The relationship between sociocultural and psychological adaptation levels of international students studying in Çukurova University

When we look at the studies conducted in this issue, it is seen that the level of adjustment, high or low, has both social and psychological reflection in the international students' lives. This study aims to examine the sociocultural and psychological adaptation levels of international students studying at Çukurova University according to some socio-demographic features, such as gender, age, length of stay in Turkey and grades, and to determine the relation between the sociocultural and psychological adaptation levels. The other purpose of the study is to compare psychological adaptation levels of international and local students according to depression, anxiety and stress sub-dimensions. It was aimed to conduct this study by quantitative and relational screening method as its quality and the way of application. It is also another purpose to determine and disclose the current adaptation situation of the international students. This research has been carried out in Çukurova University in Adana province, 2018-2019 academic year in the first semester and international students studying at various undergraduate level have been taken randomly to the research. Attention has been paid to the fact that foreign students who are included in the research have been educated at TÖMER (Turkish Learning and Research Center). As a result of analysis, it has been seen that mostly, the international students from the countries of Turkic Republics, Middle East and Africa prefered studying in Cukurova University. As a control group, Turkish citizens-students studying at Cukurova University students have been included randomly. For the collection of the study's data, Ward and Kennedy's Socio-Cultural Adjustment Scale and DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) have been applied for foreign students with a "Personal Information Form". "Personal Information Form", "University Life Scale" and DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) have been applied for local students. The obtained data has been processed by SPSS (Standard Program for Social Sciences) for Windows 25.0 demo packet program and data analysis has been done. According to the findings of the study; there is found a statistically significant and low level of correlation between sociocultural and psychological adaptation of the international students. Compared with the psychological adaptation leves of the international students and local students, it has been found that the total score obtained from the depression and stress sub-dimensions show a statistically significant difference compared to the student groups. However the total scores obtained from the anxiety sub-dimension does not differ according to the student groups. When the sociodemographic characteristics are evaluated, there is found a low level and negative direction relation with the length of stay in Turkey but there couldn't be found a significant correlation between gender, age, grade of the international students and sociocultural adaptation. There is found that there is an effect of only grade variable on the psychological adaptation of international students.