Education Commons^™

Discrimination In The Employment Search: Narratives From International Students Of Color, Yi Xuen Tay

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

International students are “taking away jobs from Americans” (Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, 2020). Such a narrative popularized by the previous Trump administration positioned international students in the U.S. as threats to the country, and in this case, American workers. This narrative also targeted existing immigration policies, Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H-1B Specialty Occupations work visa, for allowing international students/nonimmigrants to work in the U.S. Yet, this narrative failed to account to the employment search experiences of international students, or international Students of Color, the subject of this study. While OPT and H-1B present as opportunities for international students, …

Everything Changed: Experiences Of International Students Affected By A Home Country Crisis, Caitlin J. Mcvay

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The population of international students studying in the United States continues to break record enrollments each year, growing to 886,052 students in 2014 according to Institute of International Education (IIE) data (IIE, 2014b). As these numbers increase, so too do the numbers of students affected by crises in their home countries. These students face a number of adjustment issues unique to their situations, and may require additional support from administrators and others at their institutions. This qualitative, phenomenological study explores the experiences of five international students who studied at two public universities in the western United States while large-scale crises …

Examining Cross-Cultural Communication Among First-Year Students At A Large, Four-Year, Research University, Haley French-Sloan

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative case study examines and explores cross-cultural communication among first-year international and domestic students at Great Plains University, a large, four-year, research university located in the Midwestern United States. Specifically, this case study examines the ways in which first-year international and domestic students make decisions about whether and how to interact with one another across culture in the classroom. The literature review discusses both international and domestic students’ experiences and perceptions regarding intercultural communication, and also introduces a variety of barriers and facilitators of cross-cultural communication. Through introducing and relating cross-cultural communication to the goals of international education, the …

Navigating Spaces: Exploring The Impact Of Study Abroad For U.S. Students Of Color, Virginia R. Downing

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Opportunities for international travel are becoming a necessity for undergraduate students in the United States. Students are taking advantage of study abroad experiences that will impact their future and provide benefits that students may not be able to receive in the U.S. The increase in scholarships and variety of cost-effective study abroad programs are allowing students from a variety of different backgrounds the opportunity to travel, which before was only seen as an opportunity for the wealthy. As study abroad continues to grow as a high impact practice, so should the way administrators approach the impact this experience has for …

Undergraduate Chinese Student College Choice: Chinese Student Growth At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Jacob Hoy-Elswick

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this mixed methods study, the researcher explored the importance of institutional characteristics and people who were influential in the college choice of first-year undergraduate Chinese students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). The purpose of the research was to understand the impact and interplay of variables that previous research has shown to be significant in Chinese student decision making and how those variables applied to first-year students at UNL. A quantitative survey was administered to and completed by 25 students (n = 25) and analyzed through multivariate correlations. Qualitative surveys were then conducted with three students to gain depth …

Capturing Awareness: The Perception Of Higher Education At An At-Risk, Urban Middle School, Kristen M. Upp

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study is to understand at-risk, urban middle school students’ perceptions of higher education through the minds of young students from a diverse, inner city schooling background. This study sought to understand barriers preventing students from attending college and the positive contributing factors encouraging them to do so. Written interviews were conducted in an 8^th grade urban middle school in the southern United States.

One hundred five (105) students voluntarily participated in the research study, writing their thoughts pertaining to higher education and their feelings on the topic. The following themes were found: Family Involvement, Financial …

A Portrait Of School Leadership At Senshu University Matsudo Junior And Senior High School, Travis T. Brady

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As an important symbolic figure and embodiment of the traditions and character of the school, the position of principal in Japan is crucial. Yet societal pressures and an undefined job description are serving to increase pressures of the position. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine school administrative leadership at a private high school, Senshu University Matsudo Junior and Senior High School. The central research question was: What is the leadership role of the secondary administrator at Senshu University Matsudo Junior and Senior High School?

The sub-questions were: (a) What were the post-war changes implemented in Japanese secondary …

Vietnamese International Student Repatriates: An Exploratory Study, Anh Le

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of Vietnamese international students who returned to Vietnam after graduation from a U.S. higher education institution (henceforth, the repatriates). Areas to be explored include the transitional period, perceptions of the relevance of the U.S. education to their current life, reflections on their experience in the U.S., and their future plans. The knowledge drawn from this study can serve as useful reference information for current and future recruitment efforts, support services, and courses geared toward Vietnamese international students.

The current study aimed to explore the experiences of the mostly unheard …

Expectations V. Reality: A Study About Chinese Students' Expectations And Experiences At A Midwestern University In America, Sarah J. Barg

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to add to the research regarding the expectations and experiences of Chinese students studying at an American university. In doing so, this study sought to examine newly arriving Chinese students’ expectations of what their experience would be like compared to the reality of what their experiences actually were while attending Midwestern State University (MSU). Ten participants participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first set of interviews explored what Chinese students expected their experience studying at MSU to be like. The following interview explored the actual experiences the Chinese students had while studying at …

Internationalization At Home? Exploring Domestic Students' Perceptions Of And Interactions With International Students At A Large Midwestern Research Institution, Sondra T. Schreiber

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this qualitative, interview-based study was to explore international and domestic student interactions and perceptions of international students from the domestic students’ point of view at a large Midwestern research institution. This study concentrated on domestic students who had not studied abroad or traveled outside the United States in order to focus on the concept of internationalization at home.

Eight students participated in the study. They were all classified as seniors (having completed 89 credit hours or more) at the time of participation. The participants’ ages ranged from 21-31 years old. The participants were asked about their interactions …

A Mixed Methods Study Of How The Transition Process Impacts The Autonomy Of Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Linda Kasal Fusco

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods study sought to identify the impact that transition into the practice of teaching had on the autonomy of pre-service secondary teachers of Mathematics. It was based on the belief that a Mathematics teacher’s autonomy depended on: beliefs about Mathematics and how it was learned, reflections on the teaching practice, and social constraints of a secondary school culture. Data was collected between January 2009 and March 2010. In Phase I (Quantitative) the participants (N = 30), selected from ten State University of New York teacher preparation colleges and universities, completed five instruments to quantify the three factors of …