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This research investigates how the acculturation motivation (AM) of new international students develops over time, and which factors play a role in this development. In the context of a Dutch university, we interviewed 25 students from 17 countries three times over eight months. The findings show that initial AM levels can be categorized as high or low. These AM levels evolved into four patterns in the three interview rounds: high-low-low, high-low-high, low-high-low, and low-high-high. After four months, twelve factors emerged as affecting the development of students' AM levels. Prominent factors were prior international experience, language issues, and perceived student identities. After eight months, seven additional factors contributed to subsequent changes in students' AM levels, including the perceived international learning environment, friendship networks, and teachers' role in intercultural contacts. Findings suggest that universities can introduce interventions which could improve international students' acculturation experiences at specific times.

Research routinely suggests that international students often struggle in engaging with other student groups. This study, therefore, examines to what extent and how the intercultural attitudes and intentions of new international students in three Dutch educational institutions related to their acculturation orientation preferences (AOPs) during the "honeymoon" stage. Their AOPs were investigated across four social contact domains: living, schoolwork, friendships, and general interactions. Using structural equation modelling, results from 198 respondents indicate that intercultural intentions predicted their AOPs, with multicultural integration the most preferred strategy and marginalization the least preferred. Results of a simple mediation analysis show that intercultural intentions mediated the effect of intercultural attitudes for students adopting multicultural integration and separation strategies. Interview findings from 25 participants indicate that students sometimes adopted different orientations across the social contact domains. Internationally oriented higher education institutions should further support new students in their planning for intercultural interactions.

Mentoring relationships between research supervisors and doctoral students play a key role in doctoral students' success. Self-determination theory assumes that the quality of these relationships can be defined in terms of fulfillment of students' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Studies on how supervisors and students build need-supportive relationships are, however, lacking. Taking a schema-based perspective, this article investigates supervisors' and doctoral students' (mis)alignments in schemas on how to fulfill students' basic needs in their relationship. Qualitative data were obtained from a sample of 18 interviews (nine dyads) to reveal the schema-driven sensemaking of students and their supervisors. Findings show that the idea of schema similarity might be too simple: For each of the three basic needs, tensions arise between students' and supervisors' schemas. These need-based schemas in action offer a fresh perspective for understanding why some supervisor-doctoral student relationships are experienced as successful while others are not.

While JJ was a medical student, the authors worked on a two-part study of the stories of "good death" as they were told by palliative care patients, caregivers, physicians and nurses. In this personal reflection, de Jong (JJ), now a family practitioner and Clarke (LC), an artist and educator in medicine and health care, consider the value of such "story work" in the development of key skills for a physician. While this is the experience of two individuals, the conclusions have relevance for those engaging in story work within the context of medicine, medical education and the health care community.

While JJ was a medical student, the authors worked on a two-part study of the stories of “good death” as they were told by palliative care patients, caregivers, physicians and nurses. In this personal reflection, de Jong (JJ), now a family practitioner and Clarke (LC), an artist and educator in medicine and health care, consider the value of such “story work” in the development of key skills for a physician. While this is the experience of two individuals, the conclusions have relevance for those engaging in story work within the context of medicine, medical education and the health care community.

This study examines the content of developmental networks from the perspective of self-determination theory. We qualitatively examine 18 proteges' constellations of developmental relationships to identify specific types of developmental support functions. Our study shows that the adoption of self-determination theory leads to a theory-based classification of support functions. The results show the manner in which developmental relationships meet proteges' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Proteges identified the importance of their developer's need-supportive functions to their success, including creating freedom, encouraging self-initiation (autonomy), emulating effective behaviors, confirming and praising (competence), and intimacy and self-disclosure (relatedness). Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are presented. (Contains 3 tables.)

Purpose: Over the past ten years, most Dutch high schools have been confronted with mergers, curriculum reforms, and managerial changes. As a result, the pressure on the schools' communication systems has increased and several problems have emerged. This paper aims to examine recurring clusters of communication problems in high schools. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-method communication audit was conducted within three large high schools in The Netherlands. Data were collected using network analysis, the critical incident technique, and the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire. Findings: The communication audits uncovered six major clusters of communication problems that require management's attention. These problems vary from a lack of participation in decision making to employees feeling under appreciated. While some of these problems could be solved by creating more awareness within the organization, others require more structural changes and long-range planning. Originality/value: The study identifies specific problem areas in the organizational communication of high schools. Educational managers may use the findings to optimize the communication in their schools.