Background: In recent years, more international students are enrolling in Educational Administration (EA) programs in the United States. While EA programs wish to recruit and retain international students, more research is needed on supporting international graduate students in graduate education programs and EA programs specifically. Purpose: The present phenomenological study aims to understand the experience of international doctoral students in U.S. EA programs. The present research was guided by the question: “What is the essence of international postgraduate student experiences in EA programs in the United States?” Methodology: The present study used hermeneutic phenomenology to describe and interpret data from 27 interviews. Participants represent six campuses across the United States. Their countries of origin and years of graduate study vary. Results: Data revealed the following themes: 1) Faculty intercultural understanding plays a vital role in international students’ cultural adaptation and success, and 2) Cultural differences in epistemologies and expectations added challenges and confusion. The primary findings of this study is that cultural differences and American epistemology caused misalignment between international students and faculty expectations. I offer policy, practice, and research implications based on these findings.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>Background:</strong> In recent years, more international students are enrolling in Educational Administration (EA) programs in the United States. While EA programs wish to recruit and retain international students, more research is needed on supporting international graduate students in graduate education programs and EA programs specifically. <strong>Purpose:</strong> The present phenomenological study aims to understand the experience of international doctoral students in U.S. EA programs. The present research was guided by the question: “What is the essence of international postgraduate student experiences in EA programs in the United States?” <strong>Methodology:</strong> The present study used hermeneutic phenomenology to describe and interpret data from 27 interviews. Participants represent six campuses across the United States. Their countries of origin and years of graduate study vary. <strong>Results:</strong> Data revealed the following themes: 1) Faculty intercultural understanding plays a vital role in international students’ cultural adaptation and success, and 2) Cultural differences in epistemologies and expectations added challenges and confusion. The primary findings of this study is that cultural differences and American epistemology caused misalignment between international students and faculty expectations. I offer policy, practice, and research implications based on these findings.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Robert, Ping"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lolita A. Tabron","Nicholas Cutforth","Erin Anderson"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:01:39Z","subjects":["Cultural competence in education","Culturally responsive pedagogy","Educational administration programs","International doctoral students","International education","Internationalization","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership","Education Policy","Higher Education Administration","Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration"],"languages":["English (eng)"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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