Written by Simona Golshetti and Juan Raman Mullor (University of Staffordshire)
Rationale and background
We initiated the International Students Pedagogies project in early 2024 in response to discussions with academic leaders about how best to support the academic success of international student cohorts at the University of Staffordshire. These conversations highlighted that, while international students bring valuable linguistic, cultural, and educational experiences to the University, unfamiliar academic conventions, disciplinary expectations, and learning environments can create systemic barriers for students as they transition into a new higher education context.
Language proficiency tests such as IELTS provide evidence of English language competence but do not fully capture the range of academic communication, critical engagement, and disciplinary practices that students are expected to develop and demonstrate within higher education (Coffin and Hewings, 2004). As a result, it was necessary to advocate for a broader understanding of student support, going beyond language provision alone and involving responsive pedagogical practice in the teaching space.
Research approach
We adopted a mixed-methods action research approach, combining focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 14 students, semi-structured interviews with seven academics, a staff survey (generating 25 responses), and five validation workshops with seven staff and three student stakeholders. Consultation generated qualitative insights and recommendations around engagement, participation, and experiences of success for international students.
Semi-structured interviews were designed to explore key themes (such as experiences of teaching, learning, assessment, feedback, and wider aspects of university life), while also providing participants with the flexibility to raise issues that mattered most to them. This participant-led approach ensured that the research was grounded in the lived experiences of students and academic colleagues and helped identify priorities for enhancing teaching and learning practices.
Research findings
Qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework, a well-established method for identifying patterns and themes within qualitative data through coding, reflection and theme generation. A data-driven approach was used to ensure that themes emerged from participants’ contributions rather than being predetermined. Data matrices were developed to support systematic analysis and to ensure ethical protocols, including participant anonymisation, were followed throughout the process. Analysis was collaborative, with transcripts reviewed independently and collectively by both researchers.
Analysis of the data identified several interconnected themes, the most prominent of which were the importance of supportive staff-student relationships, inclusive and responsive pedagogies, collaborative learning, and staff drawing on their own international experiences to enhance teaching practice.
Students and staff consistently highlighted assessment and feedback throughout the consultation, indicating the need for clear expectations, transparent design, accessible guidance, formative opportunities, and developmental feedback. Both groups also noted the importance of learning resources, including accessible digital tools, engaging curricula, practical learning opportunities, and links to industry and employability. Finally, discussions with both groups, particularly students, highlighted the need to review support and communication practices, such as clear signposting, accessible services, timely information, opportunities for better social inclusion and belonging, and a coordinated approach to academic, wellbeing, and careers support. Across all themes, participants emphasised the value of inclusive and context-sensitive approaches that recognise and build on the diverse strengths and experiences that international students bring to the university.
Validating and reporting findings
Survey findings and validation workshops with colleagues (stakeholders from Academic Schools, the Students’ Union, Student Life, Student Support, Library and Skills, and International Recruitment) were used to test and refine emerging recommendations and to identify practical priorities for staff. These insights directly informed the development, structure, and content of the International Students Pedagogies Toolkit.
While most of our research findings related directly to pedagogic practice (our area of expertise), many highlighted broader institutional issues better addressed by specialists working in other service areas. As a result, we disseminated findings to relevant teams, enabling them to take informed action within their own functional areas. Our role was, therefore, not only to capture students’ experiences and perspectives, but also to connect these insights with colleagues positioned to foster positive change.
Alongside internal dissemination, we shared our findings with colleagues across the sector, for example JISC, International Practitioner Network, AdvanceHE, Midlands Evaluation Group, and several UK HEIs. These conversations helped to contextualise local experiences within wider national and global conversations about supporting international students: the themes emerging from our research align closely with sector and international research, particularly regarding students’ experiences of belonging, academic transition, language development, and engagement with the expectations of higher education.
Developing a pedagogic toolkit
The main output of the research was the International Students Pedagogies Toolkit, designed to support staff to reflect on and enhance their teaching practices. It comprises four sections: Inclusive Practice and Pedagogy, Assessment and Feedback, Communication, and Supporting International Students, in addition to a resource repository and a built-in feedback form. All sections were co-produced with students and academic colleagues, including video contributions from students and staff that contextualise guidance with examples and lived experience. This ensures our toolkit is not only informed by initial primary research and a global literature review, but also relevant to our local context and, therefore, able to respond to the needs of our international students.
The toolkit was launched during our first institutional International Students’ Week in November 2025 and is designed as a living resource, reviewed annually to ensure it remains informed by emerging evidence, evolving institutional priorities, and user feedback. Early engagement data, though limited, shows purposeful use of the resource, while initial feedback has been particularly positive about content addressing the hidden curriculum and helping staff make implicit academic expectations more explicit.
Author bio
Simona Golshetti, Educational Developer, Education Enhancement and Impact, University of Staffordshire
Simona is a Senior Fellow and Educational Developer at the University of Staffordshire. Her work focuses on enhancing the experience and success of international students through initiatives centred on transition, belonging, curriculum development, and inclusive teaching practices, alongside leading the Staffordshire Route to Fellowship programme.
Juan Raman Mullor, Impact Evaluation Officer, Education Enhancement and Impact, University of Staffordshire
Juan is a researcher and evaluator at the University of Staffordshire with an MA in International Relations and a background in education, social justice, and international development. He specialises in delivering participatory mixed-methods research, covering inception, tool design, data collection, and reporting to evaluate projects aimed at reducing student inequities.