Sociocultural Factors That Are Important to International Master's Students' Sense of Belonging and Persistence in Higher Education

Autor/in	Burke, Elizabeth
Titel	Sociocultural Factors That Are Important to International Master's Students' Sense of Belonging and Persistence in Higher Education
Quelle	(2023), (302 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, Saint Louis University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	979-8-3795-4221-4
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Foreign Students; Graduate Students; Masters Programs; Sense of Community; Student School Relationship; Academic Persistence; Higher Education; Student Experience; Social Support Groups + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Magister course; Magisterstudiengang; Schüler-Lehrer-Beziehung; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Studienerfahrung; Social support; Soziale Unterstützung
Abstract	The transition to graduate school is a unique experience that is challenging for every student as they leave behind many sources of support and enter a new environment that requires incredible independence to navigate. However, programs and institutions often do not focus on supporting the needs of graduate students specifically. Previous research on the transition experiences of other postsecondary student groups has suggested that the transition to higher education is challenging for all students and that these challenges are more acute for certain student groups whose past educational environments are very different from their new contexts. For these student populations, finding social support during their transition can affect whether or not they feel that they fit in and belong at their institutions, and whether or not they feel that they belong can be a significant predictor of their persistence. Very little research has examined the unique transition experience of international master's students and has often not considered how individual and institutional factors may influence the experiences of this student population. This study used narrative inquiry to explore the stories of 14 international master's students and their experiences with transition, socialization, sense of belonging, and persistence at their institutions. Data was collected through individual interviews and focus groups. Findings suggest that international master's students have not only academic but culturally-bound reasons for coming to graduate school in the U.S. that vary especially along gender lines and that other personal and institutional factors influence how well students form relationships and how diverse these relationships and social networks tend to be. The findings also suggest that, if international master's students have some source of social and institutional support, they tend to feel that they belong, but, due to lack of time, demanding academic programs, and the temporary nature of being a master's student, international master's students are focused on their studies and consider their social life to be a secondary concern. These findings suggest that the ways in which graduate programs and institutions support their international master's students are particularly important for their transition and overall experiences in graduate school in the U.S. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01