TY  - JOUR
AU  - Rehal, Satwinder
AU  - Chebat, Raul Guillermo B.
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/06
TI  - International Students’ Cross-Cultural Experiences in The Philippines: A Netnographic Study
JO  - PWU Journal of Research, Innovation, and Transformation
T2  - PWU Journal of Research, Innovation, and Transformation
JF  - PWU Journal of Research, Innovation, and Transformation
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
SP  - 49
EP  - 64
DO  - 10.62762/JRIT.2025.485535
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JRIT.2025.485535
KW  - culture shock
KW  - culture learning
KW  - international students
KW  - netnography
KW  - Philippines
AB  - The international higher education sector is characterized by the mobility of international students, who undergo transitions in unfamiliar cultural environments that may negatively affect their academic experiences and overall well-being. Culture shock often arises from insufficient knowledge of, and limited understanding about, the norms of the host culture, as well as cultural gaps between international students and the host country. Drawing on a netnographic study of YouTube vlogs by a purposive sample of international students in the Philippines, this paper examines their experiences of culture shock. The findings indicate that international students act as active agents in adapting to these experiences. The study recommends further research adopting nuanced phenomenological perspectives on international students’ cross-cultural experiences to inform the design of responsive interventions that promote cross-cultural adaptation. This recommendation is grounded in scholarly arguments that successful cross-cultural adaptation among international students enhances their overall satisfaction in the host country as well as their academic performance—outcomes that are particularly critical for emerging players in the global higher education market, including the Philippines.
SN  - 3071-4001
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Rehal2026Internatio,
  author = {Satwinder Rehal and Raul Guillermo B. Chebat},
  title = {International Students’ Cross-Cultural Experiences in The Philippines: A Netnographic Study},
  journal = {PWU Journal of Research, Innovation, and Transformation},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {49-64},
  doi = {10.62762/JRIT.2025.485535},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JRIT.2025.485535},
  abstract = {The international higher education sector is characterized by the mobility of international students, who undergo transitions in unfamiliar cultural environments that may negatively affect their academic experiences and overall well-being. Culture shock often arises from insufficient knowledge of, and limited understanding about, the norms of the host culture, as well as cultural gaps between international students and the host country. Drawing on a netnographic study of YouTube vlogs by a purposive sample of international students in the Philippines, this paper examines their experiences of culture shock. The findings indicate that international students act as active agents in adapting to these experiences. The study recommends further research adopting nuanced phenomenological perspectives on international students’ cross-cultural experiences to inform the design of responsive interventions that promote cross-cultural adaptation. This recommendation is grounded in scholarly arguments that successful cross-cultural adaptation among international students enhances their overall satisfaction in the host country as well as their academic performance—outcomes that are particularly critical for emerging players in the global higher education market, including the Philippines.},
  keywords = {culture shock, culture learning, international students, netnography, Philippines},
  issn = {3071-4001},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}