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Constructing a conceptual framework for professional identity development in international social work students: A meta-ethnographic review

There has been a significant increase of international students in Australian social work education over the past decade. Issues around international students’ language skills, cultural capital or competence, special needs and field education experiences have been explored in social work literature. However, the literature to date has a tendency to focus on international students’ deficits, or the strategies implemented to address the identified deficits. Professional identity, a critical aspect of social work education, remains an under-researched topic in international students. Professional identity development in social work is often considered a complex process which is influenced by interacting internal or external factors. For example, personal or cultural identities can contribute to professional identity development in social work students in general, while discrimination or institutional oppression is found to negatively affect professional identity development in social work students. Intersectionality sees a person’s identity as fluid and multifold, and offers a useful framework for understanding identity issues in international students. Applying the concept of intersectionality, this meta-ethnography reviews six qualitative studies, guided by the seven phrases established by Noblit and Hare. The findings show professional identity development in international students can be influenced by interacting personal, linguistic, professional, academic, cultural and social factors. An intersecting model incorporating the six identified key themes was developed to provide a conceptual framework for professional identity development in international social work students.