Overseas Experience and Value Changes in Malaysian Students

Individuals’ experiences in adapting to their environments and the demands arising from them are believed to be capable of shaping, to varying degrees, human perspectives on various matters, including personal values. Values are important entities that guide human life. University students are no exception, as they have been reported to undergo significant value changes influenced by the inherently challenging experiences encountered in higher education institutions. Based on this premise, the present study was conducted to examine whether value change functions as an outcome of overseas learning experiences.This study involved a total of 605 students who were pursuing their studies at either overseas or local universities. A set of questionnaire, comprising participants’ demographic background and Schwartz’s Short Value Scale, consisting of 10 items measuring both “value importance” and “value satisfaction,” was administered at Time 1 and Time 2. The findings revealed that both the importance and satisfaction of embeddedness values remained unchanged and were not associated with overseas study experiences. In contrast, self-transcendence values showed a declining trend over time, which simultaneously suggests that self-enhancement values began to exert a stronger influence on these students. The results of this study indicate that embeddedness values are deeply embedded in the psyche of Malaysians, regardless of whether they have studied abroad or remained in their home country. Meanwhile, self-enhancement values are considered highly significant in facilitating the internalization of academic cultural principles within the demanding context of higher education. Overall, the findings highlight the complex interplay between cultural values and educational experiences, particularly in challenging academic environments.