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The Stories of Transition: A Qualitative Exploration of International Undegraduate Students' Academic Experiences in First-Year Seminar Courses in the United States

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Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore how international undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year seminar (FYS) course perceived and described their academic experiences in a large, public university in the southeastern region of the United States. Guided by Schlossberg's (1984) 4 S Transition Model, this qualitative investigation was conducted through in-depth interviews with 10 international undergraduate students representing different countries and academic majors. The participants' narratives revealed that the academic experiences of international first-year students enrolled in the FYS course can be described as challenging, especially in terms of a) understanding U.S. higher education, b) establishing relationships with American peers, c) navigating academic differences, and d) perceiving the lack of institutional understanding. At the same time, the stories of these 10 students demonstrated that participation in the FYS course had an overall positive impact on students' academic experiences during the first year, especially in terms of a) developing academic skills and competencies, b) developing transferable skills and competencies, c) increased use of campus resources, and d) overall adjustment within the first year. The findings are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and recommendations for practice and future research are provided.
Title: The Stories of Transition: A Qualitative Exploration of International Undegraduate Students' Academic Experiences in First-Year Seminar Courses in the United States.
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Name(s): Krsmanovic, Masa, Author
Cox, Thomas, Committee Chair
Campbell, Laurie, Committee Member
Bartee, RoSusan, Committee Member
Hopp, Carolyn, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore how international undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year seminar (FYS) course perceived and described their academic experiences in a large, public university in the southeastern region of the United States. Guided by Schlossberg's (1984) 4 S Transition Model, this qualitative investigation was conducted through in-depth interviews with 10 international undergraduate students representing different countries and academic majors. The participants' narratives revealed that the academic experiences of international first-year students enrolled in the FYS course can be described as challenging, especially in terms of a) understanding U.S. higher education, b) establishing relationships with American peers, c) navigating academic differences, and d) perceiving the lack of institutional understanding. At the same time, the stories of these 10 students demonstrated that participation in the FYS course had an overall positive impact on students' academic experiences during the first year, especially in terms of a) developing academic skills and competencies, b) developing transferable skills and competencies, c) increased use of campus resources, and d) overall adjustment within the first year. The findings are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and recommendations for practice and future research are provided.
Identifier: CFE0007667 (IID), ucf:52484 (fedora)
Note(s): 2019-08-01
Ph.D.
Community Innovation and Education, School of Teacher Education
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): international students -- first-year seminars -- first-year experience -- academic transition
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007667
Restrictions on Access: public 2019-08-15
Host Institution: UCF

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