Social media use in international students’ decision-making: Choosing New Zealand as a study destination

Syed Jamali; Karishma Parmar; Kumar Laxman

doi:10.26686/nzaroe.v30.11698

Authors

Syed Jamali ICL Graduate Business School https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2270-3941
Karishma Parmar
Kumar Laxman https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-5930

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/nzaroe.v30.11698

Keywords:

International students, Social media engagement, New Zealand

Abstract

Due to international student enrolments and globalisation, universities worldwide compete for students by promoting their institutions, study programmes, and courses in various ways. At the same time, aspiring international students utilise a variety of information sources to conduct global university searches and make decisions. Traditional methods such as newspapers, mass media, broadcasting, educational fairs, and university websites were dominant long before the rise of social media. As many young people and students communicate, collaborate, and interact online, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, Google, and YouTube have become additional sources of educational information.
This research investigates how social media influences international students' choices of courses and universities. A questionnaire was distributed to international tertiary students in New Zealand to collect demographic information, including both closed and open-ended questions. The results show that: (1) international students make extensive use of social media, (2) social media platforms affect their decisions about courses and universities, and (3) social media is vital in providing the information they need. Overall, this research offers a better understanding of which social media platforms international students use when choosing New Zealand as a study destination and the reasons behind their selections. It also gives universities ideas for improving social media engagement and recruitment strategies.

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Author Biographies

Syed Jamali, ICL Graduate Business School

Syed Jamali has over twenty-five years of experience in research, teaching, and supervision. He serves as an Academic Manager and Associate Professor at ICL Graduate Business School in New Zealand. His areas of expertise include programme development, evaluation, assessment design, and educational policy and decision-making. He has presented his scholarly work at international conferences and has published research in reputable journals.

Karishma Parmar

Karishma Parmar completed her Master of Informatics qualification at ICL Graduate Business School in 2022.

Kumar Laxman

Kumar Laxman graduated with a PhD in instructional design and technology from Macquarie University, Australia. He has worked in various capacities and roles, including leadership in learning/training and development in corporate, governmental and tertiary settings globally. Currently he provides advisory services in education and training/learning and development. He has been actively promoting the use of technology to advance innovation in teaching and learning and he has served as a catalytic leader in participating in numerous educational initiatives.

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