) show a similar correlation pattern in the students from neighboring countries as the sample of students from distant countries with the general indicator of sociocultural adaptation and its two components - consuming-pragmatic and identifying-consolidating (Fig. 2). Just as in the previous case, the general index of psychological adaptability is more closely related to the activity component (rs = 0.832; p < 0.01) than the general index of sociocultural adaptation (rs = 0.251; p < 0.01). The same is true for the relationship between the general index of psychological adaptability and the communicative component (rs = 0.843; p < 0.01) compared to the strength of the relationship with it on the part of the general index of sociocultural adaptation (rs = 0.151; p < 0.05). The opposite picture is easily observed: The correlations between the general index of sociocultural adaptation and two of its aspects are three to four times closer than those between the general index of psychological adaptability: with consumer pragmatism - (rs = 0.885; p < 0.01) opposite (rs = 0.173; p < 0.01) and with identity consolidation - (rs = 0.919; p < 0.01) opposite (rs = 0.260; p < 0.01).
At the same time, significant differences can be found when comparing the number and degree of correlations between the general index of psychological adaptability and the characteristics of sociocultural adaptation. First of all, at the significance level p < 0.01, the presence of correlations of the general index of psychological adaptability with all ten components of sociocultural adaptation (from rs = 0.280 to rs = 0.127) is found. Comparing Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, it is clear how poor the correlations between the indicators of students from distant countries look compared to the samples from neighboring countries. Nevertheless, two disturbing trends exist in this set of positive correlations among respondents from neighboring countries. First, the lowest significant positive correlation was found with the indicator reflecting low interest in Russian culture (rs = 0.127; p < 0.05). Second, a significant negative correlation shows a lack of interest in anything in Russia that is significantly different from the culture of their home country (rs = -0.197;p < -0.01).
As in the previous sample, the general index of sociocultural adaptation of students from neighboring countries is significantly correlated at p < 0.01 with all its aspects and separate expressions. When these correlations are quantitatively differentiated in the case of students from distant countries, they are mostly stable, high, and consistent in this case (from rs = 0.794 to rs = 0.649). An exception is the indicator of interest in the aspects of Russian culture. It turns out that even natives of the former Soviet Central Asian republics who speak Russian, receive higher education in Russia, and have favorable psychological conditions for adaptation tend to maintain a certain personal and cultural distance from the way of life in Russia. A recent comparative study by M.V. Apasova [22] on the learning motivation of Chinese, Turkmen and Russian students revealed the importance of adaptation indicators. It turned out that emotional well-being, which is more positive in Turkmen students than in Chinese students (with their great interest in cognition and IT technologies), during adaptation is determined not by their motivation to learn but by the content of social interaction with the immediate environment. Therefore, the conclusions of this article focus on strengthening the lost ties with the natives of the former Soviet republics of the once common country. The results are consistent with those of American researchers S. Basov & T. Gaugler [23], who investigated the possibility of a relationship between individual, social, and structural factors and the psychological adjustment of American students in Costa Rica. It was found that social interaction with natives leads to successful sociocultural adaptation.
The adaptation problems of international students in a different cultural environment manifest themselves in emotional instability, conflict, poor academic performance, and lower motivation to learn. The psychological state of poorly adapted students is based on dissatisfaction with the learning situation and general dissatisfaction with everyday life, reduced cognitive needs, passive behavior in the form of submission to external circumstances, and an avoidance coping strategy as a leading strategy [24].
This situation poses certain challenges to higher education institutions in the cities of Southern Russia that have received students from neighboring countries. The study by A.R. Gapsalamov et al. states that the adaptation of international students to the social and educational environment of a small town is more difficult than in a metropolis, which is partly due to the level of professional training of teachers who can develop effective strategies for integrating international students into the educational and sociocultural environment [25].
The most important factor in the successful sociocultural adaptation of international students is knowledge of the language of the country they are studying in. A well-established linguistic interaction with various representatives of other cultures and populations in a foreign country forms constructive survival strategies and acts as a preventive measure in case of psychological crises [26]. The authors L.A. Kamalova, M.Zh. Umbetova, N.S. Putulyan describe the most effective technologies and practices of linguistic and sociocultural adaptation tested at universities in Saint Petersburg, Kazan, and Arkalyk (Kazakhstan) in their work with international students. They successfully solved a complex task: overcoming academic performance problems and simultaneously improving psychological and sociocultural adjustment in the host country by mastering the Russian language in a tolerant university environment [27]. The development of information technologies and the popularization of online linguistic platforms positively impact international students' linguistic and cross-cultural adaptation. Online practice forms the readiness to overcome intercultural and cross-cultural communication problems [28].
Great expectations are placed on the use of active methods in the education of international students. The use of interactive tools helps increase cognitive motivation during classes and shapes and develops students' readiness for independent, intensive study of subject content. Ultimately, activating work contributes to the development of creativity, intellectual collaboration, and universal competencies: communicative, exploratory, and project-based [29]. The influence of physical education and sports factors on adapting international students studying at Moscow universities were studied in a series of interactive learning tools. It was proved that the combination of educational and sports activities is an effective tool to control the process of social adaptation. Furthermore, the formation of academic knowledge and life skills in the context of the host culture is supported by the development of moral and volitional qualities, which together constitute an extraordinary factor in the adaptation of international youth to the new conditions of student life [30].
In order to maintain the positive dynamics of educational, interpersonal, and comprehensive social relations, the educational environment at universities should be very attractive. Furthermore, regardless of its specific content, the educational process should provide students with sufficient opportunities to participate in Russian culture, science, and artistic achievements, which are of global significance and have significantly impacted other countries. To a large extent, this also applies to extracurricular work, the system character of which will determine the norms of national-cultural dialog and commonality.
The following conclusions result from the summary of the experimental part.
1. When comparing two samples of international students, a similar correlation of average level was found between the general indicators of psychological adaptability and sociocultural
adaptation. The low correlation level indicated the differentiated content of the internal (resources) and external (observed) sides of the adaptation process. The detailed analysis of the correlation indicators obtained on samples of students from distant and neighboring countries proves different teaching strategies. At the same time, the content of continuing education and retraining programs for academic staff will be different and should be designed considering the cultural distance created by language, national, and confessional barriers.
2. The limited resources of psychological adaptability of students from distant countries with high demands for successful sociocultural adjustment urge higher education organizers to support students' personal development - creative communication and flexible thinking in learning activities. Combining academic content with intensification of interpersonal and business communication in the real conditions of professional and broad social interaction is necessary. Within the framework of additional training, it is necessary to activate a creative group work of teachers to develop innovative technologies for personal development in educational work, using the resources of IT and online platforms.
3. With a rather solid resource of psychological adaptability and high requirements for sociocultural adaptation, students from neighboring countries show little interest in Russian achievements and express low intentions to communicate with and approach people in the country of education. The task of university teachers in working with students from neighboring countries is to ensure positive dynamics of academic and extracurricular intercultural relations in an educational environment where representatives of different nationalities feel comfortable. In this way, the traditions of Russia's multinational south, which testify to a long experience of cultural neighborliness, are activated and supported within the walls of the university. Interactive forms of experience sharing among faculty in the context of professional development will focus on gaining experience in organizing student participation in the cultural life of Russia through various forms of academic work.
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Tamara V. Chernikova, Dr. Sc. (Psychology), Associate Professor, Volgograd State Socio-Pedagogical University, (Lenina Avenue, 27, Volgograd, Russian Federation, 400066). E-mail: tamara@vspu.ru
Eduard A. Sokalskiy, Senior Lecturer, Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov (ul. Pushkina, 11, Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, 358000). E-mail: sokalskieduard@mail.ru,
Valentina V. Boluchevskaya, Cand. Sc. (Psychology), Associate Professor, Volgograd State Medical University, (1 Pavshikh Bortsov Sq., Volgograd, Russia, 400131). E-mail: boluchevskaya@yandex.ru
Olga I. Shutova, Cand. Sc. (Psychology), Associate Professor, Volgograd State Medical University (1 Pavshikh Bortsov Sq., Volgograd, Russia, 400131). E-mail: shoi1984@mail.ru
Submitted Juny 16, 2022
