Challenges Faced by Indian International Students in the US
Challenges of Indian International Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/jise.v9i2.2345Keywords:
Indian international students, challenges, cultural adjustment, language barriers, phenomenologyAbstract
Transiting to an unfamiliar academic culture poses several challenges for students. These challenges are more profound for international students who leave their home country to come to the host country in pursuit of higher studies. The purpose of the present study is to explore such challenges that hindered the adjustment of six Indian international students studying in a US university, using the phenomenological methodology. The data analysis generated five themes related to the challenges encountered: (1) living away from family and friends, (2) difficulty in expressing, (3) multitasking, (4) difficulty in fitting in, and (5) lack of positive attitude. Findings have implications for US universities. Higher educational institutions can play an essential role in addressing the challenges to facilitate a positive academic experience for international students.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Alsahafi, N., & Shin, S. C. (2016). Factors affecting the academic and cultural adjustment of Saudi international students in Australian universities. Journal of International Students, 7(1), 53-72.
Anderson, N. (2017). Report finds fewer new international students on US college campuses. The Washington Post.
Baker, R. W., & Siryk, B. (1999). SACQ: Student adaptation to college questionnaire: Manual. Western Psychological Services.
Barratt, M. F., & Huba, M. E. (1994). Factors related to international undergraduate student adjustment in an American community. College Student Journal.
Burbules, N. C. (2002). The global context of educational research. Counterpoints, 180, 157-169.
Chennamsetti, P. (2010). Students from India at a major research university in the United States: A phenomenological study of transition, adjustment, and transformation. Texas A&M University.
Chennamsetti, P. (2020). Aiding International Students to Thrive in US Higher Education. In Academic Language and Learning Support Services in Higher Education (pp. 119-139). IGI Global.
Chennamsetti, P., & Bista, K. (2019). Understanding Indian International Student Experience in the United States. Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress, 3(2), 29-50.
Ching, Y., Renes, S. L., McMurrow, S., Simpson, J., & Strange, A. T. (2017). Challenges facing Chinese international students studying in the United States. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(8), 473-482.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Fritz, M. V., Chin, D., & DeMarinis, V. (2008). Stressors, anxiety, acculturation and adjustment among international and North American students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 32, 244–259.
Garimella, N.K. (2008). A qualitative study examining the acculturation process of Asian Indian in the United States (Doctoral dissertation, Texas Women's University. 2008). ProQuest LLC, (UMI No. 3311815).
Gautam, C., Lowery, C. L., Mays, C., & Durant, D. (2016). Challenges for global learners: A qualitative study of the concerns and difficulties of international students. Journal of International Students, 6(2), 501-526.
Hansen, H. R., Shneyderman, Y., McNamara, G. S., & Grace, L. (2018). Acculturative stress and native and US culture immersion of international students at a community college. Journal of International Students, 8(1), 215-232.
Hechanova-Alampay, R., Beehr, T. A., Christiansen, N. D., & Van Horn, R. K. (2002). Adjustment and strain among domestic and international student sojourners: A longitudinal study. School Psychology International, 23(4), 458-474.
Heng, T. T. (2017). Voices of Chinese international students in USA colleges:‘I want to tell them that…’. Studies in Higher Education, 42(5), 833-850.
Jackson, M., Ray, S., & Bybell, D. (2019). International students in the US: Social and psychological adjustment. Journal of International Students, 3(1), 17-28.
Karuppan, C. M., & Barari, M. (2010). Perceived discrimination and international students' learning: An empirical investigation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 33(1), 67-83.
Kaur, D. (2006). International students and American higher education: A study of the academic adjustment experiences of six Asian Indian international students at a research level II University (Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2006). ProQuest LLC, (UMI No. 3239820).
Leong, P. (2015). Coming to America: Assessing the Patterns of Acculturation, Friendship, Formation, and the Academic Experiences of International Students at a US College.
Lértora, I. M., & Croffie, A. L. (2020). Using Relational-Cultural Theory to Conceptualize International Student Transitions. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 15(1), 30-42.
Mahmood, H., & Burke, M. G. (2018). An Analysis of Acculturative Stress, Sociocultural Adaptation, and Satisfaction Among International Students. Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education: Tensions and Issues, 108.
Mori, S. (2000). Addressing the mental health concerns of international students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, 137-144. Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Myers-Walls, J. A., Frias, L. V., Kwon, K. A., Ko, M. J. M., & Lu, T. (2011). Living life in two worlds: Acculturative stress among Asian international graduate student parents and spouses. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(4), 455-478.
O'Keeffe, P. (2013). A sense of belonging: Improving student retention. College Student Journal, 47(4), 605-613.
Open Doors (2018). Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved August 18, 2019, from https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Open-Doors-2018-Media-Information
Open Doors (2019). Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Open-Doors-2019-Media-Information
Ostrove, J. M., & Long, S. M. (2007). Social class and belonging: Implications for college adjustment. The Review of Higher Education, 30(4), 363-389.
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation methods (2nd ed.). Beverley Hills, CA: Sage
Perry, C. J., Lausch, D. W., Weatherford, J., Goeken, R., & Almendares, M. (2017). International students' perceptions of university life. College Student Journal, 51(2), 279-290.
Pittman, L. D., & Richmond, A. (2008). University belonging, friendship quality, and psychological adjustment during the transition to college. The Journal of Experimental Education, 76(4), 343-362.
Poulakis, M., Dike, C. A., & Massa, A. C. (2017). Acculturative stress and adjustment experiences of Greek international students. Journal of International Students, 7(2), 204-228.
Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P. R., Baker, A., & Al-Timimi, N. (2004). Social support and demographic correlates of acculturative stress in international students. Journal of College Counseling, 7, 73-82.
Rabia, A., & Hazza, M. (2017). Undergraduate Arab International Students' Adjustment to US Universities. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(1), 131-139.
Rajapaksa, S., & Dundes, L. (2002). It‘s a long way home: International student adjustment to living in the United States. College Student Retention, 4, 15–28.
Rudd, M. D. (1990). An integrative model of suicidal ideation. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 20(1), 16-30.
Sandelowski, M. (1996). One is the liveliest number: The case orientation of qualitative research. Research in nursing & health, 19(6), 525-529.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of international students. International Journal of intercultural relations, 35(6), 699-713.
Sümer, S., Poyrazli, S., & Grahame, K. (2008). Predictors of depression and anxiety among international students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 429-437.
Trice, A. G. (2003). Faculty perceptions of graduate international students: The benefits and challenges. Journal of studies in International Education, 7(4), 379-403.
Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S., & Young, T. (2018). Characterizing and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC medical research methodology, 18(1), 148.
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331(6023), 1447-1451.
Yeh, C. J., & Inose, M. (2003). International students‘ reported English fluency, social support satisfaction, and social connectedness as predictors of acculturative stress. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 16, 15–28.
Young, B. N., & Gutierrez, M. A. (2019). Challenges and Barriers to Success as Experienced by One International Graduate Student within the Biological, Psychosocial, and Academic Contexts during the Initial Acculturation Process. Tennessee Educational Leadership, 32.
Zhang, H., Zhou, Y., & Stodolska, M. (2018). Socio-cultural adaptation through leisure among Chinese international students: An experiential learning approach. Leisure Sciences, 1-20.
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Predictors of international students’ psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States: A systematic review. International journal of intercultural relations, 35(2), 139-162.
Anderson, N. (2017). Report finds fewer new international students on US college campuses. The Washington Post.
Baker, R. W., & Siryk, B. (1999). SACQ: Student adaptation to college questionnaire: Manual. Western Psychological Services.
Barratt, M. F., & Huba, M. E. (1994). Factors related to international undergraduate student adjustment in an American community. College Student Journal.
Burbules, N. C. (2002). The global context of educational research. Counterpoints, 180, 157-169.
Chennamsetti, P. (2010). Students from India at a major research university in the United States: A phenomenological study of transition, adjustment, and transformation. Texas A&M University.
Chennamsetti, P. (2020). Aiding International Students to Thrive in US Higher Education. In Academic Language and Learning Support Services in Higher Education (pp. 119-139). IGI Global.
Chennamsetti, P., & Bista, K. (2019). Understanding Indian International Student Experience in the United States. Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress, 3(2), 29-50.
Ching, Y., Renes, S. L., McMurrow, S., Simpson, J., & Strange, A. T. (2017). Challenges facing Chinese international students studying in the United States. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(8), 473-482.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Fritz, M. V., Chin, D., & DeMarinis, V. (2008). Stressors, anxiety, acculturation and adjustment among international and North American students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 32, 244–259.
Garimella, N.K. (2008). A qualitative study examining the acculturation process of Asian Indian in the United States (Doctoral dissertation, Texas Women's University. 2008). ProQuest LLC, (UMI No. 3311815).
Gautam, C., Lowery, C. L., Mays, C., & Durant, D. (2016). Challenges for global learners: A qualitative study of the concerns and difficulties of international students. Journal of International Students, 6(2), 501-526.
Hansen, H. R., Shneyderman, Y., McNamara, G. S., & Grace, L. (2018). Acculturative stress and native and US culture immersion of international students at a community college. Journal of International Students, 8(1), 215-232.
Hechanova-Alampay, R., Beehr, T. A., Christiansen, N. D., & Van Horn, R. K. (2002). Adjustment and strain among domestic and international student sojourners: A longitudinal study. School Psychology International, 23(4), 458-474.
Heng, T. T. (2017). Voices of Chinese international students in USA colleges:‘I want to tell them that…’. Studies in Higher Education, 42(5), 833-850.
Jackson, M., Ray, S., & Bybell, D. (2019). International students in the US: Social and psychological adjustment. Journal of International Students, 3(1), 17-28.
Karuppan, C. M., & Barari, M. (2010). Perceived discrimination and international students' learning: An empirical investigation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 33(1), 67-83.
Kaur, D. (2006). International students and American higher education: A study of the academic adjustment experiences of six Asian Indian international students at a research level II University (Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2006). ProQuest LLC, (UMI No. 3239820).
Leong, P. (2015). Coming to America: Assessing the Patterns of Acculturation, Friendship, Formation, and the Academic Experiences of International Students at a US College.
Lértora, I. M., & Croffie, A. L. (2020). Using Relational-Cultural Theory to Conceptualize International Student Transitions. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 15(1), 30-42.
Mahmood, H., & Burke, M. G. (2018). An Analysis of Acculturative Stress, Sociocultural Adaptation, and Satisfaction Among International Students. Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education: Tensions and Issues, 108.
Mori, S. (2000). Addressing the mental health concerns of international students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, 137-144. Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Myers-Walls, J. A., Frias, L. V., Kwon, K. A., Ko, M. J. M., & Lu, T. (2011). Living life in two worlds: Acculturative stress among Asian international graduate student parents and spouses. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(4), 455-478.
O'Keeffe, P. (2013). A sense of belonging: Improving student retention. College Student Journal, 47(4), 605-613.
Open Doors (2018). Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved August 18, 2019, from https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Open-Doors-2018-Media-Information
Open Doors (2019). Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Open-Doors-2019-Media-Information
Ostrove, J. M., & Long, S. M. (2007). Social class and belonging: Implications for college adjustment. The Review of Higher Education, 30(4), 363-389.
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation methods (2nd ed.). Beverley Hills, CA: Sage
Perry, C. J., Lausch, D. W., Weatherford, J., Goeken, R., & Almendares, M. (2017). International students' perceptions of university life. College Student Journal, 51(2), 279-290.
Pittman, L. D., & Richmond, A. (2008). University belonging, friendship quality, and psychological adjustment during the transition to college. The Journal of Experimental Education, 76(4), 343-362.
Poulakis, M., Dike, C. A., & Massa, A. C. (2017). Acculturative stress and adjustment experiences of Greek international students. Journal of International Students, 7(2), 204-228.
Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P. R., Baker, A., & Al-Timimi, N. (2004). Social support and demographic correlates of acculturative stress in international students. Journal of College Counseling, 7, 73-82.
Rabia, A., & Hazza, M. (2017). Undergraduate Arab International Students' Adjustment to US Universities. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(1), 131-139.
Rajapaksa, S., & Dundes, L. (2002). It‘s a long way home: International student adjustment to living in the United States. College Student Retention, 4, 15–28.
Rudd, M. D. (1990). An integrative model of suicidal ideation. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 20(1), 16-30.
Sandelowski, M. (1996). One is the liveliest number: The case orientation of qualitative research. Research in nursing & health, 19(6), 525-529.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of international students. International Journal of intercultural relations, 35(6), 699-713.
Sümer, S., Poyrazli, S., & Grahame, K. (2008). Predictors of depression and anxiety among international students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 429-437.
Trice, A. G. (2003). Faculty perceptions of graduate international students: The benefits and challenges. Journal of studies in International Education, 7(4), 379-403.
Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S., & Young, T. (2018). Characterizing and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC medical research methodology, 18(1), 148.
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331(6023), 1447-1451.
Yeh, C. J., & Inose, M. (2003). International students‘ reported English fluency, social support satisfaction, and social connectedness as predictors of acculturative stress. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 16, 15–28.
Young, B. N., & Gutierrez, M. A. (2019). Challenges and Barriers to Success as Experienced by One International Graduate Student within the Biological, Psychosocial, and Academic Contexts during the Initial Acculturation Process. Tennessee Educational Leadership, 32.
Zhang, H., Zhou, Y., & Stodolska, M. (2018). Socio-cultural adaptation through leisure among Chinese international students: An experiential learning approach. Leisure Sciences, 1-20.
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Predictors of international students’ psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States: A systematic review. International journal of intercultural relations, 35(2), 139-162.
Additional Files
Published
2021-02-21
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Challenges Faced by Indian International Students in the US: Challenges of Indian International Students. (2021). Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, 9(2), 249-263. https://doi.org/10.32674/jise.v9i2.2345
