International Student Acclimation to a U.S. Private High School: Successes and Failures
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
14-1-2021 11:15 AM
End Date
14-1-2021 11:35 AM
Abstract
Reasons why international students come to the U.S. to attend high school vary as the students themselves. Some of these students come to the U.S. to experience the best educational opportunities available, improve their academic standing, increase their chances to be admitted to U.S. universities, quench curiosity, and encounter a new culture. International families, who have secondary students, believe if their children are immersed in a U.S. high school experience, they will be a more competitive applicant to American higher education institutions (Farrugia, 2017). When international students are new to a country, its culture, norms, and language, the availability and adaptability of support services within the high school play a critical role in the students’ success. In this study, the researcher applied narrative inquiry to describe and understand the experiences and insights of the successes and failures of international high school students through the lens of educators, administrators, and sponsors. The findings revealed a direct correlation of adult mentorship and support to student acclimation and accountability, drove the level of academic success international students had at the high school. The academic future of these students was ultimately determined by the roles these adults played in the international students’ high school experiences. By fully understanding this phenomenon, educators, administrators, and sponsors can develop strategies that will fully welcome and assist in the acclimation of international students into their high schools.
Keywords
International High School Students, Mentors, Secondary Education, Acclimation, Success
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2393-5477
International Student Acclimation to a U.S. Private High School: Successes and Failures
Reasons why international students come to the U.S. to attend high school vary as the students themselves. Some of these students come to the U.S. to experience the best educational opportunities available, improve their academic standing, increase their chances to be admitted to U.S. universities, quench curiosity, and encounter a new culture. International families, who have secondary students, believe if their children are immersed in a U.S. high school experience, they will be a more competitive applicant to American higher education institutions (Farrugia, 2017). When international students are new to a country, its culture, norms, and language, the availability and adaptability of support services within the high school play a critical role in the students’ success. In this study, the researcher applied narrative inquiry to describe and understand the experiences and insights of the successes and failures of international high school students through the lens of educators, administrators, and sponsors. The findings revealed a direct correlation of adult mentorship and support to student acclimation and accountability, drove the level of academic success international students had at the high school. The academic future of these students was ultimately determined by the roles these adults played in the international students’ high school experiences. By fully understanding this phenomenon, educators, administrators, and sponsors can develop strategies that will fully welcome and assist in the acclimation of international students into their high schools.
Comments
References
Farrugia, C. (2017). Globally mobile youth: Trends in international secondary students in the united states, 2013–2016. https://p.widencdn.net/xguzsn/Globally-Mobile-Youth-Trends-in-International-Secondary-Students-in-the-United-States-2013-2016