American experience : an interpretative phenomenological analysis of how African international students make meaning of their experiences in the US Universities

Abstract

A lot of importance is attached to the presence of international students in the US universities.However, little effort has been made in producing specific studies about groups of international students with low student populations. As the number of international students in the US is on the rise, the number of students from Africa continues to be low as are the studies about them.African international students (AIS) are in most cases represented by studies made about other populations with an assumption that such populations can represent the AIS as well. This study was based on the realization that there is need for specific studies about AIS, where they are the subjects in such studies and not objects. It was aimed at understanding the actual experiences of AIS and how they make meaning of their experiences in US universities. The study was guided by Kymlicka's liberal multicultural theory and Critical race theory. An IPA was used and engaged six AIS who were purposively sampled. The guiding question of the study was; how do AIS make meaning of their experiences in US colleges and universities and how do they think (or feel) their experiences can be improved? The study found that AIS are never openly coerced to adopt the US culture, but they feel that society expects them to discard their cultures and beliefs in preference for US cultures. Professors were credited for playing an empowering role to the AIS. However, the study also found that there are some professors who do not seem to appreciate the uniqueness of the AIS. It was found that many people in the US rely on misinformation when dealing with people from Africa. Finding a suitable approach to teaching AIS is still a challenge. Overall, the AIS were appreciative of the education they receive in the US because of its emphasis on real life application. However, they were skeptical as to whether that education is suitable for the life situation in some of the African countries.