BLACK AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL ADULT STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Open Access
- Author:
- Mwaura, John N.
- Graduate Program:
- Adult Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Education
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- November 05, 2007
- Committee Members:
- Elizabeth Jean Tisdell, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Patricia Angelica Cranton, Committee Member
Senel Poyrazli, Committee Member
Peter Jones Kareithi, Committee Member - Keywords:
- international students
adult students
nontraditional students
Black africans
phenomenology
heuristic - Abstract:
- Abstract Making the decision to attend higher educational institutions in the United States is a major life event that affects non-traditional-age, adult international students. Much has been written on international students in psychology and sociology but hardly any literature exists addressing non-traditional-age or adult international students per se. This lack of literature on adult international learners in adult and higher education is an indication that this population of learners and their contributions to higher education has been overlooked. Even more lacking are literature addressing Black African adult international students. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of adjusting to U.S. culture among non-traditional-age, adult Black African international students while attending predominantly White higher education institutions. This study explored how the role of race as well as cultural background informs their experiences as Black African adult international students, thus distinguishing them from other international students. In order to explore the lived experiences of these students, a qualitative research method drawing largely on heuristic phenomenology as well as insights from critical race theory as applied to research was employed. Purposive sampling was used to identify participants for this study and in-depth personal interviews as well as a focus group interview were the primary means of data collection. The theoretical framework for the study is drawn from three intersecting areas. Critical Race Theory and sociocultural theories drawing from John Ogbu, Franz Fanon, and scholars from adult and higher education inform the educational aspects of this study. These theoretical approaches are relevant to the study since they explicitly attend to culture, ethnicity, race, class, and gender that affect adult Black African international students in the U.S. system of higher education. Given the emphasis on international students’ adjustment, Jandt’s (2004) acculturation model also informs this study Five themes emerged from this research that constituted the experiences of Black African international adult students. First, the perceived motivations that influenced Black African adult international students to study in the United States are highlighted to give background to the study. The second set of findings focus on the challenges encountered by participants as a result of facing a new educational system. The third set of findings focus more specifically on participants’ growing awareness of race, while the fourth set deal with the realities of being in a new culture. The last set of findings center on post-arrival experiences in the United States’ educational journey. The study provides key implications for adult education and also recommendations for faculty and higher education administration working with Black African adult international students on American university campuses.