How Do American Public Universities Help Resolve Adaptation Issues for International Students and The Effects On Their Academic Performance For Lacking School Support
Topic
The number of international students, especially Chinese students has increased significantly in American public educational institutions and the trend is predictable with the popularity of globalization. Since the economy conditions of countries in South Asia have developed significantly over the past thirty years, parents from middle-class families in China are more than willing to provide financial support for their children to study at American colleges. As a collective group, international students and their dependents contribute $21,807,000,000 to the U.S. economy annually. A critical point is that since their funding comes mostly from overseas and not from U.S. sources; this economic contribution to the U.S. society is not only from tuition ($15,812,000,000), but also from the living expenses, local services, and products international students and their dependents consume ($14,394,000,000) and has, in fact, helped create more jobs in the U.S.( Zhai, 2004; Association of International Educators [NAFSA], 2012). Therefore, we can conclude that admitting international students as compared to local students is an efficient way to compensate for the recent loss of state funding and taxation. However, the trend tends to create adverse effects in terms of public higher education's accountability in many flagship universities. For example, currently some state universities collaborate with for-profit recruiting agencies in China and lower the admission requirements in order to recruit more international students, simply because the business is lucrative. Liz Reisberg points out in her essay “Why do we want international students?” (July, 2012) that “When universities take the easy route to recruitment and “purchase” international students by paying agents to deliver warm bodies, it’s hard to believe that they will do the hard work necessary to host and support students from diverse cultures responsibly. More likely a senior administrator sees the opportunity of working with agents as an easy way to increase revenue without an additional budget line for infrastructure or personnel” (Reisberg). The idea that more American colleges "purchase" international students abroad implies that privatizing the recruitment process has enormous economic benefits. It’s tempting to believe that when American colleges use shortcuts in recruiting, they are less likely to make the institutional commitment necessary to ensure international students a successful transition process in college. Consequently, since American colleges lack the understanding of certain unique needs of this diverse group and commit the necessary resources for the services that international students require, more international students suffer from cultural adaption issues. For instance, there are inevitable collisions in terms of cultural differences such as individualism to collectivism. Karin Fischer proposes an idea called the “Classroom Culture Clashes” in her article by explaining: “Colleges adapt to new kinds of students from abroad: Younger, sometimes less-experienced students require more academic and social support. One of the places cultural differences come to a head is in the classroom. American educational culture emphasizes critical thinking, drawing conclusions, and classroom participation. Those may be foreign concepts to students schooled in systems that stress rote memorization and esteem for one's teachers. Tonya Veltrop, director of international and off-campus programs at Westminster, says many of her East Asian students turn in papers copied word-for-word from books and other primary sources. "They see that as respectful," she says. "We'd call it cheating."” (Fisher, May 2011). Therefore, we see that there generates severe consequences if international students are not provided with sufficient support during the adaptation process. Cultural differences and traditions add more difficulties for international students to define the boundary of certain behavior such as cheating and plagiarizing, which in turn creates more obstacles academically in addition to language difficulties. There are numerous cases where there are certain number of Chinese students who are expelled from their colleges due to plagiarizing whereas most are even unaware of the definition and consequences of the behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate how much support American colleges provide for international students that could help them overcome adaptation issues in addition to aggressive recruitment. I propose to consider how much support that American public education provides for international students in terms of their cultural adaptation process and more specifically, whether the result can help explain the growing trend of cheating and plagiarism among Chinese students . Research suggests that pairing counselors/mentors with international students may help them adjust better to American colleges and it is also crucial to provide English courses in order to help them succeed academically.
Topic
The number of international students, especially Chinese students has increased significantly in American public educational institutions and the trend is predictable with the popularity of globalization. Since the economy conditions of countries in South Asia have developed significantly over the past thirty years, parents from middle-class families in China are more than willing to provide financial support for their children to study at American colleges. As a collective group, international students and their dependents contribute $21,807,000,000 to the U.S. economy annually. A critical point is that since their funding comes mostly from overseas and not from U.S. sources; this economic contribution to the U.S. society is not only from tuition ($15,812,000,000), but also from the living expenses, local services, and products international students and their dependents consume ($14,394,000,000) and has, in fact, helped create more jobs in the U.S.( Zhai, 2004; Association of International Educators [NAFSA], 2012). Therefore, we can conclude that admitting international students as compared to local students is an efficient way to compensate for the recent loss of state funding and taxation. However, the trend tends to create adverse effects in terms of public higher education's accountability in many flagship universities. For example, currently some state universities collaborate with for-profit recruiting agencies in China and lower the admission requirements in order to recruit more international students, simply because the business is lucrative. Liz Reisberg points out in her essay “Why do we want international students?” (July, 2012) that “When universities take the easy route to recruitment and “purchase” international students by paying agents to deliver warm bodies, it’s hard to believe that they will do the hard work necessary to host and support students from diverse cultures responsibly. More likely a senior administrator sees the opportunity of working with agents as an easy way to increase revenue without an additional budget line for infrastructure or personnel” (Reisberg). The idea that more American colleges "purchase" international students abroad implies that privatizing the recruitment process has enormous economic benefits. It’s tempting to believe that when American colleges use shortcuts in recruiting, they are less likely to make the institutional commitment necessary to ensure international students a successful transition process in college. Consequently, since American colleges lack the understanding of certain unique needs of this diverse group and commit the necessary resources for the services that international students require, more international students suffer from cultural adaption issues. For instance, there are inevitable collisions in terms of cultural differences such as individualism to collectivism. Karin Fischer proposes an idea called the “Classroom Culture Clashes” in her article by explaining: “Colleges adapt to new kinds of students from abroad: Younger, sometimes less-experienced students require more academic and social support. One of the places cultural differences come to a head is in the classroom. American educational culture emphasizes critical thinking, drawing conclusions, and classroom participation. Those may be foreign concepts to students schooled in systems that stress rote memorization and esteem for one's teachers. Tonya Veltrop, director of international and off-campus programs at Westminster, says many of her East Asian students turn in papers copied word-for-word from books and other primary sources. "They see that as respectful," she says. "We'd call it cheating."” (Fisher, May 2011). Therefore, we see that there generates severe consequences if international students are not provided with sufficient support during the adaptation process. Cultural differences and traditions add more difficulties for international students to define the boundary of certain behavior such as cheating and plagiarizing, which in turn creates more obstacles academically in addition to language difficulties. There are numerous cases where there are certain number of Chinese students who are expelled from their colleges due to plagiarizing whereas most are even unaware of the definition and consequences of the behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate how much support American colleges provide for international students that could help them overcome adaptation issues in addition to aggressive recruitment. I propose to consider how much support that American public education provides for international students in terms of their cultural adaptation process and more specifically, whether the result can help explain the growing trend of cheating and plagiarism among Chinese students . Research suggests that pairing counselors/mentors with international students may help them adjust better to American colleges and it is also crucial to provide English courses in order to help them succeed academically.
Research Question:
To what extent do American public universities provide support for international students during their cultural adaptation process? Also, do international students, especially Chinese students are being adversely influenced academically so that more of them conduct unethical behavior such as cheating and plagiarizing due to lack of school support?
To what extent do American public universities provide support for international students during their cultural adaptation process? Also, do international students, especially Chinese students are being adversely influenced academically so that more of them conduct unethical behavior such as cheating and plagiarizing due to lack of school support?
Theory:
There are substantial research papers that explore the effects of the current trend of the growing amount of international students in American public universities as well as the associated adaptation and acculturation issues that seem inevitable to them. Nowadays, American public universities advocate for the idea of diversity and open their doors for international students to prove its significance. However, the motive behind this movement is worth exploring due to the fact that admitting international students substantially help compensate the loss of state funding. John Aubrey Douglass, the author of the research essay: “INTERNATIONAL BERKELEY: Enrolling International Students Yesterday and Today, Debates on the Benefits of Multicultural Diversity, and Macro Questions on Access and Equity*” specifically analyzes the situation in California. He proposes the theory of a “Zero Sum Conundrum” by arguing that the UC education system forces low-income Californian families to compete the opportunity of going to college with international students due to lack of funding; there will hardly have a balance between two parties and international students tend to win because they have more financial leverages. While Douglass condemns the fact that the UC education system covers its true motives for heavily recruiting international students by saying that it is a way to promote diversity in American colleges, he views international students as a collective group. Nevertheless, as individuals, adapting to Western culture is inevitably a major challenge for international students, especially Chinese students. Undergraduate and master’s degree students at U.S. colleges report various cultural and social issues. These include differences with the norms and social practices of American society (Jackson, Ray, & Bybell, 2013; McLachlan & Justice, 2009; Sherry, Thomas & Chui, 2010); identity complications due to race and ethnicity (Kim, 2012); and disruptions of family relationships due to academic demands and distance from home (Poyrazli & Kavanaugh, 2006; Zhang, Smith, Swisher, Fu, & Forgarty, 2011). These issues are common to both domestic and international students who travel away from home to different college locations. However, there are certain significant challenges that directly affect the international student population, particularly, the lack of English language proficiency and adjustments to differences in teaching approaches (Kim, 2011; Kuo, 2011; Sherry, Thomas, & Chui, 2010; Telbis, Helgeson, & Kingsbury, 2014). Within the American academic culture, students contribute to each other’s learning experiences through group discussions and projects. This level of interaction among students is difficult during the early stages of the international students’ tenure as they are of diverse educational backgrounds with different teaching methods and student values (Kim, 2011; Young, 2011). Furthermore, those who speak English as a second language have difficulties interrelating with peers and instructors, and feel challenged by the expectations of academic writing and oral presentations (Kim, 2012; Sue & Rawlings, 2013). Similar troubles were evident outside of classroom settings as foreign students try to integrate with the American community (Chavajay, 2013).
Since the U.S. individualistic cultural values and collectivist cultural values are significantly different, this leads to international students encounter significant challenges in acclimating and adjusting to new academic and social lives once they arrive on campus (Lee & Rice, 2007; Trice, 2007)” (Ota 3). The idea of collectivism is almost exclusive to Chinese students and that somewhat predicts the fact that Chinese students find it difficult to fit into American society; not to mention that language difficulties create more barriers academically. Consequently, the feeling of being isolated and marginalized serve as a "Neutralizing Technique" that directly contributes to the prevalence of certain unethical behavior such as cheating and plagiarism. The idea of "Neutralization Technique" is proposed in Gresham Sykes and David Matza's theory of Neutralization. They argue that would-be teenager delinquents must find ways to preemptively neutralize the guilt and protect their self-image if they choose to participate in delinquent or deviant behavior. One way to do this is by using techniques of neutralization that provide episodic relief from moral constraint and allow individuals to drift back and forth between delinquent and conventional behavior. Drift is possible because neutralization techniques blunt the moral force of dominant cultural norms and neutralize the guilt of delinquent behavior in specific situations. Sykes and Matza outlined five neutralization techniques: denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victims, appeal to higher loyalties, and condemnation of condemners. In the case of international students' intention to cheat and plagiarize, the technique of "denial of responsibility" and "appeal to higher loyalties" may play a significant role in causing the problems,
In order to further explore the ramifications of cheating as a result of unsuccessful adaptation and acculturation process, we can adopt the theoretical model of TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). According to the TPB, behavioral intentions and perceived behavioral control are the main determinants of behavior. Intentions are determined independently by attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1985; Elliott et al., 2003). Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that in addition to cultural differences that made it difficult for international students to adapt smoothly to American colleges, they also form certain negative attitudes and subjective norms due to the lack of staff support and even negligence. Thus this theoretical framework of TPB provides us with more possibility of understanding the rationale behind Chinese students’ alleged cheating behavior since the issue is not merely an unethical behavior but an inevitable ramification of a failed cultural adaptation process.
Bibliography
Chavajay, P. "Perceived social support among international students at a U.S. university. Psychological Reports: Sociocultural Issues in Psychology", 112(2), 667 – 677. (2013). Print.
Douglass, John Aubrey. “International Berkeley: Enrolling International Students Yesterday and Today, Debates on the Benefits of Multicultural Diversity, and Macro Questions on Access and Equity”. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.3.14. March, 2014. Web.
Elliott, M. A., C.J. Armitage, & C.J. Baughan. "Drivers’ compliance with speed limits: An application of the theory of planned behavior." Journal of Applied Psychology 88 (2003): 964-972. Web.
Since the U.S. individualistic cultural values and collectivist cultural values are significantly different, this leads to international students encounter significant challenges in acclimating and adjusting to new academic and social lives once they arrive on campus (Lee & Rice, 2007; Trice, 2007)” (Ota 3). The idea of collectivism is almost exclusive to Chinese students and that somewhat predicts the fact that Chinese students find it difficult to fit into American society; not to mention that language difficulties create more barriers academically. Consequently, the feeling of being isolated and marginalized serve as a "Neutralizing Technique" that directly contributes to the prevalence of certain unethical behavior such as cheating and plagiarism. The idea of "Neutralization Technique" is proposed in Gresham Sykes and David Matza's theory of Neutralization. They argue that would-be teenager delinquents must find ways to preemptively neutralize the guilt and protect their self-image if they choose to participate in delinquent or deviant behavior. One way to do this is by using techniques of neutralization that provide episodic relief from moral constraint and allow individuals to drift back and forth between delinquent and conventional behavior. Drift is possible because neutralization techniques blunt the moral force of dominant cultural norms and neutralize the guilt of delinquent behavior in specific situations. Sykes and Matza outlined five neutralization techniques: denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victims, appeal to higher loyalties, and condemnation of condemners. In the case of international students' intention to cheat and plagiarize, the technique of "denial of responsibility" and "appeal to higher loyalties" may play a significant role in causing the problems,
In order to further explore the ramifications of cheating as a result of unsuccessful adaptation and acculturation process, we can adopt the theoretical model of TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). According to the TPB, behavioral intentions and perceived behavioral control are the main determinants of behavior. Intentions are determined independently by attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1985; Elliott et al., 2003). Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that in addition to cultural differences that made it difficult for international students to adapt smoothly to American colleges, they also form certain negative attitudes and subjective norms due to the lack of staff support and even negligence. Thus this theoretical framework of TPB provides us with more possibility of understanding the rationale behind Chinese students’ alleged cheating behavior since the issue is not merely an unethical behavior but an inevitable ramification of a failed cultural adaptation process.
Bibliography
Chavajay, P. "Perceived social support among international students at a U.S. university. Psychological Reports: Sociocultural Issues in Psychology", 112(2), 667 – 677. (2013). Print.
Douglass, John Aubrey. “International Berkeley: Enrolling International Students Yesterday and Today, Debates on the Benefits of Multicultural Diversity, and Macro Questions on Access and Equity”. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.3.14. March, 2014. Web.
Elliott, M. A., C.J. Armitage, & C.J. Baughan. "Drivers’ compliance with speed limits: An application of the theory of planned behavior." Journal of Applied Psychology 88 (2003): 964-972. Web.
Fischer, K. “Colleges adapt to new kinds of students from abroad: Younger, sometimes less-experienced students require more academic and social support.” The Chronicle of Higher Education (2011). Web.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen , I. “Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research.” (1975). Web.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen , I. “Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research.” (1975). Web.
Jackson, M., Ray, S., & Bybell, D. "International Students in the U.S.: Social and psychological adjustment. Journal of International Students", 3(1), 17-28. (2013). Print.
Kim, H. Y. "International graduate students' difficulties: Graduate classes as a community of practices. Teaching in Higher Education", 16(3), 281-292. (2011). Print.
McLachlan, D. A., & Justice, J. "A grounded theory of international student well-being. Journal of Theory Construction & Testing", 13(1), 27-32. (2009). Print.
Ota, Akiko, "Factors Influencing Social, Cultural, and Academic Transitions of Chinese International ESL Students in U.S. Higher Education." Dissertations and Thesis. Paper 1051. (2013). Web.
Poyrazli, S., & Kavanaugh, P. R. "Marital status, ethnicity, academic achievement, and adjustment strains. College Student Journal", 40(4), 767-780. (2006). Print.
Reisberg, L. “Why do we want international students?” Inside Higher Ed. July, 2012. Web.
Sherry, M., Thomas, P., & Wing-Hong, C. "International students: A vulnerable student population. Higher Education", 60(1), 33-46. (2010). Print.
Sue, E., & Rawlings, M. "Preparedness of Chinese students for American culture and communicating in English. Journal of International Students", 3(1), 330-341. (2013). Print.
Reisberg, L. “Why do we want international students?” Inside Higher Ed. July, 2012. Web.
Sherry, M., Thomas, P., & Wing-Hong, C. "International students: A vulnerable student population. Higher Education", 60(1), 33-46. (2010). Print.
Sue, E., & Rawlings, M. "Preparedness of Chinese students for American culture and communicating in English. Journal of International Students", 3(1), 330-341. (2013). Print.
Telbis, N. M., Helgeson, L., & Kingsbury, C., "International students' confidence and academic success. Journal of International Students", 1(2), 43- 49. (2013). Print.
Young, A. "First time international college students’ level of anxiety in relationship to awareness of their learning-style preferences. J. of International Students", 1(2), 43-49. (2011). Print.
Zhang, J., Smith, S., Swisher, M., Fu, D., & Forgarty, K., "Gender role disruption and marital satisfaction among wives of Chinese international students in the United States. Journal of Comparative Family Studies", 42(3), 523-542. (2011). Print.
This looks very promising. But alphabetize your sources and use MLA style rather than APA or Chicago, e.g.: Elliott, M. A., C.J. Armitage, & C.J. Baughan. "Drivers’ compliance with speed limits: An application of the theory of planned behavior." Journal of Applied Psychology 88 (2003): 964-972.
ReplyDeleteAlso: maybe you can find better sources on the idea of community for international students. One possibly useful source might be Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" (https://www2.bc.edu/marian-simion/th406/readings/0420anderson.pdf) -- though I think it is the term of his title more than anything in his essay that would be most valuable to you.
Hi Professor, I updated my Research Proposal and would like to hear some of your feedback. Thank you very much!
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