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 …

Enhancing Academic Preparedness Of International Students Coming To X University For Post-Secondary Education, Gurneet Singh Anand

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

International students comprise an increasing demographic on Canadian campuses and represent increasing diversity in the higher education sector. Student transitions to higher education relate to concepts of equity and inclusivity with respect to these institutions providing the best chances for all students to succeed. Similar to other higher education institutions in Canada, X University is in the unique and somewhat difficult position of navigating the effects of globalization. As X University has seen steady influxes of international students, the faculty, staff and domestic students are realizing that the international students themselves have been facing integration difficulties within the university and …

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 …

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 …

The Experiences Of International Graduate Students From Latin America In Their Transition Of Graduating And Finding A Job In The United States, Natalia Hernandez, Natalia Hernandez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to conduct a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the lived experiences of international graduate students from Latin America in the United States as they transition from their studies to finding a full-time job in the United States. The most common themes mentioned in the different sections of the interviews were: the different dynamics in their identity, the benefits, and limitations of their status in the American context, and how their professional development and economy are impacted while being international graduate students from Latin America. Student service departments such as the Career Service department, …

Academic & Cultural Perceptions And Experiences Of International Students At A Hispanic Serving Institution Of Higher Education, Samantha Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

International student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions is steadily increasing. In 2018/2019, more than one million international students were pursuing their higher education in the U.S.

This study aims to discover and learn more about the academic and cultural perceptions, as well as on-campus experiences of the international students in relation to their campus life, academics, and student services at a Hispanic Serving Institution of higher education in South Texas.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis to describe the philosophical assumptions and inquiry method. The quantitative research was designed as an online survey, which included several areas of student interest in …

International Graduate Students' Involvement And Overall Satisfaction With Their College Experience, Lauren Pollara

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this mixed method explanatory study was to examine the involvement patterns and priorities of Rowan University international graduate students and their overall college experience and satisfaction. The study further explored what services are most used from international graduate students at Rowan University. The survey sample included the available population of all international graduate students on an F-1 student visa studying at Rowan University's main campus in Glassboro, New Jersey who were registered for classes during the 2020-2021 academic year. Of the 145 students, 33 responded to the survey in its entirety, yielding a 22.8% response rate. The …

Unfamiliar Territory: A Preliminary Exploration Of The Experiences Of International Junior Transfer Students, Nicole Mcintyre

Master's Theses

Over one million international students attend American institutions of higher education each year. For many of these students, community colleges are an accessible and increasingly popular enrollment option because they offer small class sizes, intensive English language courses, and affordable tuition costs. Many international students enrolled in community college seek to transfer to a four-year university and complete a Bachelor’s degree. To date, the experiences of international students who successfully complete this transfer pathway have gone largely unstudied. As a result, very little is known about the international junior transfer population. This qualitative study utilizes a phenomenology methodology to explore …

The Importance Of Leadership Motivational Activities In Encouraging International Students To Return To Their Tier 1 Universities, Eric Hall

Dissertations

Abstract

The problem is international students are not returning to their undergraduate Tier 1 institutions during a period when quality student enrollment is essential, and there is scant research on academic advising strategies that can be used to combat international student attrition at these universities (O’Keefe, 2013). Studies have often lumped all international students together and made efforts to attract more international students, but the reasons why international students chose research universities, and returned, were not being investigated in this manner (Hegarty, 2014).

The purpose of this proposed study was to gain an understanding of the decision-making and reasoning processes …

English Learners’ Perspectives Of Teaching Methodologies In Community College Eap Classes, Lisa Walker

Graduate Education Student Scholarship

Community colleges provide a popular pathway for many English Language Learners (ELLs). Unfortunately, many of them struggle to pass through the multiple levels of non-credit bearing developmental course sequences in order to improve their academic use of English and thrive in post-secondary work. A qualitative look at perspectives of these English Learners on methodology may provide insight to ways that teachers could modify instruction to meet the diverse needs of students within community college English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. Findings suggest that more explicit teaching about language acquisition and the research-based methodologies that support it along with more consistent …

The Spaces Between Us: A Queer<=>Intersectional Analysis Of The Narratives Of Black Gay International Students, Bryan S. Hubain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of international students along the lines of race and ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and nationality are virtually unknown. This study utilizes experience-centered narrative inquiry to explore the experiences of Black gay international students, and how they are racialized and sexualized in American higher education. Using a Queer and Intersectional framework, this study highlighted power structures and processes that continue to marginalize Black gay international students in the U.S. and in their home countries. Their narratives reflected significant moments or events that were important to them and how they understand their identities and realities. This study provides a strong foundation …

International Students Adjustment To College: The Relationships Between Adjustment, Background Characteristics And Student Success, Ghulam Yahya Ahmadi

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

This quantitative study examined the relationships between international students’ background characteristics, adjustment to college and academic success in the United States. An online survey questionnaire was sent to all graduate and undergraduate degree-seeking international students (935 students) studying in Saint Cloud State University in the spring semester 2016 and 149 (nearly 16%) completed questionnaires were returned. The data was collected using a modified version of Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire developed by Gomez et al. (2014). Independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA tests were used to study the relationship between students’ background characteristics and five adjustment sub-scales. Multiple …

English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement Of International Students: A Meta-Analysis, Rachawan Wongtrirat

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Studies have been conducted to determine the impact of English language on the academic achievement of international students in higher education institutions in the United States. The results of these investigations have been varied and at times contradictory. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate studies from 1987–2009 that examined the correlation between the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) on grade point average (GPA) and course completion. The results indicated that the TOEFL has a small predictive ability on GPA and course completion of international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The findings are …