Open AccessWe Are Not All the Same
Author(s) -
Chi Yun Moon,
Shuai Zhang,
Patricia J. Larke,
Marlon James
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of international students
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.47
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2166-3750
pISSN - 2162-3104
DOI - 10.32674/jis.v10i1.770
Subject(s) - acculturation , graduate students , homeland , qualitative research , pedagogy , psychology , interpretative phenomenological analysis , medical education , sociology , ethnic group , political science , medicine , social science , politics , anthropology , law
This qualitative study explored the experiences of six Chinese and South Korean graduate students in the United States. Semistructured interviews and an interpretive phenomenological approach were used in which three major themes emerged: (a) academic challenges and acculturation, (b) academic support from host institute, and (c) cultural and pedagogical nuances. Challenges included language barriers during lectures, discussions and writing assignments, and lack of support services for international students. One significant finding was Chinese and South Korean students do not have the same graduate experiences in the United States. Participants shared how their prior homeland learning experiences (course delivery, relationships with instructors and assessments) impacted their learning, relationships, and academic challenges in the United States.