Proposal Title
International Students' Perceptions of Challenges at Universities in the United States
Abstract
The project supported by professor Summer Clark, Lesley University.
International students in the U.S. face many challenges. They face a variety of hurdles, including navigating and processing what are often drastic differences in language, culture, educational systems, and lifestyle. Existing surveys, and ethnographic research, and case studies (Hopnick, 2102; Li, et al, 2017; Serino, 2017; Suarez-Orozco, et al., 2008) unpack the variety of ways students from different countries navigate such changes. My project, a pilot study conducted in 2017, contributes to this body of work. I present the results of in-depth, qualitative interviews of two international students’ from Korea and China, to explore their perceptions of their experiences in U. S. higher education.
The following questions framed my inquiry, "What are the perceptions of challenges that students confront in the U.S. in comparison to their past educational experiences? How do these perceptions affect international students' schooling?" I explored themes such as differences in students’ expectations and experiences, elements that contributed to students’ psychological well-being in the US, and elements that made the experiences difficult. The interviews addressed students’ feelings and thoughts rather than their academic performance, highlighting the importance of support for international students’ social and psychological adjustments when studying in the U.S.
This presentation would work well as part of a larger panel on a shared topic, individual presentation, or poster presentation. I will present my literature review for 10 minutes, the results of my interviews for 10 minute, and implications for 10 minutes.
Start Date
28-3-2018 1:10 PM
End Date
28-3-2018 2:00 PM
Presentation Type
Panel
Disciplines
International and Comparative Education
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
International Students' Perceptions of Challenges at Universities in the United States
U-Hall 3-101
The project supported by professor Summer Clark, Lesley University.
International students in the U.S. face many challenges. They face a variety of hurdles, including navigating and processing what are often drastic differences in language, culture, educational systems, and lifestyle. Existing surveys, and ethnographic research, and case studies (Hopnick, 2102; Li, et al, 2017; Serino, 2017; Suarez-Orozco, et al., 2008) unpack the variety of ways students from different countries navigate such changes. My project, a pilot study conducted in 2017, contributes to this body of work. I present the results of in-depth, qualitative interviews of two international students’ from Korea and China, to explore their perceptions of their experiences in U. S. higher education.
The following questions framed my inquiry, "What are the perceptions of challenges that students confront in the U.S. in comparison to their past educational experiences? How do these perceptions affect international students' schooling?" I explored themes such as differences in students’ expectations and experiences, elements that contributed to students’ psychological well-being in the US, and elements that made the experiences difficult. The interviews addressed students’ feelings and thoughts rather than their academic performance, highlighting the importance of support for international students’ social and psychological adjustments when studying in the U.S.
This presentation would work well as part of a larger panel on a shared topic, individual presentation, or poster presentation. I will present my literature review for 10 minutes, the results of my interviews for 10 minute, and implications for 10 minutes.
