A closer look at the experiences of international graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Connections to wellbeing

Graduate education, especially at the doctoral level, provides students with opportunities to learn, grow, and gain independence as scholars, as well as gives rise to a certain degree of stress. The stress level that the program itself generates as a matter of course scales up with additional challenges for some graduate students, including deficient academic engagement or, in some cases, poor relationships with their supervisors. Other additional stressors can be counted, like a reverted work-life balance, financial difficulties, a lack of permanent employment, the pressure to publish in high-impact journals and participate in conferences or congresses, and the feeling of an uncertain future. This chapter is a collaborative autoethnographic study seeking to explore the authors experiences as international doctoral students leading transnational lives in Canada. They are three international Turkish, Chinese, and Vietnamese doctoral students in a Joint Ph.D. in Educational Studies program at a Canadian university. Acknowledging the diverse demographic backgrounds-including gender, race, ethnicity, and class-the chapter aims to situate the collaboration in a critical discussion on different challenges the authors faced and resources they used while learning and sustaining doctoral studies amidst a global crisis, which are emerging themes in their findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Fall of Perseverance and Rise of Indomitable Spirit within Taekwon-Do during COVID-19

Background. Taekwon-Do, a South Korean martial art and combat sport teaches hundreds of physical skills through a stratified curriculum. The highest learning objectives of Taekwon-Do are, however, its five tenets (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-con-trol, and indomitable spirit). Unlike the physical aspects of Taekwon-Do practice, there are no direct assessment tools that can determine if a student has acquired and utilized the tenets. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic may provide a unique opportunity to assess the acquisition of some of the tenets of Taekwon-Do. Problem and Aim. This study aims to provide an indirect method of assessing students' adoption of some of Taekwon-Do's tenets by understanding how these ideals may enable Taekwon-Do practitioners to overcome physical and emotional challenges in their daily lives. Methods. The research methodology utilizes an autoethnographic research design that correlates the author's application of the tenets of Taekwon-Do to his mental and spiritual health successes after suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic and life-altering physical injuries. Results. COVID-19, like the author's injuries, provides an indirect and qualitative assessment opportunity for two tenets of Taek-wondo (perseverance and indomitable spirit). Conclusion. While indirect assessment is a viable and established pedagogical means of assessment, quantitative measurement tools may be more persuasive to prove the effectiveness of the tenets of Taekwon-Do.

The Fall of Perseverance and Rise of Indomitable Spirit within Taekwon-Do during COVID-19

Background. Taekwon-Do, a South Korean martial art and combat sport teaches hundreds of physical skills through a stratified curriculum. The highest learning objectives of Taekwon-Do are, however, its five tenets (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit). Unlike the physical aspects of Taekwon-Do practice, there are no direct assessment tools that can determine if a student has acquired and utilized the tenets. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic may provide a unique opportunity to assess the acquisition of some of the tenets of Taekwon-Do. Problem and Aim. This study aims to provide an indirect method of assessing students' adoption of some of Taekwon-Do's tenets by understanding how these ideals may enable Taekwon-Do practitioners to overcome physical and emotional challenges in their daily lives. Methods. The research methodology utilizes an autoethnographic research design that correlates the author's application of the tenets of Taekwon-Do to his mental and spiritual health successes after suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic and life-altering physical injuries. Results. COVID-19, like the author's injuries, provides an indirect and qualitative assessment opportunity for two tenets of Taekwondo (perseverance and indomitable spirit). Conclusion. While indirect assessment is a viable and established pedagogical means of assessment, quantitative measurement tools may be more persuasive to prove the effectiveness of the tenets of Taekwon-Do.