In this paper, we highlighted the voices of six Nigerian students who lived and studied in China for four to seven years by investigating their educational experiences. We focused on the challenges encountered, the coping mechanisms employed and, ultimately, their post-China reflection, which was an attempt to understand the value of their study…

This phenomenological study explores how familial, social, and cultural factors influence the academic choices, experiences, and career decision-making of Chinese and Indian STEM doctoral students in the U.S. Through semi-structured interviews with three Chinese and three Indian international students, thematic analysis identified five themes and…

As international student enrollments surge in U.S. higher education, understanding their experiences is crucial for fostering an inclusive and successful environment. This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the challenges and coping strategies of international students during acculturation. Data were collected through…

Little is known about the association between emotion regulation strategies and perceived stress in college students, and in particular, the strategies used by international students. The present research examined if differences exist in the use of emotion regulation strategies between Irish college students and Chinese international college…

In this study, we explore the perceived stress and self-regulation of four Chinese international students (CISs) at a public research university in the southeastern United States (U.S.) during the COVID-19 pandemic through individual semistructured interviews. The identified themes include travel restrictions and delayed required tests, mixed…

Employing critical incident technique and the constructivist grounded approach, this study conducted individual in-depth interviews with 13 undergraduate students who had experiences studying abroad in China to find out how American college students perceived their new learning environment in China, and to examine the strategies students employed…

The lack of exchange between international students and host nationals in Japan has long been a pressing issue, yet very little progress has been made to rectify this situation. In this study, we examined this issue by focusing on how international students in Japan perceive cultural contact with their host and home culture members during their…

This hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry explores the lived experiences of Chinese international students at a Canadian university in COVID times with gender comparison. Ten participants between 20 and 30 years of age are interviewed via Zoom meetings and WeChat videos to reveal specific insights they have gained from their experiences. Based on…

In this study, we explore East Asian graduate students' socio-cultural and psychological adjustment in a U.S. Midwestern University. Eight participants were interviewed about their acculturation challenges as well as their effective coping strategies. Data were analyzed using open-coding techniques and five themes emerged: three themes summarized…

In this qualitative study, I explored the strategies that international undergraduate students at a public research Midwestern university in the United States employ to persist and survive their educational transition to achieve academic excellence. Using Tinto's (1987) theory of persistence as the theoretical framework, this paper employed a case…

This case study utilizes structuration theory to explore the complexities in the academic interaction between a Chinese international teaching assistant (ITA) and her American students. Through four semi-structured participant interviews, eight classroom observations, and student feedback, major themes and variations were identified regarding the…

Using interview data from 11 international students, this paper compares international students' experiences at a single American university, and the acculturation issues that they encountered. The students assessed their experiences at the university, both positive and negative, and discussed their perceptions of American ways of doing things.…