Mapping global research on international students’ cross-cultural adaptation: A structural topic modelling review

IF 2.7 2区社会学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-30 DOI:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2026.102371

Xing Xu , He Huang , Ly Tran

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study maps global research on international students’ cross-cultural adaptation through a structural topic modeling review. Based on textual analysis of 1122 abstracts, it advances prior reviews by tracing thematic patterns both across and within abstracts over seven decades, and empirically identifies ten nuanced topic areas alongside a shift toward more relational, critical, and contextual understanding of adaptation. These findings offer a foundation for more informed and inclusive research on international students’ adaptation, particularly as global mobility continues and is increasingly shaped by shifting political, sociocultural, and technological dynamics. Despite these insights, the dataset underrepresents recent AI-related work, and structural topic modeling cannot explain why themes evolve, indicating the need for updated data and complementary qualitative and contextual analyses to better understand technological, structural, and other emerging dimensions of adaptation.

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国际学生跨文化适应的全球研究：结构主题模型综述

本研究通过结构主题模型回顾，描绘了国际学生跨文化适应的全球研究。基于对1122篇摘要的文本分析，本研究通过追踪70年来摘要之间和摘要内部的主题模式来推进先前的综述，并通过经验确定了10个微妙的主题领域，同时转向对适应的更相关、批判性和语境性的理解。这些发现为对国际学生的适应进行更全面、更全面的研究奠定了基础，特别是在全球流动性持续存在的情况下，政治、社会文化和技术动态的变化日益影响着国际学生的适应。尽管有这些见解，但数据集未充分代表最近与人工智能相关的工作，结构主题建模无法解释主题演变的原因，这表明需要更新数据和补充性的定性和上下文分析，以更好地理解技术、结构和其他新兴的适应维度。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Multiple-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

14.30%

发文量

122

期刊介绍： IJIR is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of theory, practice, and research in intergroup relations. The contents encompass theoretical developments, field-based evaluations of training techniques, empirical discussions of cultural similarities and differences, and critical descriptions of new training approaches. Papers selected for publication in IJIR are judged to increase our understanding of intergroup tensions and harmony. Issue-oriented and cross-discipline discussion is encouraged. The highest priority is given to manuscripts that join theory, practice, and field research design. By theory, we mean conceptual schemes focused on the nature of cultural differences and similarities.