| International students add value to American higher education in a variety of ways, by serving as student resources, adding diversity to the academy, enhancing cultural exchange, and promoting internationalization of American higher education institutions. However, many international students arrive at their host institutions without being fully aware of the immense adjustment hurdles they must overcome to be academically successful in the new educational system. A number of issues related to academic adjustment, such as language barriers, differences between educational systems and philosophical foundations, different learning strategies, and teacher-students relationships, may pose serious impediments for international students. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological research method to explore four Chinese graduate students' lived experiences of academic adjustment in a public research university in the United States. Purposive sampling was used to identify information-rich students, and in-depth interview was the main data collection method in this study. By integrating sociocultural learning theory into its conceptual framework, this study took a unique approach to the exploration of the important facets of Chinese graduate students' academic adjustment. This study identified close interaction between students' academic adjustment and sociocultural environment. It provided social, cultural, and political interpretations to development of Chinese students' academic behaviors and activities in the United States. It attempted to link field research and theoretical foundation in research on international education, and it made meaningful contributions to literature on adjustment and transition of international students. |
