Australian international education and Indonesian student perception thereof

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business to the Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business, La Trobe University, Bendigo.

This thesis investigates the role and importance of the higher education sector of the international education market for Australia. It shows that higher education is a significant Australian export industry whose development has contributed to increased engagement with other countries, particularly those in South East Asia. The thesis further examines elements of demand for Australian higher education from students in Australia’s nearest neighbour, Indonesia. It is demonstrated that the perceptions held by Indonesian students of Australian higher education are not sufficiently understood. This is despite Indonesia’s potential to be a growing market for Australian international education. This thesis examines Indonesian students’ intent to study in Australia through the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. This theory allows a focus on the salient beliefs that influence Indonesian students’ intentions to study in Australia, where intention is an antecedent to potential student behaviour. The three beliefs of the TPB – Behavioural Beliefs, Normative Beliefs and Perceived Control Beliefs are examined through a series of structured questions. The thesis confirms that Behavioural Beliefs are the greatest indicator of Intention. Ethnic diversity is shown to warrant further research.