Zhang, Peng (Jacky) (2019) Exploring the work-study interface for international students in the Australia higher education context. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Australian universities have experienced a rapid growth in international student numbers since the late 1990s and international education is now the country’s fourth largest export industry with close to 400,000 international students enrolled in Australian universities, many of whom are engaged in part-time work while studying on a student visa. There is a growing body of literature on factors impacting on the work-study boundary of university students, but there is a gap in the literature on the challenges international students face as they attempt to juggle work and study in Australia. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the impact of different resources-enriching and depleting work characteristics on study performance among international students using the work-study conflict and facilitation model. Ninety-nine international students at one regional university were examined using an online survey. Various work characteristics, work-study conflict (WSC) and work-study facilitation (WSF) were measured as well as self-rated study performance. Results revealed that WSF was the only variable that could uniquely predict self-rated study performance while WSF was significantly predicted by personal fulfilment. The results also revealed that WSC was predicted by work hours and work demands and was not significantly related to WSF. These results demonstrate that work can have both a positive and negative influence on study performance and it is important to educate international students on how to better manage conflicts and generate facilitation between work and study. Limitations of these findings are identified and recommendations for future research on the topic are discussed.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Tony Machin |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Nov 2025 05:10 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Nov 2025 05:10 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | work-study conflict; work-study facilitation; international students; personal fulfilment; study performance |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52905 |
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