exploration of coping strategies among international students confronting acculturation challenges in iranian universities

Understanding acculturation process among international students, particularly coping strategies for acculturative stress, addressing educational migration challenges, and balancing intrapersonal and environmental factors during their stay in the host country, is critically important. this study sought to fill a research gap by exploring the coping strategies of international students residing in iran concerning their acculturation process. the present exploratory qualitative research is grounded in the husserlian phenomenological approach, with 40 international students from prominent iranian universities as participants, selected through snowball sampling technique. data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews based on sideman’s three-stage interview process (2006), and the validity of the collected data was confirmed based on the evaluation criteria of lincoln and guba (1985). in order to analyze the data, the seven-step process of thematic analysis by colaizzi (1978) was employed, aiming to extract significant statements and quotations from the interview texts. the research findings regarding the most significant coping strategies employed by these students in their acculturation process include self-direction, networking, personal development, cross-cultural interaction, and social support. recommendations from this research will benefit iranian policymakers, higher education experts, university administrators, and relevant stakeholders in enhancing cross-cultural counseling services, offering support, and implementing international university programs effectively.