Mapping the Emotional Geographies of International Students in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59175/pijed.v4i2.859Keywords:
Affective Domain, Emotional Geography, Higher Education, International StudentsAbstract
In recent decades, the internationalization of higher education has intensified global student mobility. While research has extensively covered cognitive and sociocultural dimensions of student transition, the emotional and affective domains remain underexplored. This systematic literature review, guided by the PRISMA framework, synthesizes peer-reviewed scholarship (2000-2025) on the emotional geographies of international students in higher education. From 112 screened records, 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis revealed five interconnected dimensions: (1) emotional place-making and belonging, (2) academic emotions and epistemic access, (3) relational and intercultural affect, (4) institutional care geographies, and (5) emotional resilience and agency. The findings demonstrate that affect is central not peripheral to the international student journey, mediating adaptation, learning, and well-being. The review identifies a predominance of qualitative studies in Anglo-Western contexts and calls for longitudinal, mixed-methods research in diverse settings, informed by critical and decolonial frameworks. Practical implications advocate for affect-sensitive pedagogy, emotionally supportive institutional design, and policies that recognize the emotional labor of student mobility. The novelty of this review lies in its explicit spatial-affective lens, consolidating a fragmented field and shifting the discourse from cognitive adjustment to embodied emotional experience. This study contributes a comprehensive conceptual framework to guide future research and offers evidence-based rationale for transforming institutional policy and student support services towards more holistic, emotionally attuned practices.
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