Managing Anxiety: A Case Study of an International Teaching Assistant’s Interaction with American Students

Authors

  • Ji Zhou University of Southern California, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v4i2.477

Keywords:

international teaching assistant, academic interaction, case sudy, structuration theory

Abstract

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 feelings, concerns, and strategies of the ITA’s
interaction with American students from the ITA perspective. The assumption is that despite the possible obstacles in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural academic interaction, ITAs have the drive and potential to successfully navigate through the challenging process. Implications for improving ITA training and practices are discussed.

Author Biography

  • Ji Zhou, University of Southern California, United States

    Ji Zhou is a PhD Candidate in Urban Policy with a focus in Higher Education at the University of Southern California. She conducts research on how college impacts students from diverse cultural and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Her other research area focuses on policy and organizational change in Chinese higher education. She uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. 

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Published

2014-04-01

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2014)

Section

Research Articles (English)

License

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

Managing Anxiety: A Case Study of an International Teaching Assistant’s Interaction with American Students. (2014). Journal of International Students, 4(2), 177-190. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v4i2.477