Frequently Asked Questions
2015 International Student Experience Survey for schools
Why should I take part?
By taking part in the International Student Experience Survey for the school sector you will:
 see how satisfied your international students are with a range of factors and how
likely they would be to recommend your school*
 see how your results compare to the national average*
 get insight into your competitive strengths and weaknesses – great for marketing
purposes and for identifying areas that could benefit from some attention*
 get valuable information on how international students make their study decisions
 be demonstrating that you care about your international students
Previous experience has shown that as the survey is being undertaken by an independent
organisation, students are more likely to provide honest and open responses.
*Please note that schools must achieve responses from 15 students to receive school-level
results. Schools who fall short of this will receive sector-level results which will still be
extremely insightful into the student experience and decision-making of international
students studying at New Zealand secondary schools.
What topics does the school sector International Student Experience Survey cover?
The survey will provide insight into the participating students' reflections on their:
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decision-making process, including key influencers and satisfaction with education
agents
arrival experience – satisfaction with the arrival experience and getting started at
their institution
learning experience – satisfaction with teachers, facilities, feedback, marking and
advice
living experience – satisfaction with such things as accommodation, travel
arrangements and food
support services
integration and getting to know New Zealanders
safety and wellbeing
likelihood to recommend their school
future plans.
Who will be surveyed?
The survey will be aimed at international students aged 16+ who are studying at a New
Zealand secondary school.
How much does it cost to participate?
Participation is free to all New Zealand secondary schools.
Schools will have a small number of administrative tasks in order to participate (on
registration, institutions will receive a step-by-step guide to the study), but these have been
kept to a minimum.
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What can schools who participate expect to receive?
All schools will receive a copy of the sector-level summary report and presentation. For
information, the 2012 summary report and presentation are available below.
2012 New Zealand school sector International Student Experience Survey - Summary report
2012 New Zealand school sector International Student Experience Survey - Presentation
All participating schools who receive a minimum 15 responses* will receive a summary sheet
of their results with comparisons to the sector benchmark. If your institution participated in
the 2012 study, we’re happy to re-supply previous results so you can track change over
time.
*This minimum response rate protects the identity of students who have participated.
Will anyone else have access to my school’s results or my student details?
All results will be made anonymous once collected so as to protect the identity of the
students.
Students are asked in the questionnaire to provide their contact details should they wish to
participate in a prize draw, or if they would be willing to be contacted again to follow up on
their responses. These contact details are held securely by i-graduate and will not be
distributed to a third party or used in any other way than as described to the student in the
questionnaire. The student is given the option not to provide their contact details.
Education New Zealand will receive aggregated data/results but all identifying information,
i.e. student and institutional details, will be made anonymous.
When will the survey take place?
Fieldwork for the school sector International Student Experience Survey will take place from
May - July 2015.
Your school will be asked to choose a 3-4 week period between Monday 25th May and
Friday 10th July when the survey will be ‘live’ for your school.
Key dates are:
Action
Date
Survey launching from
Monday 25 May
Last launch date
Monday 15 June
Survey close
Friday 10 July
What are the responsibilities of participating schools?
Detailed information will be provided to schools once they have registered to participate in
the study. However, in summary, participating schools simply need to:
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Fill in a registration form and nominate a member of staff as a key contact for igraduate and for international students at your school who may have questions about
the survey.
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Send an email with the survey link to all international students at your school on your
institution’s survey launch date (email template supplied).
Send reminder emails to international students at your school throughout the period
the survey is live (template supplied).
How do I sign up to participate in the survey?
To sign up for the 2015 survey please complete the registration form
You will be sent further information about the survey process and launch date once you have
registered.
What if we would like more in-depth analysis of the results?
If your institution has a significant number of international student responses to the survey
(100+), you are able to upgrade to receive a more comprehensive analysis of your student
responses. For more information on this please contact Kyla Steenhart at i-graduate:
[email protected]
Who is i-graduate?
The International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate) is a leading market research
consultancy specialising in providing customer insight for the education sector, tracking and
benchmarking student and stakeholder opinion across the globe. Its purpose is to help
education providers to enhance their competitive advantage and quality.
i-graduate’s customers and partners are 1,400 of the world’s leading universities, colleges
and schools, plus governments and government agencies, across 28 countries.
For more information on i-graduate and the services it provides please visit www.igraduate.org.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions about the study or need any help, please don’t hesitate to contact
Maria McDiarmid, International Student Barometer Coordinator, Education New Zealand
E: [email protected]
P: 04 917 0530
or
Kyla Steenhart, Senior Associate, i-graduate
E: [email protected]
P: +64 21 857 054.
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