Literature Review and Research Problem
The rising tuition fees and cost of living is hampering the quality of life of the international students in Australia. The international students in Australia are facing extreme struggle with their increasing household repayments (Beine, Noël and Ragot 2014). Therefore, such students are facing huge challenges for meeting their debts and affording cost of living. The general people of Australia are also facing extreme challenges on their welfare for increasing cost of living. The issue is highly problematic, when the expenses of the people get quite higher than their earnings. Such people often end up their earnings giving their money to house rents and paying for their mortgage loans (Gomes 2015). This situation leads to a no-where situation especially for the international students in Australia. In order to cope up with this situation, the international students are opting for part time jobs for affording their increasing expenses. This research proposal will explore the impact of increasing tuition fees and cost of living on the international students. Effective research questions and methodologies will be chosen for gathering crucial information regarding the research topic.
- To assess the impact of increasing tuition fees and cost of living in the routine lives of the international students living in Sydney
- To assess the impact of increasing cost of living on the routine lives of people living in Sydney
- To recognize the factors behind the increasing cost of living of the international students in Sydney
- To evaluate the ways of leading positive welfare for the international students in Sydney
The prime scope of this project proposal is to find out the impact of increasing cost of living and tuition fees on the welfare of the international students in Australia. The scope of the project proposal is also to find out the aspects of inflation of the costs of living of the international students in Sydney. The research proposal can also be an effective secondary source for the further researchers to access most effective secondary information regarding the research study on same types of research topic.
The prime reason behind the persistent rise of cost of living and tuition fees is the high inflation rate. While the prices of goods and services go up with the increasing inflation rate and the income remains the same, the actual income of the people stats to fall (Nachatar Singh, Schapper and Jack 2014). The international students studying in Sydney face several challenges due to increasing cost of living. Sydney city has become the most important host educational hub for the international students. Global educational industry gets huge priority for its association with the territory education and its contribution to the overall Australian economy. Educational industry has contributed almost 1 billion dollars to the overall Australian economy by the year 2010 (Perkins and Neumayer 2014). The rise of price and fees of the Australian institutions is increasing the overall cost of living of the international students. At Sydney University, the fees for the international students rose to 92% from $391 million to $752 million in 2017. Such increasing educational fees are hampering the wellbeing of the international students staying at Sydney.
Research Questions/Hypothesis
It is the public misconception that international students are quire wealthy since they choose Australia to peruse their higher studies. However, the actual truth is that the international students have extremely restricted level of money for affording the increasing educational fees (Geddie 2015). Hence, the international students often have to opt for part time jobs to support their educational cost. Such part time job along with their educational pressure is leading to unhealthy lifestyle with the issue of work-life-balance. The financial pressure and educational pressure together is increasing the level of stress and anxiety among the international students of Sydney (Kerr et al. 2016). Furthermore, the international students are also being highly prone towards gambling, which can even turn into game of gambling. Moreover, the increasing cost of living is also leading to social, mental and other forms of anxiety and stress.
Figure 1: Annual Cost of Studying for International Students
(Source: McKenzie and Yang 2015)
Inflation is the result on redistribution on the basis of wealth and income at distinct rate with distinct sector. There can be unequal level of increment in different sectors of manufacturing during the time of inflation, which can hamper the income level of international students opting for part-time jobs at Sydney (Madge, Raghuram and Noxolo 2015). In this way, the level of inflation is always unjust, which is creating high level of economic burden on the international students. Moreover, the rise of living cost is actually decreasing the overall purchasing power of the international students (Marginson 2014). As per the recent study, the international students are not getting ideal jobs in Sydney even after completing their expensive educational courses. As per the study, the yearly cost of living and study in Australia is much more that in U.S and Britain (Van Mol and Timmerman 2014). The exchange rate has been considered as the main culprit behind the cost of living of the global students.
Research Design and Methodology
The summary of literature review is indicating that there are some areas, which are still uncovered and unnoticed regarding the cost of living of the international students of Australia. Apart from that, there is also lack of strong and adequate empirical evidences for supporting the topic of the research. In such extent, the literature problem and literature gap is indicating the lack of proper information that can reduce the quality of the research outcome. However, proper and in-depth research and increasing empirical evidence can provide gap opportunities for the further research areas.
- How increasing tuition fees and cost of living impact on the routine lives of the international students living in Sydney?
This research question will serve the prime purpose of the research study. Moreover, the major impact of increasing tuition feeds and cost of living can be accessed through this research question. In this way, this research question will directly gather the main information regarding the research topic. Hence, it will definitely add to the quality of the overall research outcome.
- How increasing cost of living impact on the routine lives of people living in Sydney?
This research question will assess the information regarding the impact of increasing cost of living on the general people living in Sydney. From such analysis, it can also be assumed the impact of increasing cost of living on the international students. In this way, this research question is properly linked with the prime intention of the research study.
- What is the impact of inflation on the cost of living of the international students in Sydney?
This research question will serve one of the most important aspects of research study. It will gather the most important information for the research topic by assessing the impact on inflation on the cost of living of the international students. It will actually shape the context of the research study and contribute the overall quality of the research paper.
- What is the perception of people regarding the international students in Sydney?
This research question will also facilitate in indentifying the reasons behind the increasing cost of living of the international students in Sydney. This research question will identify the reasons of increasing house rent and course fees demanded to the international students. In this way, it will serve to a major part of research study.
- What are the factors behind the increasing cost of living of the international students in Sydney?
This research question will mainly serve the prime context of the research study. It will extract the main reasons behind the increasing tuition fees and cost of living of the international students in Sydney. In this way, this research question will surely contribute in the quality of the ultimate research outcome.
- How Australian government can lead to positive welfare for the international students in Sydney?
This research question will actually resolve the research issues of the research paper. It will actually provide suitable solutions for addressing the decreasing welfare of the international students due to increasing tuition fees and cost of living. In this way, this research question will actually facilitate in completing the research study successfully.
- Establishing Research Problem
- Review of Literature
- Data Collection
- Data Interpretation and Analysis
- Evaluating Data Quality
- Research Report
Quantitative Research
Reliability assesses the quality of measures applied in a research study for collecting data. The reliability of a particular measure is dependent on its ability to provide same results over time consistently (Lewis 2015). Inter rated reliability approach will be used in this research paper for assessing the reliability of the measures. Furthermore, validity assesses the accuracy and authenticity of the data collected for the research. Internal validity measure will be used in this research for measuring the validity of the collected data.
Sampling is the statistical procedure, which is aimed at selecting right individuals and observations for collecting most authentic research information (Choy 2014). In this research, simple random sampling would be selected, where the respondents will get equal probability of being participated in the data collection process.
Sample size is associated with selection of right and adequate numbers of respondents for collecting most worthy information regarding research topic (Dumay and Cai 2015). In this research paper, 5 institutional faculties of Sydney will be selected for arranging interview session. They will provide the information regarding the education pressure of the international students.
Data collection is the most noteworthy method of collecting data regarding the research topic (Fletcher 2017). In this research, both primary as well as secondary sources will be used for gathering vital research information. Secondary information will be gathered from the authentic journals, books and websites. In primary research, both qualitative as well as quantitative data collection technique will be collected. In order to collect qualitative data, institutional faculties of different universities of Sydney will be interviewed for gathering the welfare level of the internal students in those universities.
Independent Variable: Increasing tuition fees and cost of living
Dependent Variable: Decreasing welfare of international students
- Framing Research Questions
- Establishing Key Ideas
- Choosing Appropriate Research Method
- Research Framework
- Adapting Audience
- Research Design
- Analysis of Data
- Research Report
This research paper will use survey research instruments for collecting primary data regarding the research topic. In this method, structured set of questionnaires will be arranged for distributing them among the international students of Sydney. The structured questionnaires will be set in association with the research topic. The respondents will be asked to answer to the questions as per their own opinions.
Data analysis method is extremely significant method for extracting the actual and meaningful information from the data collected from the respondents (McCusker and Gunaydin 2015). In this research paper, SPSS tools will be used to investigate the collected data. Moreover, Chi-Square test will be used for assessing the right meaning of the collected data. It will evaluate the fit between the theoretical data and actual observed data.
Research Limitations
In case of quantitative technique, simple random sampling method will be chosen for collecting data from the participants of data collection process. In such method, the participants will usually be given equal probability to participate in the process of data collection. Moreover, 100 international students of Sydney will be chosen as sample of this research.
In this research, the questionnaires will be designed in an open ended format. In such design, the participants will be requested to answer to the questions by declaring Yes or No.
In case of quantitative technique, internal reliability approach will be used to evaluate the reliability of the measures. On the other hand, convergent validity approach will be applied for evaluating the validity of the collected data.
This research study can face the limitation time as well as limitation of budget that can reduce the quality of ultimate outcome of the research. Due to time restriction, it may not be possible to contact with many numbers of the participants for collecting data. Furthermore, with budget limitation, it may become quite tough to get access to more secondary information.
Figure 2: Research Schedule
(Source: Created by Author)
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that increasing tuition fees and cost of living is decreasing the welfare of the international students in Sydney. In increasing rate of inflation, the price of every commodity is increasing day by day in Australia. In such situation, the international students are facing extreme difficulties in affording increasing rate of cost of living.
Reference List
Beine, M., Noël, R. and Ragot, L., 2014. Determinants of the international mobility of students. Economics of Education review, 41, pp.40-54.
Choy, L.T., 2014. The strengths and weaknesses of research methodology: Comparison and complimentary between qualitative and quantitative approaches. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(4), pp.99-104.
Dumay, J. and Cai, L., 2015. Using content analysis as a research methodology for investigating intellectual capital disclosure: a critique. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 16(1), pp.121-155.
Fletcher, A.J., 2017. Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology meets method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(2), pp.181-194.
Geddie, K., 2015. Policy mobilities in the race for talent: Competitive state strategies in international student mobility. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 40(2), pp.235-248.
Gomes, C., 2015. Negotiating everyday life in Australia: Unpacking the parallel society inhabited by Asian international students through their social networks and entertainment media use. Journal of Youth Studies, 18(4), pp.515-536.
Kerr, S.P., Kerr, W., Özden, Ç. and Parsons, C., 2016. Global talent flows. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(4), pp.83-106.
Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), pp.473-475.
Madge, C., Raghuram, P. and Noxolo, P., 2015. Conceptualizing international education: From international student to international study. Progress in Human Geography, 39(6), pp.681-701.
Marginson, S., 2014. Student self-formation in international education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18(1), pp.6-22.
McCusker, K. and Gunaydin, S., 2015. Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods and choice based on the research. Perfusion, 30(7), pp.537-542.
McKenzie, D. and Yang, D., 2015. Evidence on policies to increase the development impacts of international migration. The World Bank Research Observer, 30(2), pp.155-192.
Nachatar Singh, J.K., Schapper, J. and Jack, G., 2014. The importance of place for international students’ choice of university: a case study at a Malaysian university. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18(5), pp.463-474.
Perkins, R. and Neumayer, E., 2014. Geographies of educational mobilities: Exploring the uneven flows of international students. The Geographical Journal, 180(3), pp.246-259.
Van Mol, C. and Timmerman, C., 2014. Should I stay or should I go? An analysis of the determinants of intra?European student mobility. Population, Space and Place, 20(5), pp.465-479.