Research suggests that African international graduate students in American programs may face challenges, especially when instruction is online. Research was conducted with African graduates of an online M.Ed. program. Perceptions of the effectiveness and applicability of the program for African contexts, and implications for programming, will be discussed.
Research suggests that African international graduate students in American institutions may face several challenges, and that these challenges may be compounded when instruction is fully online. Conflicting worldviews between students’ cultures and American educational culture have been identified as a source of conflict and discomfort (Mwangi, Changamire & Mosselson, 2019). Students may also feel isolated and disconnected. Erichsen and Bolliger (2011) state that international students perceive high levels of isolation, academically and socially, and that “online international students may feel even more isolated than their traditional counterparts” (p. 309). Research also points to some ways to address challenges experienced by international graduate students. Skinner, Luo and Mackie (2019) claim that more faculty awareness is needed concerning the types of differentiated support that international students might benefit from. Student advisors, as well, may need increased understanding regarding how their international students could be better served through different advising protocols, and increased institutional measures to ensure that these students receive assistance that American students may not need (Curtin, Stewart & Ostrove, 2013).
The presenter designed a qualitative research study to investigate the perceived efficacy of an online Master of Education program for African graduates of that program who continued to reside and work in Africa throughout the study program and after graduating. The purpose of this resesarch was to discover graduates’ perceived effectiveness of the instruction they received in a fully online graduate program in an American university, in which the vast majority of students were Americans residing in the same state as the university. The participants were graduates who had completed their M.Ed. degrees a year prior to this study, all with GPAs of 3.5 or higher. They were all professors in an African university before, during and after their graduate studies.
In this research, the participants reflected on their learning experience, and the application of their learning to their African context. Findings include the importance of relationships, both with professors and with other students, the value of advising, the need to feel that their situations and realities are heard, and the desire for increased video resources. Implications for online graduate-level programming to best meet the needs of this population include greater use of video resources, accommodations for slow internet and intermittent electricity in the design of online quizzes and tests, more activities which foster engagement of mainstream American learners with international students, and better training of professors in understanding the needs and realities of African students. Strengths to retain include the wealth of resources provided and knowledgeable professors, both of which were highlighted as contributing to significant professional growth as educators through their graduate studies.
Online education has opened up a world of possibility for students in Africa and around the globe, and American institutions of higher education are more than happy to enroll these students. However, integrity demands that we serve well the students that we admit. If an American online graduate program is largely designed to meet the needs of American students, the question must be asked whether or not that program is efficacious for students who are neither Americans nor residing in the US. This research has helped to answer this question through participant reflections on the topics of content knowledge, inclusive excellence, organizational supports, student engagement and student learning. After introducing the findings on each of these topics, participants will be invited to share similar experiences or pose questions for further reflection.
Curtin, N., Stewart, A., & Ostrove, J. (2013). Fostering Academic Self-Concept: Advisor Support and Sense of Belonging Among International and Domestic Graduate Students. American Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 108-137. doi:10.2307/23319709
Mwangi, G. C. A., Changamire, N., & Mosselson, J. (2019). An intersectional understanding of African international graduate students’ experiences in U.S. higher education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(1), 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000076
Skinner, M., Luo, N., and Mackie, C. (2019). Are U.S. HEIs meeting the needs of international students? New York: World Education Services. Retrieved from
wes.org/ partners/research/