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Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. Three main themes emerged: instructors as mediators, social interaction, and active classroom participation, with additional findings including language ability and education systems.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/african-educational-research-journal-vol-21-exploring-the-academic-experiences-of-african-international-graduate-students/590813/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/african-educational-research-journal-vol-21-exploring-the-academic-experiences-of-african-international-graduate-students/590813.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Stanford","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-07","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What research method was used to explore the students’ experiences?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Phenomenological methodology was used, supported by semi-structured in-depth interviews.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What three main themes emerged from the data analysis?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Role of instructors as mediators, social interaction, and active classroom participation.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What additional findings were identified besides the three main themes?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Language ability and education systems were found, though they were not common to both participants.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},590813,1792167852,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":55,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":55,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":117,"preview_page_count":4},2336477552062,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","African Educational Research Journal  \nVol. 2(1), pp. 35-42, March 2014 ISSN: 2354-2160  \nFull Length Research Paper  \nExploring the academic experiences of African international graduate students in a midwestern university in United States of America: A phenomenological study  \nCatherine M. Aurah  \nMasinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega, Kenya.  \nAccepted 4 March, 2014  \n\n| ABSTRACT\u003Cbr>This research demonstrates that the experience of international students on [U.S. university](U.S. university) campuses is replete with cultural, social, relational, work-related and linguistic challenges. This study explored the experiences of two international graduate students from Africa (male = 1, female = 1) as they adjusted to campus life at a Mid-Western public [U.S. university](U.S. university) where they were pursuing graduate degrees. Phenomenological methodology was utilized to explore African students’ live experiences and hear their voices individually through semi-structured in-depth interviews that were digitally recorded. Data were transcribed, coded, and reported thematically. Three main themes emerged; role of instructors as mediators, social interaction, and active classroom participation. In addition, two other relevant findings also emerged; language ability and education systems. These were relevant to the purpose of the study but were not common experiences for both participants. The findings of this study have implications for internationalization of education globally.\u003Cbr>Keywords: Phenomenology, academic experiences, international student, graduate student. |\n| --- |\n| E-mail: [cataurah@yahoo.com](cataurah@yahoo.com). |\n\nINTRODUCTION  \nInternational governments have viewed study abroad opportunities in the United States as vehicles in which to build academic, scientific and technological capacities (Teferra, 2002) . There are many positive outcomes of international study, such as increasing the diversity of students’ population, adding new perspectives to classroom conversations, increasing one’s awareness, and appreciation for other countries and cultures. However, despite these positive outcomes, international graduate students often face significant challenges when studying abroad, including adjusting to a different culture and educational system. Feelings of isolation, challenges adapting to different learning and teaching styles, financial constraints, and difficulties acclimating to unfamiliar climates and cultures have been recognized in the literature (Jones et al. , 1999) .  \nOver the past 20 years, the world has become  \ninterconnected in different areas, such as trade and commerce, research and development, information technology, and education. Concurrently, the international student population enrolled in American institutions of higher education has grown considerably. More internationals are studying in the United States than ever before. According to the Institute of International Education (2010), 690,923 student sojourners were enrolled in American colleges and universities in 2009/2010, an increase of 30.45% over the period 2000/2001 . In this context, Andrade and Evans (2009) have pointed out that, “The approximately $14.5 billion contributed annually by international students and their dependents for living expenses [in the United States] is significant. This is one of the key reasons for global competition for international students” (p. 7) . In addition, because these students come from different geographic  \nbackgrounds, they significantly contribute to the promotion of cultural diversity in the classroom and on campus, enriching the academic environment and adding educational value to it. International graduate students complete research that attracts grants and helps guarantee future faculty and program growth. Moreover, the diversity of these students provides contact with other cultures and worldviews for fellow students and brings differen","cbCaib4nHnTLJY1M","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaib4nHnTLJY1M","pdf",460106,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction","[{\"question\":\"What research method was used to explore the students’ experiences?\",\"answer\":\"Phenomenological methodology was used, supported by semi-structured in-depth interviews.\"},{\"question\":\"What three main themes emerged from the data analysis?\",\"answer\":\"Role of instructors as mediators, social interaction, and active classroom participation.\"},{\"question\":\"What additional findings were identified besides the three main themes?\",\"answer\":\"Language ability and education systems were found, though they were not common to both participants.\"}]","African Educational Research Journal - Vol. 2(1) - Exploring the Academic Experiences of African International Graduate Students | PDF",1792070470]