Journal Article Discussion Beyond the amusement, puzzlement and challenges: an enquiry into international students’ academic acculturation. Eliott, D. L., Reid, K. and Baumfield, V. (2015),  Studies in Higher Education.  DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2015.1029903

Our Team Members: Presenters: Linda Lai Dorothy Li Classifier:        Kevin Chow Critics:            Carmen Ho                      Athen Chung Defender:      David Russell

Presenters  Linda Lai & Dorothy Li 

In this section....  Aims Research Design Major Findings 

Aims  To investigate the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with a retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students;

Aims  To investigate the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with a retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students; To explore the non-British early career academics’ experiences including excitement, puzzlement and challenges while embarking to study and live in UK;

Aims  To investigate the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with a retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students; To explore the non-British early career academics’ experiences including excitement, puzzlement and challenges while embarking to study and live in UK; To examine the interconnection of their personal, societal and academic components that enable the transition; and

Aims  To investigate the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with a retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students; To explore the non-British early career academics’s experiences including excitement, puzzlement and challenges while embarking to study and live in UK; To examine the interconnection of their personal, societal and academic components that enable the transition; and To identify the elements that facilitate these sojourns to maximise the benefits in undertaking international education. 

Research Design Interpretivism Exploratory, analytical, reflective, in-depth Phenomenology Two-tiered reflective methodology  Disposable camera for 24 photos - more details to recall, for facilitation 1 hour face to face open interview, discussion on photos

Major Findings  Academic acculturation is a multi-factorials, multi-dimensional and complex construct  Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory Image from Eliott et al (2005)

Major Findings  3. The interlinked between personal, societal and academic elements affects the overall acculturation process; 4. The Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory has helped clarify cross- cultural complexity.

Classifier  Kevin Chow 

Paradigm: Interpretive Epistemology Understanding different constructions of meaning in social interaction (Lecture Notes) To explain the social world we need to understand it, to make sense of it, and hence we need to understand the meanings that construct and are constructed by interactive human behaviour. (Usher, 1996) The researcher plays a further role as interpreter…

How do we gather Qualitative Data? Interviews / Focus groups / Observation /  Ethnographies / Documentary/Policy analysis /  Critical discourse and conversational analysis Case studies /  Action research / Documentary and archival analysis /  Internet research / Visual data and images / Diaries /  Narrative inquiry / Life history / Autobiography/ Autoethnography...... etc. (Lecture Notes)

Exploratory Research  Conducted for a problem that has not been studied more clearly (Shields, Patricia and Rangarjan, 2013) Often relies on techniques such as: Secondary research: i.e. review of literatures  Informal qualitative approaches: i.e. discussions with stakeholders Formal qualitative research: i.e. in-depth interviews What has been done: In-depth interviews  with participants (1hour for each of them)

Analytical Research  A style of qualitative inquiry that describes and interprets the past or recent past (historical) from selected sources (McMillian and Schumacher, 2001) Relies on oral testimonies / oral histories as primary data sources Generate Interpretive understanding What has been done: Application of Interpretative Phenomenological Approach and "NVivo 10" To identify the a hierarchical structure of superordinate themes and subthemes 

Reflective Practices A valuable component within other methodologies, such as ethnography, guided narrative and critical incident analysis.  Strategy employed within qualitative research for ensuring rigour in data analysis. (McDonald, Kevin. 2012) What has been done: Request participants to take photographs that reflect their educational experiences (Visual methods) To trigger, strengthen, enhance and validate data collected in interviews

In-depth Interview Sometimes known as "Structured Interview" A qualitative data collection method that involves direct, one- on-one engagement with individual participants. (Colson, 2017) Useful for exploring perceptions, understanding needs, and identifying benefits, barriers, and outcomes Reason for using In-depth interview: To recollect in-depth and personal meaning of participants' past experience 

Critics Defender Carmen Ho & Athen Cheung David Russell

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015).

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015).

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015). Introduction: contextual issues in UK

This image is in the public domain

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015). Introduction: contextual issues in UK Sampling: Representative?  In examining archival documents, I found that the school's changing student population is a micro-version of the changing demographics of Toronto and Canada (Phillion, 2002)

Martin Packer (http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~packer/IR/IRphil.html)

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015). Introduction: contextual issues in UK Sampling: Representative?  In examining archival documents, I found that the school's changing student population is a micro-version of the changing demographics of Toronto and Canada (Phillion, 2002) 3. Sampling: Bias?

This paper investigates the phenomenological experiences of academic acculturation of selected non-British post-doctoral academics with retrospective focus on their experiences as PhD students (Elliot, 2015). Introduction: contextual issues in UK Sampling: Representative?  In examining archival documents, I found that the school's changing student population is a micro-version of the changing demographics of Toronto and Canada (Phillion, 2002) 3. Sampling: Bias?

Theoretical framework: Using Urie Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological theory of human development, our paper represents a theoretical perspective that can help elucidate and offer a greater understanding of what appear to be complex incidences in international students' experiences.  These incidences can, arguably, be crucial to the success or failure of students' sojourns (Elliot, 2015). Discussion not coherent? 1. correlation of the new vs old systems are not spelled out. Is it a shift of context, I.e., ecological transition or an entire add-on of new ecological system?   2. connection of themes with the systems is not analyzed.   

ecological systems theory Bronfenbrenner's  ecological systems theory

Method: 1. Photo memory? 2. Any Guiding questions in the interview? 3. Subjective view of the researchers on the transcript analysis

(https://interactioncultureclass.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/309/) Phenomenology...advocates the study of direct experience taken at face value...determined by the phenomena of experience rather than by external, objective and physically described reality (English & English 1958 in Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011) Image Author unknown (https://interactioncultureclass.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/309/)

Results:  Major omissions 1. Classification of data is not elaborated 2. The correlation between the classification of data and Bio-ecological system theory

Image Author unknown

"All social research sets out with specific purposes from a particular position and aims to persuade its readers of the significance of its claims: These claims are always political" (Clough & Nutbrown, 2012:4) Purpose... Position... Persuade... Political...

Purpose...! Position... Persuade... Political...

Crowl (1996) asserts that the only essential purpose needed to justify a research topic is that the researcher has particular interest in it!

To understand international student's experiences Can inform aspirant student's decisions Can inform university administration of international students' priorities. Image Author unknown

Nearly 20% of postgraduate students in the UK are international students Image Author unknown

Purpose...! Position...! Persuade... Political...

Purpose...! Position...! Persuade...! Political...

Image Author unknown

Purpose...! Position...! Persuade...! Political...!

Image Author unknown

Q&A Thank you