Shakamohtaa: Connecting And Coming Together To Support International Student Career Readiness, Sabreena Macelheron

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

In the evolving Canadian landscape, permanent residency acquisition has undergone a transformative shift from land sales to educational credential procurement. Canadian higher education markets post-secondary qualifications to international students (IS) seeking migration routes, posing nuanced challenges. IS, despite holding higher education credentials, often find themselves relegated to non-field specific jobs due to existing disparities in the Canadian job market. Amid this equation, IS grapple with the essential need for pre-and-post graduate career experiences to fulfill eligibility criteria for permanent residency application. This pursuit extends beyond merely aligning with their credentials, requiring conformity to approved national occupation codes aligned with …

A Narrative Inquiry On Chinese International Doctoral Students’ Perspectives On Developing Critical Thinking In The U.S., Shuaipu Jiang

Doctoral Dissertations

Guided by transformative learning theory and Perry's scheme of intellectual and ethical development, this dissertation study examines Chinese international doctoral students' critical thinking development process in the US. The two research questions that guided this study are: (1) How do Chinese international doctoral students understand and conceptualize critical thinking? and (2) How have Chinese international doctoral students developed critical thinking during their doctoral studies in the U.S.? Narrative method design is applied to the study, which interviews eight participants. Using narrative thematic analysis of data, four key themes emerged from the study: a) awareness of critical thinking in Western versus …

Global Mindedness And Its Development Across Space And Time: Illumination Of Lived Experiences From Study Abroad Students And Global Educational Scholars, Haoming Tang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explores the phenomenon of ‘global mindednesses’ and its development as the idealized pedagogical outcome of global/international education. I consider how individuals become globally minded across their life journeys and through study abroad experience under larger conditions and forces. There are three discrete studies in this integrated dissertation format. In the first study, I examined the biographical and autobiographical accounts of thirteen US-based global scholars presented in the edited collection The global education movement: Narratives of distinguished global scholars (Kirkwood-Tucker, 2018). Through a thematic analysis, I identified five major themes in their development of global mindedness: (1) Experiencing war …

Students' Attitudes On Online And Face-To-Face Learning During Covid-19 : A Qualitative Study, Yanying Liu

Lingnan Theses and Dissertations (Doctoral degree)

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore Lingnan University students’ attitudes on online and face-to-face learning during COVID-19. In early 2020, the sudden spread of the COVID-19 pandemic continued across the world and the epidemic had a profound impact on the teaching and learning. In order to reduce potential communication risks, universities have adopted the method of online learning to carry out learning task instead of face-to-face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the perspective of students, this dissertation explores students’ attitudes on online and face-to-face learning during COVID-19 based on the Community of Inquiry Framework. The participants of …

Building Global Skills: Broader Concepts Of Internationalization In An Ontario College, Mariam Raza

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The Canadian federal government, national associations, and internationalization scholars have identified the need and demand for Canadian students to acquire global skills and competencies during their post-secondary education. Opportunities to acquire global skills can be offered through a wide variety of global engagement programs, such as study-abroad exchange programs, faculty-led excursions abroad, and other programs that allow students to interact with the global world. However, these programs are costly and do not consider the significant financial resources students require to participate in such activities. Most at-home students are left out of global engagement programming and therefore do not have the …

Racism Without Race: The Racialization Of Middle Eastern And North African Students At U.S. Colleges, Hannah Mesouani

Dissertations

Although a growing body of literature covers the experiences of international students at U.S. colleges, the stories of those who do not fit into the U.S. racial schema remain untold. This study examined how Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) students understood their racial identities given the United States’ tense history with Islam and the MENA world. Using foundational texts on critical race theory, current scholarship on Arab Americans and foreign-born students, and facets of the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS), this study examined the experiences of MENA students who study amid a national backdrop of xenophobia and racialized Islamophobia. This …

Creating Systemic Support: Cross-Sector Partnerships As A Catalyst To Institutional Transformation For Southeast Asian Student Support, Brianna Lourdes Edoria Pascua

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper investigates the potential impact of cross-sector partnerships between nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and universities on the educational attainment of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, particularly those from disenfranchised or nontraditional backgrounds. Guided by the research question, "Can cross-sector partnerships between NPOs and universities contribute to increased educational attainment among SEAA students?", the study seeks to comprehensively explore SEAA student experiences, challenge the Model Minority Stereotype, enrich SEAA higher educational achievement literature, underline the significance of disaggregated data and cross-sector collaborations, and create an adaptable framework for other communities. By adopting an Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit) lens, the research …

Accreditation Of Teaching And Research Universities In Afghanistan: A Policy Implementation Analysis, Sayed Javid Mussawy

Doctoral Dissertations

The quest for quality has encouraged many countries to establish quality assurance and accreditation models to sustain and improve quality. While some established their own procedures, a great majority of the countries including those in the developing world have adopted quality assurance policies developed in the Global North to respond to internationalization and to participate in the knowledge economy. However, most universities in developing countries lack adequate infrastructure to implement accreditation standards. Thus, investigating the implementation of accreditation policies in developing nations provides new insight into the opportunities and challenges posed by internationalization of quality assurance and accreditation. This study …

Understanding Involvement And Integration Factors For International College Student Persistence, Linda Okoye Fagan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement and integration factors that contribute to the persistence of international students. Persistence and retention are central to improving higher education, and individual student persistence as well as the rates at which students persist have direct ramifications on the university retention rate. With an increased focus on campus diversity as well as a global focus on the internationalization of higher education, it is evident that gaining a firmer grasp on the experiences of international students is necessary in order for institutions to effectively achieve their mission. This study aims to better …

International Students’ Perception Of The Development Of Their Digital Academic Writing Identity Based On Their Participation In An Intensive English Language Program, Francesca L. Nesfield

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. economy receives consistent and increasing benefits from international students in higher education, an estimated $41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year. However, the existing research literature has failed to determine whether Intensive English Language Programs (IELP) adequately prepare these students for college-level composition in digital mediums. The objective of this study is to distinguish the perceptions of how academic digital composition and identity were developed among international students relative to their experiences in an IELP. This dissertation research sought to understand the cultural perspectives of international students around a) their digital writing identity, b) digital composition in academia, …

A Case Study Of Makerere University In Uganda Through The Lens Of U.S. Land-Grant Higher Education, Christina L. Hand

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This case study examines Makerere University through the lens of U.S. land-grant ideal and normative domains in order to provide a deeper understanding of global higher education. A case study uses multiple types of data to create a holistic perspective. As well as interviewing Makerere stakeholders representing diverse sectors, numerous documents and different types of media were analyzed enabling a triangulation of data. Six major themes emerged focusing on Makerere’s aspiration to be a research-led institution, the impact of neoliberalism, challenges in undergraduate education, the importance of reputation and saga, the ever-present role of the Ugandan government, and the continuing …

Virtual Free-Writing Journal Portfolios In An Intensive English Program In Iraq, Charles Mckinney

MA TESOL Collection

Middle-Eastern English language learners (ELLs), specifically Iraqi students, are often not well equipped to succeed in university settings where English is the medium of instruction (EMI) for their intended graduate and undergraduate studies. Oftentimes, they are weaker in their academic literacy skills, when compared to listening and speaking, and need extra scaffolding and/or remedial instruction to develop their reading and writing dexterity for overall academic success. One way to support their writing development is to implement free-writing journal projects that will enable them to cultivate an original writer voice, to think quickly and critically in the L2, and to integrate …

The State Of Speech-Language Pathology In Guatemala: A Case For Creating A New Post-Graduate University Program, Amanda Blackwell

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Speech-language pathology is part of a broader discipline of allied-health professions including occupational therapy and physical therapy. The professionals in these disciplines work alongside doctors and nurses to provide rehabilitative care for people with congenital or acquired disabilities across the lifespan. The organization and application of the field of speech language pathology is in various stages of development in countries around the world. The current dissertation seeks to understand the state of speech-language pathology in the Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) of Guatemala and suggest a specific plan for the creation of a new graduate program for this discipline.

Global Engagement Model For Land-Grant Universities, A Grounded Theory., Lorena Ivonne Ballester

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study is to examine how land-grant universities engage with the public in the era of globalization; to explain the institutionalization of engagement processes accounting for the global context; and, to integrate this analysis into a Global Engagement Model for Land-Grant Universities (GEM) implementing a grounded theory research methodology.

GEM’s foundation is both theoretical and empirical. Applying the intensity sampling method, the universities selected for the empirical base were: The University of California, Davis, Michigan State University, and The Pennsylvania State University. Rather than an exact representation of individual universities’ engagement models, the model is the researcher’s …

Financing Public Higher Education In Afghanistan: Alternative Sources And Options, Hassan Aslami

Doctoral Dissertations

Adequate financing is key to achieving the priority goals of higher education – access, quality, and relevance. In Afghanistan, the demand for higher education has increased remarkably while public higher education institutions still rely heavily on inadequate government funding. In addition, the constitutional provision guaranteeing free higher education up to the bachelor’s level in public institutions, the overall weak economy of the country, and the lack of institutional autonomy, contribute to financial austerity in public higher education institutions. This study explored alternative funding sources and options for financing public universities in Afghanistan. An integrated theoretical framework guided this study as …

Prefigurative Politics And Revolutionary Practices Within International Service-Learning: A Case Study Of The Ciee Thailand Program On Development And Globalization, Koni Denham

Doctoral Dissertations

Today's colleges and universities are prioritizing the preparation of students for global citizenship. To meet this need, institutions are focusing their study abroad and international service-learning programs to provide students with international experiences (Bringle & Hatcher, 2011). Government support for such programs is driven by advancing globalization, promoting economic competitiveness, and ensuring national security (Hantzopoulos & Shirazi, 2014). The problem, however, is that participation in service-learning does not guarantee that students will engage in further social action activities upon their return (Hartman & Kiely, 2014). A contributing factor to this lack of engagement is because participants are not gaining transferable …

Orienting New International College Students During A Global Pandemic: Spatiality’S Contributions To Staff Work Practices, Thomas W. Teague Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

U.S. colleges must increasingly respond to a wide range of complex forces and simultaneously fulfill their missions and support students. To address many of these forces, some have turned to internationalization efforts like recruiting and enrolling international students. In light of these efforts, critics have called for institutions to better, more appropriately support these students, given their challenges and needs. This call has amplified during the recent COVID-19 global health pandemic.

Traditional student support services tend to center around Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure. Examples of support programming are frequently shared, yet rarely detail how institutional staff actually perform them …

Fostering Music Performers In The 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective Toward A New Curricular Agenda For Graduate Study In Music, Andre Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

What if the core curriculum for graduate students in music performance were designed to prepare students to succeed in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

This dissertation offers a hypothetical answer: a structured and systematic academic curricular framework for music graduate students of performance of concert music (especially those in terminal degrees, such as doctoral students), along with music instructors, professional music performers, school administrators, and college professors, seeking to prepare such students for achieving and maintaining a music career more in keeping with the current work environment, especially those skills demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the …

Strategies Of Higher Education Admissions Professionals To Adapt To The Recent Drop In Foreign Student Enrollment At Us Universities, Peter Plass

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this capstone is to explore strategies employed by graduate-level admissions professionals to counteract the recent fall in international student enrollment as reported by the US Department of State in November of 2018. The US depends heavily on foreign students for economic gains nationally and financial stability at the institutional level. Through the semi-structured interviews with five international admissions professions, this qualitative research study examined the factors that may drive international students away from the US. The findings of this study demonstrate that the cost of education, violence, bigotry on campus, the national anti-immigrant discourse, and the inability …

International Student Perceptual Challenges And Coping Within Higher Education, Edmund Martelli

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Edmund Martelli on July 24, 2020.

Examining How White College Women Make Meaning Of Their Identities And Experiences After Studying Abroad In A Non-European Country, Damaris Renee Crocker De Ruiter

Masters Theses

One of the many ways higher education institutions attempt to provide students with an opportunity to examine conflicting identities is through study abroad experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore how White college women make meaning of their privileged and oppressed identities after returning from studying abroad in a non-European country. It focused specifically on issues related to their gender identity, racial identity, and their nationality. This qualitative study was rooted in grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014). The theoretical frameworks guiding this study were the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (MMDI) (Jones & McEwen, 2000; Abes, Jones, & …

Influencing College Choice: Enrollment Factors For International Students At A Private Research University In The Northeast, Erin Slocum

Capstone Collection

This study aims to understand the factors that influence international students' decisions to enroll at a private research university in the Northeast. Through interviews with current students and staff members at the university, the study gathered data about trends in enrollment, how students learned about the university, obstacles faced by international students in the application process, and finally what factors were most important in their enrollment decisions. The most important factors in an international student's decision to enroll in the university were cost, environment, and recommendations. Due to the limited diversity in the demographics of the student participants, there is …

Motivations, Impact And Outcomes Affiliated With Short-Term Study Abroad Programs For Business Students, Laura Katherine Skipper

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Are Some Horizons Broader Than Others? Study Abroad, Inequality, And The Influence On Careers And Education., Suzan Kommers

Doctoral Dissertations

Study abroad is one of the main ways in which higher education institutions provide students with the opportunity to gain international experiences. While study abroad is mostly discussed in terms of the beneficial effects on students’ learning and development, the results in this dissertation indicate that study abroad works for some but disadvantages other students. Based on nationally representative U.S. data, I examined 1) disparities in students’ opportunities to study abroad as well as the effect of study abroad on the socioeconomic outcomes 2) early career income and 3) graduate school enrollment. The combined studies in this dissertation provided insight …

Asians Applying For Postsecondary Success: Students, Schools, And Socioeconomic Status, Avery M.D. Davis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Higher education recruitment rates are rapidly declining as schools are stymied by dynamic demographic shifts and a competitive ecosystem. Despite the constant realities of this challenge for tertiary institutions, the complexities of the interplay for demographics, student motivation, parental influences, and school environments during the postsecondary education application process is often overlooked. This thesis analyses how these four domains impact Asian American students within the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) in terms of the number of postsecondary schools to which they apply? This study examines a sample (N = 662) of the ELS by employing multivariate regression analysis on the number …

Who I Am Is Shaped By My Past And Impacts My Future: Exploring Antecedents And Outcomes Of Self-Views Across International, Immigrant, And Canadian Born Undergraduate Students, Anjana Balakrishnan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation focused on how various self-views variables (self-esteem, self-concept, and self-concept clarity) differ across and within groups of university students, are influenced by internal and external factors, and predict academic and non-academic variables. Key models of self and group perceptions were used in deriving hypotheses (i.e., Shavelson, Hubner & Stanton, 1976; Bosson & Swann Jr, 2009; Stephan, Ybarra, & Morrison, 2009). Across the four studies, self-report questionnaires were used. Studies 1 and 4 were completed online by international, immigrant, and Canadian born students. Studies 2 and 3 examined only international students, involved an experimental manipulation, and were conducted in-lab. …

A Comparative Analysis Of Saudi Women’S Educational Experiences In Graduate English Programs In Two International Contexts: Saudi Arabia And The United States, Kholod Sendi

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Although there are a significant number of Saudi females pursuing graduate degrees in Saudi Arabia and abroad, few studies have examined their educational experiences. This qualitative multi-case study examines the educational experiences of ten Saudi females who graduated with a master’s degree in an English language related field in two international contexts: American universities and Saudi universities. By conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews and document analysis, this study explored the challenges these two groups faced and the strategies they used to succeed in higher education institutions in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. This study discusses the roles that culture, religion, gender, …

Afghan Students’ Academic Experiences And Cultural Adjustment In The United States, Ayesha Sabri

Capstone Collection

This study explores Afghan students’ academic experiences in pursuing graduate studies in the United States and contributes to the scarce literature on the adjustment experiences of Afghan students in the US. Data was obtained by employing a qualitative research methodology, particularly phenomenology, through individual interviews with four participants. The findings of this study reveal that the education these participants received throughout their schooling in Afghanistan was rote learning and teacher-centered. Studying in the US, Afghan students experienced a range of academic challenges (teaching methodologies, educational practices, language, research, and educational facilities). They were also confronted with non-academic challenges (social, cultural, …

How Do Program Recruiters At One Ontario University Interpret The Internationalization Strategic Plan?, Jing Qu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines how program recruiters interpret a university’s internationalization strategic plan in Ontario, and how they translate this policy initiative into Chinese international students’ recruiting at the graduate level. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the processes related to the internationalization of higher education in Canada, this study explores recruitment as one key aspect of the university’s internationalization efforts. A qualitative research approach was used in designing this study. The data was gathered from three Ontario universities’ internationalization policy initiatives and semi-structured interviews with recruiters from a research-intensive university in Ontario. The findings demonstrate significant implications for …

The Effects Of Stem Education On Economic Growth, Mallory Croak

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to build on existing studies of human capital and returns to education with a focus on innovation-fueling, STEM-based education, to answer: How does STEM education affect macroeconomic growth across different countries? A review of literature reveals that many studies account for human capital in growth equations, measured as average years of education. However, educational attainment as a measure of human capital leaves out the additional impact of research, technological know-how and innovation on growth. This thesis seeks to bridge some of the overlap between education and innovation as it affects productivity by focusing on education in STEM—fields …