International Schools Research

One of my ongoing projects is about the experiences of students from international schools, particularly as they transition to higher education institutions. Please view the links and information below for more information.

Overview of Research Project

The purpose of this project was to understand the experiences of students from international schools who continued on to be international students at higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide. Two in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 students who graduated from international schools in either China, India, or the United Arab Emirates. First round interviews were conducted in 2019, before beginning their first semester of college. Second round interviews were conducted in the second semester of their first year, in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first interview questions focused on their experiences at international schools, motivations for their higher education institution (HEI) choice, identity development, and global learning. The second interview questions focused on their transitions, career aspirations, friendships, and global learning. Subsequent papers and presentations from this project focus on students' motivations and choices for their HEI, their self-formation, identitiy development, and the impact of their international school experiences on their lives.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Accepted for publication, but not published yet

Cruz, N. I., Hou, H., Ichikawa, A., & Glass, C. Moving beyond “international student”: Transnational students and the evolving student identity. [link to document]

In progress

Identity, agency, and transitions: Student self-formation in international secondary schools and higher education institutions. Fall 2022.

International student mobility and the college choice process: Learning from transnational students from international schools. Spring 2023

Conference presentations

Ichikawa, A., Hou, H., & Cruz, N. (2023). International student mobility and the college choice process: Learning from transnational students from international schools. CIES Annual Conference.

Hou, H., Ichikawa, A., & Cruz, N. (2022). Exploring the journey of international students’ identity development in transnational spaces through narratology. CIES Annual Conference. [Slides available here]

Cruz, N., Hou, H., & Ichikawa, A. (2021). Student self-formation in international secondary schools and higher education institutions: Identity, agency, and transitions. AERA Virtual Annual Conference. [Slides available here]

Cruz, N., Ichikawa, A., & Hou, M. (2021). They’re all part of who I am”: International schools as transnational spaces for global learning and identity development . ASHE CIHE Virtual Conference. [Slides available here]

Cruz, N., & Glass, C. (2020). Re-imagining the collegiate ideal: An exploration of the higher education motivations and self-formation of students from international schools. ODU Graduate Research Achievement Day. https://www.doi.org/10.25883/gq5g-pp33

Cruz, N. (2019) Impact on a global scale: Re-imagining the collegiate ideal. Graduate Research Colloquium, Old Dominion University, VA. [Slides available here]

Other Publications

Cruz, N., & Glass, C. (2019). In search of the collegiate ideal. International Student Leader, 10, 10-13. https://www.flipsnack.com/islmagazine/international-school-leader-magazine-november-2019.html

Invited Webinars

Parker, E., Cruz, N., Wang, L., Zhang, X., & Smithies, D. (2022). Crossing countries and cultures: Learning from research into international student transitions and mental health at university . CIS Global Forum on International Admission and Guidance.

Cruz, N., & Kopenski, M. (2019). The changing landscape of international student enrolment: Practical solutions for a new era. [Webinar]. ISC Research Series for International Officers. [Slides available here]