Cooperative Activity as Mediation in the Social Adjustment of Chinese International Students

Social adjustment is one of the most difficult and long-lasting challenges for
international students who study in a new country. This paper uses a case
study of cooperative painting activity conducted in Australian setting, in
which two Chinese and three other students from different countries
participated, in order to assess the efficiency of cooperative activity in
mediating the social adjustment of international students. It argues that
three factors determine its mediating function: namely, 1) the relaxing,
pushy, and thematic setting, 2) the mediator’s role, and 3) communications
and interactions. The study provides a new approach to future practices
aiming to support the social adjustment of international students.