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INTEGRATING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS INTO THE U.S. UNIVERSITY

CLASSROOM: STRATEGIC PLANNING

Article  in  International Journal of Business Research · June 2018

DOI: 10.18374/IJBR-18-2.2

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 IJBR, Volume 18, Number 2, 2018 ISSN: 1555-1296

INTEGRATING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS INTO THE U.S. UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM:

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Joshua E. Bienstock, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, U.S.A.
Cristina Seaman, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, U.S.A.
John LaPerla, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, U.S.A.
dx.doi.org/10.18374/IJBR-18-2.2

ABSTRACT

As U.S. universities continue to experience increased enrollment by international students, the challenges
of integrating international students into the U.S. university classroom becomes more significant. While
international students face challenges similar to domestic students, i.e. homesickness, finances and
housing, they also confront an array of unique challenges arising from the cultural and language
differences between themselves and their domestic counterparts. While research regarding the
challenges faced by international students in adjusting to the U.S. university life in general exists, very
little research exists regarding the challenges they face in acclimating to the U.S. university classroom.
Further, scarce research exists regarding the matter of identifying, from the viewpoint of the international
student, what those challenges are and how they may be addressed. This paper explores the obstacles
international students face in the U.S. university classroom and presents a proposed study to identify,
from the international students’ perspective, both the challenges they face in to adapting to the U.S.
university classroom and their recommendations for addressing those challenges. The proposed research
will employ qualitative in-depth interviews of forty international students at two U.S. universities, to be
conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The research will provide data from which specific
recommendations may be drawn, advising universities how to effectively integrate and acclimate
international students into the U.S. classroom to increase their potential for academic success.

Keywords: International Student; Classroom; Integration; Challenges; Obstacles

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 International student enrollment on U.S. campuses continues to proliferate

Large numbers of international students are traveling great distances to get an education in the United
States (Meloni, 1986; Hayes & Lin, 1994). As reported in the 2017 Open Doors® Report on International
Educational Exchange data, released by the Independent Institute of Education and the U.S. Department
of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the international student population for U.S.
universities reached a record high of 1.08 million students (exceeding 1 million students for the second
consecutive year) in the 2016-2017 academic year. This marks the eleventh consecutive year of
continued expansion of the total number of international students in U.S. higher education.

These international students contribute greatly to the U.S. economy and in turn, create substantial
revenue streams for the U.S. universities and colleges they attend. In 2016 alone, international students
attending U.S. universities and colleges contributed $39 billion to the U.S. economy, in the form of tuition,
room and board, and living expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

1.2 International student enrollment enhances the U.S. University

Beyond the economic benefits, international students share their unique cultures, values, norms, and
languages with domestic students and faculty, enhancing the diversity of the U.S. university (Guo, 2016;
Perry, 2016). International students contribute to the cultural and economic wealth of the U.S. university
making it vital that these universities take all possible measures to maximize the recruitment and retention
rates of their international students (Perry, 2016; Lin & Scherz, 2014). It is in the interest of these
institutions of higher education to take steps to facilitate international students’ adjustment to life at the
U.S. university, both on its campuses and in its classrooms. Facilitating the international students’

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integration into the U.S. university setting increases the students’ likelihood of success, which translates
into increased retention rates, which in turn benefits the university. To maximize the international
student’s chances of overall success in the university, special attention must be paid to academic
success in the classroom (Tinto, 2012).

1.3 The ultimate goal of international students is to achieve success

International students traveling thousands of miles away from home are willing to endure a foreign
climate, unfamiliar language, different food and entertainment primarily to secure an outstanding
education and a good job. Achieving academic success is at the top of the list of challenges the
international student encounters (Ying, 2005; Selvadurai, 1992). This paper focuses on the challenges of
integrating the international student into the U.S. university classroom and the strategies and
recommendations advanced by international students to overcome these challenges, with a focus on
enhancing academic success.

Figure 1. The Conceptual Model: The Challenges International Students Encounter in the U.S. University
Classroom and the Strategies and Recommendations for Overcoming these Challenges.

Classroom
Challenges Classroom
In Common Adjustment
With
International Domestic International
Student International
Students Students Student
Classroom Strategies
For Recommendations
Challenges For Managing 2.
Managing
Classroom Classroom Classroom Academic
Challenges Challenges Challenges Success
Unique to
International
Students
LITERATURE REVIEW

2. EXISTING SITUATION

2.1 The Challenges International and Domestic Students Encounter in the U.S.

All students face challenges when adjusting to the demands of university life: homesickness, unfamiliar
surroundings; making friends, living independently (often for the first time), financial issues, and increased
academic demands, to name a few (Merilus, 2015; Nassim, 2011). International students face these
challenges with the additional hardship of their unique language and cultural backgrounds. International
students often do not share the prevailing language and cultural values and norms of their domestic
classmates, making the challenges of the U.S. classroom more complicated and unique.

Even challenges shared by their domestic classmates, for example, participating in classroom
discussions, take on greater significance when coupled with the likelihood of language barriers and
cultural differences (Lin & Scherz, 2014; Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007). Making friends and forming
relationships with classmates and faculty are complicated by differences in social values and norms,
increasing the risk of clustering with their own social groups (Zhao, Kuh, & Carini, 2005).

These difficulties do not include the many academic and language barriers foreign students face, such as
English language proficiency, understanding lectures, participating in class discussions, and preparing
written and oral reports (Ravichandran, Kretovics, Kirby & Ghosh, 2017; Sherry, Thomas & Chui, 2010).

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2.2 The challenges international students encounter in the U.S.

International students face unique challenges as non-domestic students in adjusting to life as a student of
a U.S. university. These unique challenges include both social and academic challenges, often both.
Social challenges may include making friends, developing social relationships with faculty and students
from different backgrounds, a reluctance to speak up in class, tendency to cluster with other students of
the same nationality, overcoming the challenges of standing out and participating in class, successfully
engaging the professor, integrating into team project participation, and acclimating to classroom etiquette,
and rules of conduct. Academic challenges include matters of comprehension, grades, higher academic
standards, managing new technology, the uncertainties concerning the rules of plagiarism, the
complexities of test taking and completing assignments in an unfamiliar language (See Appendix “A”).

In addition to the difficulties of acclimating to life as a student at a U.S. university, international students
face challenges in successfully navigating the demands of achieving academic success in the U.S.
university classroom. These challenges may also be categorized as social and academic challenges.
Underlying all of the various challenges that international university student encounters, is the effect that
language and cultural differences have on the international students attempts to integrate into the U.S.
university classroom.

2.3 Social adjustment

International students face a wide range of challenges beyond those encountered by the domestic
student often centering around cultural and language issues (Nissim, 2011). International students must
quickly acclimate to the cultural norms and values of the new environment they encounter at the domestic
U.S. university (Ang & Liamputtong, 2008). While many international students are challenged with the
need to acclimate to cultural norms and foreign languages, researchers have found that the degree of the
challenge and the ability to overcome the challenges is dependent on individual personality (Caligiuri,
2000; Swagler & Jome, 2005; Ward, Leong & Low, 2004).

For the overwhelming majority of international students, their enrollment in the U.S. university is their first
time away from home (Yoon & Portman, 2004). The number of students making this life-changing journey
to the U.S. is increasing exponentially every year (Redden, 2016) and the international student
component on the domestic campus is approximately 5.3% of the student body (2017 Open Doors®
Report on International Educational Exchange data released by the Independent Institute of Education
and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs).

Researchers have focused on studying the underlying mechanisms that lead to the adjustment of
international students in the U.S. (Mesidor & Sly, 2016; Gebhard, 2012; Rajapaksa & Dundes, 2003).
Homesickness, culture shock, or perceived discrimination can result in cultural misalignment and hinder
the students’ ability to adjust to the new culture (Bochner, McLeod & Lin, 1977). Other researchers have
focused on how finances, discrimination; English language proficiency, housing and food, and the
process of establishing new friendships affect the adjustment process of international students at U.S.
colleges (Mesidor & Sly, 2016; Lin & Scherz, 2014; Gebhard, 2012; Sherry, Thomas & Chui, 2010;
Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007). Poyrazli & Lopez (2007) indicated that age, English proficiency, and perceived
discrimination led to homesickness and poor adjustment.

Zhou, Jindal-Shape, Topping, and Todman (2008) focus on the extra effort made by international
students to socially integrate themselves into the culture, especially because their family, friends from
their home country and their established social network are all out of reach. Wilcox, Winn & Fyvie-Gauld
(2005) revealed how having social support from family and friends is positively related to the study-
success of first year students.

Having local friends and living with other students has a positive influence on social integration (Wilcox, et
at., 2005). Serveriens & Wolff (2008) revealed that international students feel more “at home” and
successfully finish their studies when they connect more with fellow students and professors while
engaging in extra-curricular activities.

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2.4 Academic adjustment:

Baker and Siryk (1999) define academic adjustment as the degree to which a student is able to
successfully manage various educational demands, such as motivation, application, performance and
satisfaction with the academic environment. They describe four dimensions of successful academic
integration for international students: (1) academic, (2) personal & emotional, (3) social adjustment and
(4) attachment. The personal and emotional adjustment measurement measures the degree of
psychological and physical hardship while adapting to local academic life. Further, Baker and Siryk (1999)
explained how international students manage their interpersonal-societal requirements related to social
adjustment; for example, making friends or being able to work in groups. Attachment also reveals the
level of commitment the student has to the educational-institutional goals. In many studies about U.S.
colleges, the four dimensions of academic adjustment are positively related with study progress and study
performance (Baker & Siryk, 1999).

Challenges to academic/classroom adjustment by the international student include: (1) developing social
relationships with faculty and students from radically different backgrounds; (2) dealing with the
uncertainties concerning the rules of plagiarism; (3) complexities of test taking and completing
assignments in an unfamiliar language; (4) the tendency to cluster with other students of the same
nationality and risking isolation from the other international and domestic students; (5) overcoming the
challenges of standing out and participating in class; (6) successfully engaging the professor; (7)
integrating into team project participation; (8) acclimating to classroom etiquette and rules of conduct; (9)
adjusting to a radically different classroom style and model; and (10) inadequate training of faculty on the
special considerations associated with teaching international students.

2.5 Successful acclimation and integration in the classroom is key to the overall
success of the international student

With the ever-increasing numbers of international students populating the domestic campus and as the
domestic university becomes more reliant financially on the tuition base of the international students, it is
imperative that U.S. universities do their utmost to ensure the academic success of their international
students, which will presumably attract more international students. Greater attention needs to be focused
on the specific challenges and the possible solutions to successfully integrate international students into
the classroom.

Although many scholarly articles addressing the challenges international students face in
integrating into the U.S. university system exist, few have explored the specific challenges of
adapting to the classroom dynamics of the U.S. university. Fewer still address the underlying
issue of how the international student perceives, meets and recommends such challenges be
approached and addressed.

Academic success has been linked to classroom success. Assuring classroom success is
driven by a variety of factors, including high expectation, frequent assessment and feedback,
and promoting classroom engagement (Tinto, 2012). Better grades and increased learning
outcomes have been shown to correlate with classroom participation (Hsu & Huang, 2017;
Sidelinger & Booth-Butterfield, 2010).

Studies have shown that difficulties related to a lack of language proficiency can compromise
the international student’s integration both academically and socially (Ravichandran, et al.,
2017; Kuo, 2011; Hsu & Huang, 2017). However, these studies approach the subject matter
with an outsider’s view to finding solutions to these challenges; the views and recommendations
of the international student themselves as to how these challenges should or have been
addressed are conspicuously absent. Focusing on the demands of writing in English,
Ravichandran, et al., (2017) notes that international graduate students, especially those lacking
English language writing skills (including matters of grammar, syntax, vocabulary and
plagiarism), have reported experiencing feelings of isolation, unfair perceptions and devaluation
of their academic capabilities. While relying on the input of international students in identifying

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the challenges posed by inadequate writing skills, Ravichandran et al., (2017) limits their
conclusions to recommendations and methods whereby instructors might address these
concerns. Kuo (2011), focusing on challenges international students have in communicating
verbally in English, notes that the lack of proficiency in English creates a major academic
obstacle for such students, translating to impediments socially and academically, both inside
and outside the classroom. Kuo (2011) states that the participants identified their language
challenges as primarily affecting them in the classroom or in their ability to interact with others,
suggests several tactics international students might take to improve their language skills.
Student recommendations are not presented.

Hsu & Huang (2017) discuss the interrelatedness of international students’ class participation,
language competence and teacher confirmation, exploring the various classroom challenges
encountered by international students arising from language and cultural barriers, with an
emphasis on language barriers to classroom participation. Citing the work of Sidelinger & Booth-
Butterfield, Hsu & Huang (2017) reiterate the finding that classroom participation results in
better grades and learning outcomes in U.S. universities and present their findings regarding the
influence a positive teacher - student relationship has on international student confidence, which
in turn increases student willingness to speak in class. Hsu and Huang (2017) conclude with a
number of recommendations regarding improving confirmation to encourage international
student confidence and class participation, but do not present any student recommendations.

2.6. Little guidance from international students as to how they perceive the challenges of
integrating into the U.S. classroom and how they strategize to overcome those
challenges to succeed in integrating into the U.S. classroom exists

A paucity of research exists studying how international students perceive the challenges of
integrating into the U.S. university classroom and how they believe such obstacles can be
overcome exists. Research exploring the perspectives of the international students regarding
what challenges they encounter, their experience in dealing with those challenges, and how the
school and its faculty can facilitate how they overcome those challenges is needed.

There is a gap in research relating to how the international student perceives the most effective
ways to address the challenges of classroom acclimation.

2.7. Research Proposal: This section will outline a study to be conducted to address the research
gap which to date has failed to assess from the international student’s perspective the challenges
they face in integrating into the U.S. university classroom and the methods they utilize to
overcome those obstacles.

3. PROPOSED METHOD

3.1 Method: This research will employ qualitative in-depth interviews. Forty in-depth interviews will be
conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The research project will be conducted over the course
of twelve (12) months.

Each interview will explore the international student’s view of the social and academic challenges
encountered by international students in the U.S. university classroom, with an emphasis on the
interviewee’s perceptions regarding the impact language and cultural differences have on the challenges
enumerated.

First, each interview will commence with a grand tour question: “What are the challenges that you have
encountered in integrating into the U.S. university classroom and how have you overcome these
challenges?”

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Second, the interviewees will be asked to more specifically describe challenges they have encountered in
the U.S. university classroom, which in their view impeded, hindered or obstructed their acclimation into
the U.S. university classroom. The interviewees will be asked to identify whether in his/her view, the
challenges constituted a social challenge or an academic challenge to his/her integration into the
classroom.

Did the challenge involve a fellow student, faculty or administrative personnel? How, in the interviewees’
judgment, did the challenge arise from or have some relation to language or cultural differences arising
from the interviewee’s status as an international student? If so, how did such language or cultural
difference impact their adjustment to the classroom? Finally, the interviewees will be asked to describe
how they addressed each challenge identified. In the interviewees view, was their approach successful?
Was the outcome positive? Would the interviewee recommend such an approach to others? What other
recommendations would the interviewee suggest?

Third, the interviewees will be asked whether they have encountered any of the following specific
challenges:

1. Developing social relationships with faculty and students from different backgrounds;

2. Dealing with the uncertainties concerning the rules of plagiarism;

3. The complexities of test taking and completing assignments in an unfamiliar language;

4. A tendency to cluster with other students of the same nationality and risking isolation from other
international and domestic students;

5. Overcoming the challenges of standing out and participating in class;

6. Successfully engaging the professor;

7. Integrating into team project participation;

8. Acclimating to classroom etiquette and rules of conduct;

9. Adjusting to a different classroom style and model; and

10. Inadequate training of faculty on the special considerations associated with teaching international
students.

If yes, the interviewee will be asked what actions they took in response to such challenge? Was it
successful, in the interviewees view? Would the interviewee recommend such an approach to others?
What other recommendations would the interviewee suggest?

Fourth, each interviewee will be asked a series of questions designed to elicit recommendations from the
international students’ view as to how to improve the integration process in the future:

1. Do you have any recommendations for international students as to how they can most
successfully integrate into the U.S. classroom?

2. Do you have any recommendations for your fellow domestic students as to how they can help the
international student integrate into the U.S. classroom?

3. Do you have any recommendations for the faculty or the university administration as to how they
can better facilitate the integration and success of the international student into the domestic classroom?

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At the conclusion of the interview, each student will then be afforded an opportunity to provide any further
information he/she deems relevant.

3.2 Participants: The interview group will be drawn from forty (40) international students at two domestic
institutes of higher education: of the 40 international students, ten (10) will be freshmen, ten (10) will be
sophomores, ten (10) will be juniors and ten (10) will be seniors. In-depth qualitative interviews will be
conducted with the international students to gain insight into the challenges they face in the domestic
classroom and how they approach those challenges given the cultural differences. All interviews will be
recorded with the use of a digital voice recorder. The interviews will be transcribed. The digital recording
and transcriptions will be identified by pseudonyms and numbers.

Recruiting should begin in December, 2018. The interviews should be completed by July, 2019.
Interviews will be transcribed as they are completed so that by December, 2019 the data collection and
transcription will be complete.

3.3 Analysis: The transcripts of the interviews will be reviewed, transcribed and entered into the NVIVO
software program. The researchers will review the interviews and agree on a coding system, from which
the researchers will determine whether any patterns or themes emerge regarding the challenges
international student encounter in integrating into the domestic university and whether the international
students have developed strategies to effectuate successful integration into the domestic classroom. The
researchers will also determine whether any patterns or themes emerge regarding classroom integration
challenges, which the international students have either failed to consider or lack strategies to address.

3.4 Expected Outcome: This research will provide data from which specific recommendations may be
drawn advising universities how to effectively integrate and acclimate international students into the U.S.
classroom to increase their potential for academic success. The benefits to the institutes of higher
education will be greater student retention and increased recruitment of additional students. Further
benefits will be enhanced financial base and improved reputation and branding.

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APPENDIX “A”

Challenges to International and Domestic Student Adjustment in the U.S. Classroom

STAKEHOLDERS TO THE TYPE OF CHALLENGE VENUE OF THE CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE
Domestic and International Students Homesickness University
Domestic and International Students Higher level of academic University
standards (High School vs
College)
Domestic and International Students Financial Aid University
Domestic and International Students Housing University
Domestic and International Students Academic Skillsets (note Classroom
taking, studying for tests)
Domestic and International Students Managing New Technology Classroom
International Students Language Differences (verbal University and Classroom
and written)
International Students Culture Differences University and Classroom
International Students Plagiarism Classroom
International Students Clustering Classroom
International Students Classroom and Homework Classroom
Assignments
International Students Group Project Assignment Classroom
Management
International Students Reluctance to interact in Classroom
class (Shyness or fear of
looking foolish)
International Students Etiquette/Interpersonal Skills University and Classroom
International Students Lack of Clarity with Respect Classroom
to Professor’s Expectations
International Students Lack of Clarity with Respect Classroom
to the Professor/Student
Relationship

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AUTHOR PROFILE:

Joshua E. Bienstock, Esq. earned his J.D. from Hofstra Law School in 1980 and his LLM from New York
University Law School in 1986. He has been an attorney, litigator and mediator specializing in labor and
employment law for over thirty years. Currently he is Assistant Professor of Business Law at New York
Institute of Technology, School of Management and serves as an invited lecturer on matters of labor and
employment relations to Chinese universities and businesses.

Cristina Seaman, DM. earned her MBA from New York Institute of Technology in 2007 and her Ph.D.
from the University of Phoenix in 2014. She owned a wedding photography studio since 2003 in Mineola,
New York and has served the industry of customer service for 15 years. Currently, she is a Visiting
Associate Professor for New York Institute of Technology, School of Management and consults startup
firms on building their business from ground up.

John T. LaPerla, earned his MBA from Hofstra University in 1990. He also earned a Certificate of
Corporate Training from New York University SCPS in 2006. He has been a Corporate Trainer, Customer
Service Call Center for major corporations for 25 years. Currently, he is an Implementation Consultant for

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 IJBR, Volume 18, Number 2, 2018 ISSN: 1555-1296

Edmentum, Inc. as well as an Education Specialist for the Professional Development Program for the
Rockefeller College at the University at Albany. He also is an Adjunct Professor at New York Institute of
Technology and Berkeley College. He has been asked on many occasions to speak at the American
Society of Training.

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