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Antecedent to acclimation: the mediating influence of acculturation on international student adaptation

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Antecedent to acclimation: the mediating influence of acculturation on international student adaptation

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Content INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 1

Antecedent to Acclimation: The Mediating Influence of Acculturation on International Student
Adaptation
By
Erik Van Froelich

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August, 2018

Copyright 2018 Erik Van Froelich
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 2
Dedication
To my greatest blessing, Julie Beggs Froelich: You are my tower of strength throughout all time
and eternity.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 3
Acknowledgements
It is vanity and self-deception to believe we are the sole source of our accomplishments. I
acknowledge the influence of the following individuals on my personal journey:
 My wife, Julie, and my children Zachary, Abbie, Emily, Olivia, and Eliza whose love
brings sweetness to my life.
 Mrs. Donna Cartner for convincing me I would waste my talent if I did not pursue a
college education.
 Dr. William Hamilton at Wake Forest University, who taught me to push the realms of
discovery.
 Elder Jörg Klebingat, who models an uncompromising commitment to living a
consecrated life.
 Dr. Lee Perry, who taught me to value the connection between strategy and
organizational design.
 Mr. Harley Snyder, whose friendship has supported me in times of overwhelming
adversity.
 Mr. Scott Rechler, who emulates the qualities of Level-5 leadership better than any leader
I have known.
 Dr. Eugenia Mora-Flores, for her combination of optimistic affirmation and disciplined
dedication to the highest standards of scholarship.
 Dr. Anthony Maddox, who awakened my intellect and reacquainted me with my
curiosity.
 Dr. Monique Data who caused me to believe I belonged in a doctoral program at the
University of Southern California.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 4
 Dr. Jaishankar Raman who emulates the principles of global engagement, inclusion, and
care for the international student.
 Dr. Kathy Stowe whose passion for excellence inspired me to accept no less from myself.
 Dr. Courtney Malloy who taught me scholarly inquiry is simply a tool for enhancing the
lives of others.
 Dr. Julie Slayton who taught me to continue asking the next question and to never assume
I have the answers.
 Dr. Kenneth Yates who emulated the consummate scholar practitioner.
 Dr. Marc Pritchard whose exemplary life and unconditional friendship have made me a
better man in all that I do.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 5
Table of Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Introduction to Problem of Practice .............................................................................................. 11
Organizational Context and Mission ............................................................................................ 11
Importance of Addressing the Problem ........................................................................................ 12
Organizational Performance Goal ................................................................................................. 13
Purpose of the Project and Questions ........................................................................................... 14
Stakeholder Group of Focus ......................................................................................................... 14
Review of the Literature ............................................................................................................... 15
Acculturation Theory ................................................................................................................ 15
Predictors of Acculturative Outcomes ...................................................................................... 17
Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational Influences ........................................................... 19
Knowledge and Skills................................................................................................................ 19
English proficiency. ............................................................................................................... 20
Reflective coping. .................................................................................................................. 20
Motivational Influences on Acculturative Success ................................................................... 21
Coping self-efficacy. ............................................................................................................. 22
Value for acculturative integration. ....................................................................................... 22
Organizational Influences ......................................................................................................... 24
Cultural setting of inclusion. ................................................................................................. 25
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 6
Cultural setting of effective support. ..................................................................................... 26
Summary of the KMO Influences ............................................................................................. 26
Interactive Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................... 28
Data Collection and Instrumentation ............................................................................................ 30
Quantitative Phase ..................................................................................................................... 30
Qualitative Phase ....................................................................................................................... 31
Results and Findings ..................................................................................................................... 32
Statistical Validity of the Conceptual Framework .................................................................... 32
English Proficiency ................................................................................................................... 33
Extraneous cognitive load. .................................................................................................... 34
Use of English as a protective strategy. ................................................................................. 35
Reflective Coping ...................................................................................................................... 36
Coping through self-regulation. ............................................................................................. 37
Coping through managing familial expectations. .................................................................. 38
Coping Self-Efficacy ................................................................................................................. 39
Coping self-efficacy as a source of empowerment. ............................................................... 40
Coping self-efficacy through peer emulation. ....................................................................... 41
Value for Acculturative Integration .......................................................................................... 42
Fluidity of acculturative strategy development. .................................................................... 43
Cultural Setting of Inclusion ..................................................................................................... 45
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 7
Seeking engagement for its instrumental value. .................................................................... 46
The emotional toll of institutional racism. ............................................................................. 47
Cultural Setting of Effective Support ........................................................................................ 49
Perceived inefficacy in support functions. ............................................................................ 49
Deterioration of support satisfaction among Muslim subjects. ............................................. 50
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 51
Solutions and Recommendations .................................................................................................. 52
Knowledge Recommendations .................................................................................................. 52
English proficiency recommendations. ................................................................................. 54
Reflective coping recommendations. .................................................................................... 55
Motivation Recommendations .................................................................................................. 56
Coping self-efficacy recommendations. ................................................................................ 58
Value for acculturative integration recommendations. .......................................................... 59
Organizational Influences Recommendations ........................................................................... 60
Cultural setting of inclusion recommendations. .................................................................... 63
Cultural setting of effective support solutions. ...................................................................... 65
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 65
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ....................................................................... 65
IIEP Change Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 66
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 67
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 8
References ..................................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria ................................. 80
APPENDIX B: Instruments and Protocols ....................................................................... 82
APPENDIX C: Credibility and Trustworthiness .............................................................. 87
APPENDIX D: Validity and Reliability ........................................................................... 89
APPENDIX E: Ethics ....................................................................................................... 90
APPENDIX F: Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations .................................... 91
APPENDIX G: Level 3-Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for
Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 94
APPENDIX H: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ..................................... 96
APPENDIX I: Level 2 Learning Goals ............................................................................ 98
APPENDIX J: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ................. 100
APPENDIX K: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program .............................. 102
APPENDIX L: Level 1 Survey ....................................................................................... 103
APPENDIX M: Level-2 Survey ..................................................................................... 105
APPENDIX N: Level-3 Behavioral Rating Scale .......................................................... 106
APPENDIX O: Level-4 Assessment: Acculturative Stress Scale for International
Students ........................................................................................................................... 109
APPENDIX P: Data Analysis and Reporting ................................................................. 112

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 9
List of Tables
Table 1: Performance Influencers ................................................................................................. 27
Table 2: Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients for Conceptual Framework’s KMO Influencers ... 33
Table 3: Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Comparisons-English Proficiency ........................ 34
Table 4: Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Reflective Coping ........... 37
Table 5: Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Coping Self-Efficacy ....... 40
Table 6: Descriptive Statistics, Sample, and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Acculturative
Value .............................................................................................................................. 43
Table 7: Descriptive Statistics, Sample, and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Cultural Setting of
Inclusion ......................................................................................................................... 49
Table 8: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations .......................................... 53
Table 9: Summary of Motivational Influences and Recommendations ........................................ 57
Table 10: Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations .................................. 61
List of Figures
Figure 1: MWU International Student Acculturative Stress Mediation and Adaptation Model .. 30
Figure 2: Subgroup Means Comparisons to Domain Questions–Setting of Inclusion ................. 45

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 10
Abstract
The objective of this dissertation was to provide a current state assessment of how Middle West
University (MWU; a pseudonym) is performing in relation to its 2020 goal that 100% of its
undergraduate international students entering their junior year will demonstrate satisfactory
acculturative progress. The study employed the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework
to assess the knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors at MWU that mediate
successful international student acculturation and long-term adaptation. The research
methodology adopted the explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach deploying a campus-
wide survey to the undergraduate international student population followed by semi-structured
individual interviews that explored key themes. Seventy-four students completed the survey,
resulting in a 52% response rate, and eleven students participated in the interviews. The data
demonstrated the general MWU international student population report an overall positive
experience in relation to the key dimensions that influence acculturative success, but students
from predominately-Muslim countries feel higher degrees of psychological stress and overall
dissatisfaction, particularly in relation to feeling a sense of exclusion and a lack of effective
institutional support. The data also highlight the overarching value to the international student of
developing reflective coping skills and the adopting a strategy of achieving acculturative
integration. Within the context of its findings, the study presents a series of recommendations
along with an integrated implementation and evaluation plan to help MWU close the current
gaps and achieve its goals for international student acculturation.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 11
Introduction to Problem of Practice
Immigrants typically experience idiosyncratic psychological stressors as they contend
with the challenges associated with adjusting to the sociocultural demands of a foreign
environment. The stressors peculiar to the adaptive experience of immigrants constitute
acculturative stress (Berry, 1980). Acculturative stress is particularly acute for international
college students who not only must adapt linguistically and socially, but must also adjust to a
wholly different academic philosophy and system (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). International
student acculturative stress is both pervasive and profound with 54% reporting high levels of
psychological pressure (Lu, Dear, Johnston, Wootton, & Titov, 2013) and three times the anxiety
of their U.S. counterparts (Stallman, 2010). Unattenuated acculturative stress mediates
dysfunctional psychological symptoms to such a degree that international students represent a
high-risk group for psychopathologies (Lu et al., 2013). Acculturative-stress related
psychopathologies include obsessive-compulsive behaviors (Khawaja & Dempsey, 2007);
psychosomatic disorders (Misra & Castillo, 2004); suicidal ideation (Forbes-Mewett & Sawyer,
2016); and maladaptive coping behaviors (Wei, Ku, Russell, Malinckrodt, & Liao, 2008).
Considering the significant challenges that international students confront, it is incumbent that
those committed to a strategy of internationalization develop the institutional capacity to support
the acculturative success of their international students. One such institution is Middle West
University.
Organizational Context and Mission
Middle West University (MWU, a pseudonym) is a 4,300-student private regional
university with an integrated focus on liberal arts and professional studies. MWU’s espoused
mission is to prepare its students to serve and lead in the community and the world. Over the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 12
course of its history, MWU has earned a national reputation for the quality of its undergraduate
teaching. Undergraduates make up 75% of MWU’s enrollment and can choose from over 70
majors. Graduate students can choose from over 40 masters programs. MWU reports a 13:1
student-faculty ratio, an average class size of 21, and a faculty of which 85% possess PhDs or
terminal degrees. Fifty-three percent of its students are female and 29% of its students
multicultural (i.e., non-Caucasian American). As it relates to internationalization, MWU
leadership articulated a vision of becoming renowned for international programs that prepare
U.S. and international students to lead and excel in a global community. MWU received national
recognitions for its internationalization efforts and has developed an international reputation for
its pluralistic philosophy.
Importance of Addressing the Problem
It is important for all institutions of higher education dedicated to internationalization to
develop an understanding of the processes associated with successful international student
adaptation, the factors that mediate its achievement, and establish the environments that nurture
its development (Bista, 2011; Choudaha, 2016; 2017; Green, 2013). Recent developments in
MWU’s international student enrollment have highlighted the importance of institutionally
addressing the issues associated with international student acculturation and adaptation. From
2008-2014, MWU experienced a 340% increase in international student enrollment achieving a
peak of enrollment of 780 international students in fall of 2014. However, after fall of 2014,
international enrollment began to decline precipitously. As of January 2018, the international
enrollment had fallen to 299, a decline of 62% resulting in an estimated $13 million decrease in
revenue. Alarmed by the rapid decline in international student enrollment, the MWU President
in early 2017 created a workforce to assess the international student experience through the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 13
entirety of its lifecycle (from initial exposure to MWU as potential recruits to their experience as
alumni). Out of the analysis came the recognition of the need to manage and measure the
acculturative transition of the international student in a systematic fashion. This finding is the
impetus for this study.
Organizational Performance Goal
MWU has established the goal that by fall 2020, 100% of its international students
entering their junior year will demonstrate satisfactory acculturative progress. Although,
acculturation is a complex process mediated by many variables, reduction in acculturative stress
is the greatest predictor of successful acculturative adaptation (Sam & Berry, 2010). As such,
MWU’s undergraduate international population’s mean level of acculturative stress is the focal
point for assessment. MWU will use the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students
(ASIS; Sandhu & Asrabadi, 1994) to measure acculturative stress among MWU’s undergraduate
international student population. The ASIS is a 36-question, 5-point Likert scale survey that
ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Higher scores on each item signify higher
acculturative stress (see Appendix Q). Aggregate ASIS scores range from 36 to 180.
For the purposes of determining the standard for acculturative stress, the organizational
goal will be that no international student scores higher than 53 (the 30
th
percentile) on the ASIS
by their junior year. The rationale for focusing on juniors is the belief among international
student leadership at MWU that international students will need to have successfully mediated
the effects of acculturative stress by their junior year to manage the greater academic pressures
presented by upper-level courses. The selection of 2020 as the target date provides time to
implement the recommendations of this study for the incoming international freshmen in fall,
2018 and measure the results in 2020 when they are entering their junior year.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 14
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this study is to conduct a current-state evaluation of the degree to which
MWU is achieving its goal that by fall 2020, 100% of its international students entering their
junior year will demonstrate acculturative success as measured by a mean score of 53 or lower
on the ASIS acculturative stress scale. As such, the following research questions guided the
study:
1. To what extent are MWU international undergraduate students experiencing an
environment conducive to achieving acculturative success?
2. What are the recommendations for organizational practice in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational support that will support international student acculturative
success?
Stakeholder Group of Focus
The stakeholder group of focus was the undergraduate international student population of
MWU. For the purposes of this study, an international student is a nonimmigrant, temporary
visitor to the U.S. for the express purpose of pursuing their education. To receive entry into the
U.S., they must receive an F-1 visa issued by the Department of State through its consulate
offices abroad. The F-1 visa requires that the student attend an accredited institution of higher
education and enroll in a degree-granting program on a full-time basis. If an international
student fails to maintain full-time status, they are subject to deportation after 30 days. This point
is important to consider as F-1 visa status represents a significant source of worry and stress for
the international student. Given this contextual difference, the study excludes students of other
national origins, but who are permanent U.S. residents. As of February 1, 2018, the
undergraduate international student population at MWU numbered 143 students, of which 75%
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 15
were male and 25% female. The international student population represented 30 countries with
the largest subgroups coming from China (34%) and Saudi Arabia (17%).
Review of the Literature
The following section outlines a review of the literature related to the process of
international student acculturation. It begins with an analysis of general acculturation theory, the
role of acculturating in reducing acculturative stress, the positive outcomes related to
acculturative success, and the deleterious results associated with unsuccessful acculturation. The
review then outlines several sociocultural and psychological variables that mediate acculturative
outcomes. The review of the literature serves as the basis for the following section in the
dissertation identifying the key knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that
mediate successful acculturation for the international student.
Acculturation Theory
International students must make psychological and sociocultural adjustments to
overcome the stress incidental to transitioning into a foreign environment, to realize successful
adaptation. The process of intercultural adjustment for all immigrants, has been known by
different nomenclatures such as cultural adjustment (Kagan & Cohen, 1990) and intercultural
adaptation (Rudmin, 2003), however the phrase used most prominently in the literature is
acculturation. Acculturation at its most fundamental level is an immigrant model for coping with
the challenges of living in a foreign environment (Berry, 1980). Specifically, acculturation is the
process of sociocultural and psychological adjustment that mediates acculturative stress and
antecedes cultural adaptation (Berry, 2008; Sam & Berry 2010; Ward & Kennedy, 1994).
Berry, Sam, and Vedder (2006) stated the goal of acculturation is to attenuate the effects
of acculturative stress, a unique form of psychological stress experienced by immigrants such as
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 16
the student sojourner. Acculturative stress mediates impaired mental health, feelings of
alienation, psychosomatic symptoms, and identity confusion (Berry, 1997; Smith & Khawaja,
2011) and is particularly acute for international students transitioning into new sociocultural,
linguistic, and academic settings (Gong & Fan, 2006; Zhang & Goodson, 2011). The desired
outcome of effective acculturation is to ameliorate the potentially deleterious effects of
acculturative stress and achieve adaptation, namely a state of psychological homeostasis in
which the individual can successfully negotiate the demands of the new environment (Berry,
2006).
Acculturation mediates successful adaptation for the international student. In their study
of 958 international students, Rienties, Beausaert, Grohnert, Niemantsverdriet, and Kommers
(2012) found a positive correlation between the independent acculturative variable of social
satisfaction and the dependent variables of social adjustment and academic adaptation. In a
study of 137 international students, Telbis, Helgeson, and Kingsbury (2014) reported
acculturation accounts for 34% of the variance to enhanced academic self-efficacy. Glass and
Westmont (2014) established acculturation is responsible for 55% of the variance to students’
sense of belonging and 12% to improved grade point average. Additionally, acculturation
mediates a sense of cultural connectedness (Telbis et al., 2014), persistence (Glass, 2014), and
feelings of hope and optimism (Jackson, Ray, & Bybell, 2013).
Conversely, unattenuated acculturative stress is a predictor of psychopathologies, chief
among which is depression (Smith & Khawaja, 2011; Ward & Kennedy, 1999; Zhang &
Goodson, 2011). In their study of 354 international students, Wei et al. (2007) found
acculturative stress accounted for 41% of the variance to the manifestation of depressive
symptoms. Constantine, Okazaki, and Utsey (2004) published similar findings in their study of
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 17
320 students where acculturation accounted for 49% of the variance to depression. Acculturative
stress can mediate psychopathologies beyond depression (Lu et al., 2013) as shown by Khawaja
and Dempsey (2007) who reported that 14.2% of the international students they surveyed
demonstrated obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Further, unresolved acculturative stress
mediates lower self-efficacy (Liao, Ferdenzi, & Edlin, 2012) psychosomatic disorders
(Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992; Misra & Castillo, 2004), substance abuse (Jackson, Ray, &
Bybell, 2013), and suicidal ideation (Yang & Clum, 1994).
Thus far, this literature review has established the role of acculturation as a mediator of
international student adaptation, enumerated the benefits mediated by successful acculturative
adaptation, and identified the sociocultural, academic, and psychological corollaries of
unsuccessful acculturative adaptation. The literature review will now focus on the individual and
environmental variables that affect successful acculturation and long-term adaptation. Pursuant
of this objective, the following section discusses the predictors of acculturative outcomes most
frequently referenced in the body of international student acculturation research.
Predictors of Acculturative Outcomes
Building upon Berry’s (1990) work, Ward and her colleagues deconstructed the process
of acculturation into two discrete categories of transition: psychological and sociocultural (Searle
& Ward, 1990; Ward & Kennedy, 1992). International students often experience cognitive stress
as they face divergent host-culture norms, mores, and values (Sam & Berry, 2010). Ward and
Kennedy (1992) posited sociocultural adjustment is a significant source of psychological stress
for international students as they attempt to master the knowledge, skills, and behaviors
necessary to “fit in” (p. 131) and navigate the daily demands related to living in the host culture.
Searle and Wood (1990) demonstrated this point in their research of 105 international students
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 18
demonstrating that the variables related to sociocultural adaptation accounted for 34% of the
variance in psychological adjustment.
An environmental demand requiring extensive sociocultural adjustment is the transition
to a different academic system (Yan & Berliner, 2011). For example, students from collectivist
cultures such as East Asia score significantly lower than Western counterparts on the Willingness
to Communicate scale, a measure of communicative motivation (Shao & Gao, 2016) and
demonstrate substantially lower self-efficacy (Chung & Gale, 2006). As a result, such students
are more apt to be passive in academic settings, putting them at a disadvantage in a Western
pedagogical system that encourages dialectical dialogue and proactive participation (Chang et
al., 2014; Chen, 2013).
Cultural distance can be another source of acculturative stress. International students
from Western nations studying in other Western nations (e.g., Europeans studying in the U.S.)
experience lower levels of stress than their non-western counterparts (Rienties et al., 2012). One
example of cultural distance is the divergence of perspectives regarding interpersonal
relationships. Students from collectivistic cultural backgrounds who place an emphasis on close
relationships experience cognitive dissonance when confronted with the individualistic
philosophy of many Americans whose self-construal values self-reliance (Cross, 1995; Yeh &
Inose, 2003). Such differences can prevent international students from forming close friendships
with American students and are a source of confusion, low social efficacy, and acculturative
stress (Leong, 2015). International students who become cognizant of such cultural differences
and develop metacognitive reflective skills to cope with their emotional responses are more
likely to overcome cultural distance and develop friendships and social support (Smith &
Khawaja, 2011).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 19
This section has provided a summary of the literature relating to the phenomenon of
international student acculturation, the nature of acculturative stress, and the psychological and
sociocultural predictors for acculturative success and long-term adaptation. Within the context
of this review, it is possible to identify specific influences that can contribute to the successful
acculturation of international students at MWU. The next section describes the synthesis and
evaluation of such influences utilizing the performance gap analysis model developed by Clark
and Estes (2008).
Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational Influences
The gap analysis model of Clark and Estes (2008) posits performance is a function of
organizations optimizing alignment between the knowledge, motivational, and organizational
(KMO) influences related to specific objectives. The contributory value of the KMO model is
the simplicity of the construct for the action-research practitioner in conducting root-cause
analyses of performance gaps. The effective application of the KMO model to a problem of
practice can be an important tool in for creating a learning organization (Argyris & Schön, 1978;
Bolman & Deal, 1997; Clark & Estes, 2008; Senge, 1990). The following sections apply the
Clark and Estes (2008) model to describe the assumed KMO influences that contribute to
international student acculturation.
Knowledge and Skills
An assessment of international student acculturation at MWU requires an understanding
of the requisite knowledge and skills that an international student must possess to overcome
acculturative stress. Krathwohl’s (2002) learning model highlights four basic typologies of
knowledge and skills related factual knowledge (declarative), conceptual knowledge (theories
and frameworks), procedural knowledge (knowing how to accomplish a task or process); and
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 20
metacognitive knowledge (awareness of and reflection on one’s cognitive reactions and
processes). The following section discusses two knowledge influences that appear with great
frequency in the literature: the declarative competence of English proficiency and the
metacognitive skill of reflective coping.
English proficiency. Zhang and Goodson’s (2011) meta-analysis of sixty-four studies in
international student acculturation identified English proficiency as the most frequently reported
predictor of successful adaptation by researchers. Language difficulties are a particularly critical
issue for international students as a lack of communicative competence negatively affects
academic performance (Lowinger, He, Lin, & Chang, 2014; Kuo, 2001; Mori, 2000), whereas
academic difficulties are a primary source of psychological distress for students (Yeh & Inose,
2003). In their study of 854 health care students, Attrill, McAllister, and Lincoln (2016) found
that international students and students for whom English was a second language were 283%
more likely to receive failing assessments in supervised job training programs. In addition to
academic adjustment, language proficiency is a major mediator of psychosocial adjustment,
contributing to 45% of its variance (Poyrazli, Arbona, Nora, McPherson, & Pisecco, 2002). The
importance of language proficiency in acculturation is consistent with general studies in student
learning theory in which social-communicative competence accounts for 47% of the variance in
learning (Vermetten, 2003).
Reflective coping. Coping is a vital metacognitive self-regulatory skill serving as a
mediator for both psychological and physiological health (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Heppner,
Cook, Wright, & Johnson, 1995). According to Berry (1990), acculturation represents a stress-
coping model, as coping frameworks center on an individual’s general disposition to appraise
and respond to real-life difficulties, a core component of the immigrant experience (Smith &
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 21
Khawaja, 2011). The most effective coping disposition is the reflective style in which the
individual intentionally appraises and attempts to solve the stress-related issue (Endler & Parker,
1990). The reflective style positively moderates acculturative stress (Akhtar & Kröner-herwig,
2015; Atri, Sharma, & Cottrell, 2007) and is a predictor for greater self-efficacy and academic
success (Wei et al., 2007).
Conversely, reactive coping mechanisms such as emotion suppression and situational
avoidance predict greater acculturative stress (Ezeofor, 2016; Wei et al., 2007). A study of 652
international students by Akhtar and Kröner-herwig (2015) demonstrated reactive coping styles
accounted for 30% of the variance in acculturative stress in their subjects. According to Sam and
Berry (2010), the reflective style is the most likely to result in an integrative approach whereas
the reactive and suppressive styles are most likely to result in less-effective assimilation,
separation or marginalization strategies. An understanding of the knowledge influences that
affect performance goals such as acculturative success is critical; concomitantly it is incomplete
without assessing the salient motivational influences involved as well (Clark & Estes, 2008).
The following section discusses motivation theory and two key motivational influences that
mediate acculturative success: coping self-efficacy, and the student’s value for acculturative
integration.
Motivational Influences on Acculturative Success
Motivation is the non-cognitive causation for human action (Clark & Estes, 2008; Eccles
& Wigfield, 2002) at the individual and the collective levels (Bandura, 2000; Bolman & Deal,
1997; Mayer, 2011). Motivation results from the interaction of the interdependent variables of
values, interests, attitudes, and beliefs (Bandura, 2000; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Shraw &
Lehman, 2009). According to social-cognitive theory, motivation is inherently a sociocultural
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 22
function as individuals develop beliefs about themselves and others from their early interactions
with their environment (Bandura, 2005; Rueda, 2011). According to Clark and Estes (2008),
positive motivation yields the behavioral manifestations of active choice, persistence, and mental
effort. The following sections discuss two important motivational influences mediating
acculturative success: coping self-efficacy and a value for acculturative integration.
Coping self-efficacy. Wood and Bandura (1989) defined self-efficacy as being the
confidence of an individual to successfully summon the motivation, cognitive resources, and
plans of action needed to achieve the demands of specific scenarios. Self-efficacy produces
feelings of optimism and confidence; lack of self-efficacy yields feelings of pessimism and doubt
(Pajares & Valiante, 2006). Bandura (1997) proposed one’s belief in her ability to perform a
task is a greater predictor of success than merely possessing the knowledge of how to perform
the task. As it relates to reflective coping, the international student must not only possess the
metacognitive knowledge of how to reflectively cope, but believe they will be successful in
reflective coping when faced with the inevitable emotional stressors associated with studying in
a foreign environment. This point is consistent with the results of a study of 221 international
students conducted by Ezeofor (2016), who demonstrated coping self-efficacy accounted for
16% of the variance in acculturative stress and 27% of the variance in life satisfaction in the U.S
among her subjects.
Value for acculturative integration. Building upon self-efficacy theory, expectancy-
value theory provides a framework for assessing inter-relationships between beliefs and values in
motivating human achievement. People make an active choice to pursue those activities they
believe they can accomplish successfully and for which they hold subjective value (Eccles, 2006;
Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). As it relates to international student acculturation, Berry (1980) was
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 23
the first to propose a conceptual framework that emphasized the significance of immigrants’ core
beliefs and intrinsic values in shaping individual approaches towards acculturation. Berry (2003)
posited that immigrants must consider two potentially competing issues. The first is the degree
to which immigrants place value on maintaining their identity with their heritage cultures while
living in a foreign society. The second is the degree to which immigrants desire interaction and
participation with the host society on a regular basis. Immigrants’ values, whether conscious or
unconscious, with respect to preserving cultural identity and interacting with the host society,
strongly influence immigrants’ approaches towards acculturation (Berry, 2003; Sam & Berry,
2010).
Berry (2003) identified four different acculturation strategies: assimilation; integration;
separation; and marginalization. Assimilation is the strategy immigrants select when they have
no desire to maintain their cultural identity, prefer close interaction with the host society, and
seek to adopt the host society’s norms, values, and customs. Immigrants choose the separation
strategy when they have a high value for preserving their identity with their cultural heritage,
avoid interaction with the host society, and eschew adoption of the host society’s norms, values,
and customs. Immigrants select the integration strategy when they value maintaining a degree of
their cultural heritage while also seeking to achieve effective levels of interaction and
participation with the host culture. Immigrants select the marginalization strategy when they
have low interest in maintaining their cultural identity and low interest interacting with the host
society. Immigrants often choose the marginalization strategy for two reasons: when pressured
by host society attitudes and policies to conceal or abandon their cultural identities; and when
they experience discrimination or exclusion at the hands of host society members or groups
(Berry, 2003; Sam & Berry, 2010). In a landmark study that included over 4,000 immigrant
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 24
youth located on 13 countries and representing over 30 unique ethnic groups, Berry, Phinney,
Sam, and Vedder (2006) validated Berry’s acculturation strategy framework. The same study
also identified four intercultural influences that shape the orientation of immigrant youth to
acculturation: cultural identities; language use and proficiency; peer relationships; and family
relationship values (see also Sam & Berry, 2010).
Berry’s collective opus of research in acculturation theory has influenced the majority of
studies in international student adaptation for the last quarter century (Smith & Khawaja, 2011).
Multiple studies demonstrate that international students who value acculturative integration
experience less acculturative stress than those who adopt assimilation, separation, or
marginalization attitudes (Smith & Khawaja, 2011; Ward & Kennedy, 1993). Wang and
Mallinckrodt’s (2006) study 104 Chinese international students substantiated Berry’s model as
they demonstrated that those subjects who adopted an acculturative integration strategy
experienced a statistically significant higher degree of psychosocial adjustment compared to
subjects who did not.
Collectively, the literature suggests effective acculturation and mitigation of acculturative
stress requires a comprehensive approach addressing the full spectrum of student knowledge and
motivation influencers. As such, understanding the effect of organizational processes serving the
resident community of international students is paramount.
Organizational Influences
Consistent with the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis construct, the third component of
the KMO assessment requires an analysis of the organizational influences at MWU that may be
impeding or contributing to the acculturative success of international student. The foundation of
the analysis is the assumption that international student acculturative success is the result of the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 25
optimal interaction between the organizational culture, structures, processes, and systems at
MWU that touch the international students’ experience (Bolman & Deal 2013; Clark & Estes,
2008; Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001; Schein, 2004). The following sections describe two
organizational influences that are predictors of acculturative success: a cultural setting of
inclusion and a cultural setting of an effective support structure.
Cultural setting of inclusion. Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) contended that the
cultural models of organizations (i.e., the mental schema, values, and codes that regulate social
interactions) manifest themselves in cultural settings, namely the venues where regular
interactions occur. Both Telbis, Helgeson, and Kingsbury (2014) and Glass and Westmont
(2014) demonstrated cultural settings where international students feel a sense of inclusion (i.e.,
wanted. engaged, and safe), realize statistically significant higher levels of academic and socio-
cultural adaptation than those who do not feel a sense of inclusion. Inclusion improves through
perceptions of care and concern from others (Glass & Westmont, 2014), social companionship
(Ramsay, Jones, & Barker, 2007), and strong relationships with faculty and staff (Glass,
Kociolek, Wongtrirat, Lynch, & Cong, 2015; Rienties et al., 2012). Conversely, perceptions of
prejudice and discrimination sow feelings of fear, self-loathing, depression, and social avoidance
(Wei, Russell, Mallinckrodt, & Liao, 2008).
As it relates to a culture of inclusion, Housman, Spiderman, and De Stefano (2017)
advocated institutions must intentionally commit to strategies providing structural social support
for international students to cope with acculturative stress. These sentiments are consistent with
the call by Dowd, Pak, and Bensimon (2013) for leaders in higher education to reshape their
cultural models and build cultures of accountability where inclusion takes primacy as an
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 26
institutional value. Institutions who seek a cultural setting of inclusion must create a cultural
setting providing effective support for the international student population.
Cultural setting of effective support. Stress and coping models emphasize the
importance of social support in mediating psychological and acculturative stress (Lazarus &
Folkman, 1984; Wei et al., 2008). Social support can include university support providers
(Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992), conational friends (Poyrazli, Kavanagh, Baker, & Al-Timimi,
2004), host national friends (Li & Gasser, 2005), family members at home (Zhang & Goodson,
2011), and international students from different countries (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Effective
campus support mediates a sense of belonging, increases social efficacy, and buffers the effects
of perceived discrimination and prejudice (Young, 2017). Effective campus support functions
mediate international student satisfaction (Otsu, 2008), increase the likelihood that international
students will recommend their stay to peers (Archer, Jones, & Davidson, 2010), and predict
higher levels of international student retention (Perez-Encinas & Ammigan, 2016). Conversely,
universities who fail to support international students effectively experience damage to their
international reputation (Choudaha, 2016), lower levels of faculty and staff satisfaction (Sarason,
Shearin, Pierce, & Sarason, 1997), and increased levels of scrutiny from university boards and
the political leaders of local communities (Green, 2013).
Summary of the KMO Influences
Table 1 presents a summary of the key KMO influences identified in the literature review
that mediate acculturative success and long-term adaptation for international students. Table 3
also presents a description of the quantitative and qualitative assessment tools utilized to
establish a baseline current-state assessment of the nature of the undergraduate international
student experience at MWU.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 27
Table 1
Performance Influencers
Assumed Influence Typology Assessment
Knowledge Influences
English Language
Proficiency
Procedural Quantitative: Crano and Crano’s Inventory of
Student Adjustment English Subscale (Crano &
Crano, 1993).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
Reflective Coping Metacognitive Quantitative: International Student Coping Self-
Efficacy (ISCSE) scale (Ezeofor, 2016).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
Motivational Influences
Coping Self Efficacy Self-Efficacy Quantitative: International Student Coping Self-
Efficacy (ISCSE) scale (Ezeofor, 2016).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
Value for Acculturative
Integration
Expectancy-
Value
Quantitative: The Vancouver Index of
Acculturation (VIA; Ryder, Alden, & Paulhus,
2000).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 28

Organizational Influences
Cultural Setting of Inclusion Cultural Setting Quantitative: Acculturative Stress Scale for
International Students, perceived hatred/rejection
subscale (ASIS; Sandhu & Asrbadi, 1994).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
Cultural Setting of Social
Support
Cultural Setting Quantitative: The Index of Sojourner Social
Support (ISSS; Ong & Ward, 2005).
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews with
undergraduate international students.
Interactive Conceptual Framework
At its most fundamental level, a conceptual framework is a tentative theory that a
researcher constructs from personal research into, experiences with, and investigations of
phenomena of interest (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdale, 2016). Graphical representations of
conceptual frameworks provide a visual construct for contextualizing an organizational problem
of practice (Maxwell, 2013) and shape inquiry by isolating the key variables that influence the
target phenomena of the study, the cause-and-effect interrelationships between said variables,
and explicate how the interrelationships produce the observed effects (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam
& Tisdale, 2016). Thus, conceptual frameworks can guide the decision-making associated with
subject sampling, data-collection, instrument design, and data analysis (Maxwell, 2013).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 29
The conceptual framework presented in Figure 1 portrays the interrelationships between
the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that mediate international student
acculturation and adaptation. The model shows the entity of MWU as existing within the context
of the external cultural environment (1); exogenous cultural factors and events have a constant
effect on MWU, thus the “barrier” between the university and the external environment is
represented by a broken line to demonstrate the semi-porous interaction of internal and external
cultures (see Schein, 2010). The MWU Cultural Model (2) represents MWU’s mental schemas,
norms, and values related to internationalization (Bolman & Deal 2013; Gallimore & Goldberg,
2001; Schein, 2004). The conceptual framework focuses on the research-based KMO influences
(3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8). The two-way arrows portray the multi-directional interrelationships
between and the KMO influences and the multiplication symbols demonstrate the mediating
effects of the KMO influences on acculturative stress (9) and the mediating effects of
acculturative stress on Psychosocial Adaptation (10), an outcome often measured by the proxy of
Life Satisfaction by researchers in acculturation and adaptation (Ezeofor, 2016; Smith &
Khawaja, 2011; Zhang & Goodson, 2011).

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 30

Figure 1. MWU International Student Acculturative Stress Mediation and Adaptation Model
Data Collection and Instrumentation
As this study represented the first known organized inquiry into the experience of the
international student at MWU in its nearly 160-year history, no existing data existed beyond
anecdotal conjecture. As such, the study utilized the explanatory sequential mixed-methods
approach promoted by Creswell (2014), with the first phase dedicated to a survey-based
quantitative assessment to identify statistically significant themes related to the MWU
undergraduate international student experience and the second section dedicated to qualitative
interviews that explored key themes. The following sections describe the phase in more detail.
Quantitative Phase
The quantitative assessment phase utilized the survey instrument presented in Table 2.
The survey instrument found in Appendix B consisted of 33 questions taken and modified from
extant published, peer-reviewed surveys (see Table 1 for citations) that addressed each of the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 31
KMO influences represented in the Conceptual Framework (Figure 1). The survey also collected
eight demographic data points allowed for stratification of respondents. The demographic data
points proved helpful to view descriptive statistics by subgroup and identify statistically
significant differences in the responses of subgroups. The entire MWU undergraduate
international population (N = 143) received an email invitation to voluntarily participate in the
survey via a link to the survey administered on the USC Qualtrics server. Over the course of 45
days, 74 students completed the survey, resulting in a 52% response rate. The statistical results
highlighted the fact that students from predominately-Muslim countries reported experiencing
significant acculturative challenges. This finding led to an active recruitment of students from
predominately-Muslim countries for the qualitative phase of the mixed-methods study, described
in the following section.
Qualitative Phase
Eleven international students participated in semi-structured interviews following the
protocols outlined in Appendix B. The students consisted of two females from predominately-
Muslim countries (PMF1 and PMF2), two males from predominately-Muslim countries (PMM1
and PMM2), two males from East Asia (EAM1 and EAM2), one female from East Asia (EAF1)
one male from Africa (AM1), one male from Europe (EUM1), one female from South Asia
(SAF1), and one male from Latin America (LAM1). The interviews averaged approximately 45
minutes. The subjects signed informed consent forms. The interviewer digitally recorded the
interviews and employed an online transcription service to provide text documents. Analyses of
the transcripts identified and categorized themes and subthemes aligned with the KMO domains
of the conceptual framework
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 32
The following section presents the results and findings of the explanatory sequential
mixed-methods study. It follows structure of the conceptual framework and presents an
integrated view of the quantitative and qualitative findings in a manner that ties directly to the
constituent KMO domains. As such, the results and findings provide data that can guide MWU
decision-making regarding improving acculturation success for its international students.
Results and Findings
The structure of the presentation of findings from the mixed-methods study centers on the
individual KMO influences that constitute the conceptual framework as well as the manner the
KMO influences interrelate. The section utilizes an integrated approach to data presentation is
consistent with the recommendations of Guetterman, Fetters, and Creswell (2015), who suggest
that integrated presentations of mixed-methods data provide decision makers with more
consumable and actionable information. Sequentially, the section begins with a discussion of the
findings as it relates to the statistical validity of the whole of the conceptual framework.
Subsequent subsections address each KMO domain presenting descriptive statistics, comparison
of means between the sample population and significant subgroups, and a presentation of the
qualitative findings that explicate key themes. Finally, the section concludes with a summary of
the findings, which will serve as the foundation for the subsequent recommendation section.
Statistical Validity of the Conceptual Framework
The quantitative assessment shown in Table 2 provides Pearson’s correlation coefficients
for the constituent KMO influencers assessed. These data are helpful in assessing the validity of
the conceptual framework by statistically demonstrating whether the constituent elements of the
framework interrelate in practice. The data validate the conceptual framework in two manners.
First, the data demonstrate that there are positive correlations between all the KMO domains
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 33
assessed, thus validating their fit within the singular construct of the conceptual framework.
Second, while the correlations between the KMO domains are positive, none is so high as to
suggest collinearity, thus validating that the KMOs are unique from each other and are legitimate
domains within the conceptual framework.
Table 2
Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients for Conceptual Framework’s KMO Influencers
Measure 1 2 3 4 5 6
1. English Proficiency - .249* .437** .344** .197 .025
2. Reflective Coping - .487** .433** .291* .358**
3. Coping Self-Efficacy - .468** .411** .287*
4. Value for Acculturative Integration - .442** .305*
5. Cultural Setting of Inclusion - .491**
6. Cultural Setting of Effective Support -
Note. *p<.05. **p<.01.
Having statistically validated the international student acculturation conceptual
framework, the following subsections present the findings for each KMO domain, beginning
with the English Proficiency domain of the conceptual framework.
English Proficiency
Procedural knowledge of the English language, particularly academic English, is critical
to the international student’s success. Table 3 displays the descriptive statistics and means
comparison for the total sample population and statistically significant subgroup results
concerning English proficiency. Independent-samples t-tests for the subgroups highlighted the
statistically significant differences. Specifically, the quantitative results indicate that
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 34
international students have a positive perception of their English proficiency (M = 3.279), it is
higher among students from predominantly Muslim countries (M = 3.560, SD = .487), and those
students residing in the United States more than three-years (M = 3.158). The following analysis
addresses these findings in detail utilizing data from the qualitative interviews.
Table 3
Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – English Proficiency
Comparison M SD t df p
TS 3.279 .655 - - -
PM
NM
3.560
3.158
.487
.685
2.433 68 .018
<3 US
+3 US
3.172
3.511
.704
.466
2.061 68 .043
Notes. Total sample (TS), predominantly Muslim country (PM), predominantly non-Muslim
country (NM), less than three years in the United States (<3 US), and three or more years in the
United States (+3 US). 95% CI utilized for calculating p values.
Extraneous cognitive load. While MWU admissions requires that international students
demonstrate minimal English proficiency through submission of certified standardized tests, six
of the 11 subjects interviewed (55%) reported that they had never taken academic courses
delivered in English prior to coming to the U.S. SAF1, a student who spoke English most of her
life in social settings and scored highly on the English portion of the SAT, was still surprised at
the difficulty she initially encountered, particularly as it related to understanding lectures. She
discussed the problem associated with having breaks in lecture delivery in which she could
process the content: “…it came at me so fast…I would miss pieces of lecture trying to
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 35
understand the last thing they said…I couldn’t keep up.” EAM2 echoed these sentiments, “I
took [college] classes in English before I transferred came to MWU, but only with [conational
students]. I thought I was ready, but [the lectures were] hard to keep up [with] when I got here.”
In addition to speed of delivery, unfamiliar terminology used by faculty, both formal and
informal can cause increased cognitive load (Meyer, 2011). EAF-1 related her confusion caused
by using sports related colloquialisms. “When I got here, my professor, he was always saying
things like home run and strike out and MVP. I had no idea what he said. I actually looked up
the word emveepee and couldn’t find it.” The experiences of SAF1, EAM1, and EAF1 are
consistent with the research conducted on cognitive load of students learning in second-language
environments (Roussel, Joulia, Tricot, & Sweller, 2017) that highlight the need for lecturers to
remove extraneous content and present content in smaller learning packets facilitate
comprehension.
Use of English as a protective strategy. Although 100% of the subjects interviewed
expressed their drive to learn English was to acquire their degrees, all four of the members of the
subgroup from predominately Muslim countries (PM) spoke to a more pernicious motivator to
learn English: fear of racist response to speaking in their native language. PMM2 shared an
observation representative of the subgroup: “If you are an Arab, you better speak English, or
people will come at you.” When asked to provide an example, PMM2 shared the experience of
being at a barbershop with a fellow Middle Easterner. When he turned and asked his friend in
Arabic his opinion of the haircut, the barber immediately jumped in and stated, “You need to
speak English here, in here you speak English.” In this moment, PMM2 observed another man
in the room carrying an unconcealed handgun, remembered seeing the U.S. flag displayed
prominently in front of the barbershop, and felt deep fear. He recounts, “I saw this in California
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 36
and now I see it in [the Middle-Western state where MWU is located]. There are people who
hate Arabs all over.”
PMM1 shared a similar encounter he had on a bus: “We are in the bus just talking in
[their native language]. Some old dude just jumps in our face and starts screaming that we need
to go back home-America don’t want us…we know we got to speak English.” While not all
shared incidents are aggressive as those cited, all four of the PM subjects related incidents of
both the aggressive and micro-aggressive nature that motivated a desire to moderate their
Muslim characteristics in public, a theme pursued further in the Value for Acculturative
Integration section.
While these prior anecdotes cannot establish a causal relationship between fear of racism
and the statistically higher English proficiency of survey respondents from predominately-
Muslim countries, they are informative of the different stakes faced by MWU students from
predominately-Muslim countries. Regardless the sources of the challenges related to English
proficiency, whether they are of the instrumental nature associated with transitioning into a new
academic environment or of the socio-cultural variety reported by the students from Muslim
countries, the challenge is significant and can derail the student who does not demonstrate
effective reflective coping skills. Pursuant to this theme, the following subsection presents the
findings of the study related to the Reflective Coping domain of the conceptual framework.
Reflective Coping
The metacognitive problem-solving skill of reflective coping is critical to the
international student’s ability to manage acculturative stress. Table 4 displays the descriptive
statistics and means comparison for the total sample population and statistically significant
subgroup results concerning acculturative coping. Independent-samples t-tests for the subgroups
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 37
highlighted the statistically significant differences. Specifically, the quantitative results indicate
reflective coping abilities are positive the total population (M = 3.169) and higher among
students residing in the United States more than three-years (M = 3.333). These data are
consistent with the reflective coping literature in which the metacognitive processes associated
with coping (e.g., self-regulation, goal orientation, help seeking, problem-solving, and
considering the short-term and long-term consequences of actions as well as inactions) represent
problem-solving skills acquired formally or experientially (Ezeofur, 2008). The following
analysis addresses these findings in detail utilizing data from the qualitative interviews.
Table 4
Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Reflective Coping
Comparison M SD t df p
TS 3.169 .452 - - -
<3 US
+3 US
3.096
3.333
.435
.456
2.051 66 .044
Notes. Total sample (TS), less than three years in the United States (<3 US), and three or more
years in the United States (+3 US). 95% CI utilized for calculating p values.
Coping through self-regulation. Seven of 11 students (64%) described the manner that
they learned to self-regulate when they confronted the general expectation of faculty that the
student was accountable for their own performance. SAF1 spoke to the changed expectations
she encountered as a freshman: “Back home, they always reminded us what to do. Over here,
they give you a syllabus in the beginning, and tell you to keep…up…once they've given you the
syllabus, they've done what they need to do.” SAF1 spoke of a process of internal dialogue from
which she recognized the no one was going to step in and “manage” her; she needed to “grow up
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 38
and take charge and be independent.” EAM1 shared a similar observation that was
representative of other East Asian subjects: “At home, the teacher tells you everything. We
don’t decide [what to do]; we just do what they say. Here you have to figure it out.” These
stories are representative of the metacognitive self-regulation skills that MWU international
students discussed, skills they must apply in managing the expectations they feel.
Coping through managing familial expectations. Another key coping function that
subjects identified related to meeting the expectations of others. Ten of 11 subjects (91%) spoke
in some manner about the pressure they placed on themselves to meet their family’s
expectations. These findings are consistent with Zhang and Goodson’s (2010) observations that
familial pressures are a significant source of acculturative stress for international students. EAF1
discussed her need to honor her parents’ sacrifice by being diligent in her studies and successful
in her career. In EAF1’s case, she coped with the pressure and turned it into a motivator:
“Sometimes I just don’t feel like trying because it’s really hard in my major [a STEM related
major], but I remember what my parents do for me, so I keep trying.” Simultaneously, EAF1’s
relationship with her parents became a source for coping with stress and anxiety, “I was in the
library crying because I couldn’t understand the work….I called my mom crying and she told me
to forget [the assignment] and go to the gym, work out, and them I would do better on my work.”
EAF1 demonstrated some of the hallmark skills of self-regulation identified by Dembo and
Eaton (2000): self-monitoring, reflective internal-dialogue, and help seeking.
In contrast to EAF1, EAM2’s inability to cope with extrinsic stressors led to the
manifestation of the maladaptive reactive coping responses reported by Wei et al. (2008),
particularly those of obsessive thinking and social withdrawal. He recounted that his stress was
due in large part to his belief that family’s future prosperity depended upon his success, “So,
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 39
most times I [thought] I come here, and I need to succeed and earn money to support my family.
So, I think that is the most stress that I have.” As he confronted early academic struggles, EAM2
experienced a rapid escalation of feelings of self-doubt, panic, and despair, “At that time I
believe I could not get my degree. I [thought] I should kill myself [because] everything was
over.” At this critical point, EAM2’s academic advisor intervened and convinced him that he
needed to accept his limitations if he were to achieve his potential. Following the advisor’s
recommendations, EAM2 called his family to share his situation, “I talked to my family, and said
‘I feel so [stressed], but father and my mother told me ‘Enjoy your life…. You don't have to care
for [us]…we can take care of ourselves. Just enjoy your life and be happy." Relieved to have
received his parents’ permission to relinquish his self-imposed perfectionistic aspirations, EAM2
subsequently enjoyed academic success.
Consistent with the findings of researchers such as Berry (1980) who framed
acculturation as being a model for immigrant coping, the findings presented in this section
suggest that reflective coping is an indispensable metacognitive problem-solving competence for
the MWU international student population. However, as Ezeofor et al. (2016) demonstrated,
international students’ appreciation for the value and understanding of the processes associated
with reflective coping are inadequate if they do not possess sufficient confidence in their ability
to cope when confronting the intense challenges almost all student sojourners such as those at
MWU face. Pursuant to this theme, the following subsection presents the findings of the study
related to the Coping Self-Efficacy domain of the conceptual framework.
Coping Self-Efficacy
Metacognitive skills, such as reflective coping, are of little value if international students
do not possess the confidence sufficient to motivate them to attempt to employ reflective coping
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 40
strategies (Meyer, 2011). Table 5 displays the descriptive statistics and means comparison for
the total sample population and subgroup results concerning reflective coping. Independent-
samples t-tests for the subgroups highlighted (<3 U.S. and +3 U.S.) demonstrated a statistically
significant difference between the targeted subgroups at the standard CI of 95%. Specifically,
the quantitative results indicate that coping efficacy is positive for the total population (M =
3.189) and is higher among students residing in the United States more than three years (M =
3.368). These findings are consistent with the principles of self-efficacy theory, which posit that
individuals gain greater confidence in their ability to perform a function as they experience
incremental successes over time (Bandura, 2000; Mayer, 2011).
Table 5
Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Coping Self-Efficacy
Comparison M SD t df p
TS 3.189 .471 - - -
<3 US
+3 US
3.107
3.368
.417
.542
2.058 59 .044
Notes. Total sample (TS), less than three years in the United States (<3 US), and three or more
years in the United States (+3 US).
Coping self-efficacy as a source of empowerment. Six of 11 subjects (55%) described
how they gained incremental confidence in dealing their problems over time. SAF1 recounted
her early confrontations with micro-aggressive racist behaviors when she arrived in the U.S., the
feelings anger generated, and frustration with her own feelings of inefficacy to cope with the
confrontations. She recounted, “I was my parents’ good…girl; I just did what I was told, but, in
the [U.S.] that doesn’t work…. I realized I had two choices, fight, or flight, so I decided to be a
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 41
little more American and fight.” With this decision, she subsequently asserted herself more in
social situations, including “telling ignorant racists that they were the problem.” She recounted
over time feeling “more empowered” and the way her confidence waxed in all her endeavors.
She ascribed her ultimate success as a campus leader and advocate of international students to
the confidence she gained in herself.
Coping self-efficacy through peer emulation. EAM1 explained his evolution in
gaining confidence in his ability to manage the pressures he faced. He described the manner that
he spent most of spare time playing video games when he arrived at MWU, but quickly
succumbed to the full-time demands of a STEM major and was soon “afraid I would go home.”
He shared an attitudinal shift that occurred when he noted the self-regulatory behaviors of
successful students: “I saw they like to game here too…but the good [students] didn’t do it
much…. I figured that if they could [manage their time], I could too, so I only game when I’m
done with my work.” Subsequently, he committed himself to learning from the behaviors of
successful students. One such behavior he noted was the help-seeking strategies such as going to
academic advisors for support, “We never asked for [help] back home…, but I [discovered] my
advisor really wanted to help me. He would respond to my texts at 11 at night!” Such successes
gave EAM1 the confidence to seek help with greater frequency and fewer fears. He took on
greater challenges such as acquiring an internship for a U.S. engineering firm and quickly
become a peer leader on the MWU campus of other international students.
The experiences of SAF1 and EAM1 exemplify two critical principles in both social
cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 2000; Meyer 2011). First, as posited by
social cognitive theory, when learners see behaviors modeled, particularly by peers, their value
for the activity increases along with their belief that they can accomplish it. Second, small
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 42
successes provide a sense of increased efficacy upon which the learner has the requisite
motivation to not only continue in the performance of the behavior, but also apply the skills
learned to endeavors that are more complex.
As the coping self-efficacy findings indicate, international students consistently face the
need to quickly surface and assess their own beliefs and attitudinal assumptions and evaluate
what they need to change and what they can preserve to achieve acculturative success.
Acculturative strategy choices are not only difficult; they can challenge the very identities of the
students themselves. Pursuant to this theme, the following subsection presents the findings of
the study related to the Value for Acculturative Integration domain of the conceptual framework.
Value for Acculturative Integration
The value that the student places on acculturative integration (i.e., adapting to host
culture norms while maintaining core cultural identity) is a demonstrated predictor of
acculturative success (Ward & Rana-Deuba, 1999). Table 6 displays the descriptive statistics
and means comparison for the total sample population and statistically significant subgroup
results concerning the motivational domain of value for acculturative integration. Independent-
samples t-tests for the subgroups highlighted the statistically significant differences.
Specifically, the quantitative results indicate that value for acculturative integration is positive
for the total population (M = 3.189) and is higher among students residing in the United States
more than three-years (M = 3.368). The following qualitative subsections highlight
environmental and internal factors that influence acculturative integration strategies over time.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 43
Table 6
Descriptive Statistics and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Acculturative Value
Comparison M SD t df p
TS 3.189 .471 - - -
<3 US
+3 US
3.107
3.368
.417
.542
2.058 59 .044
Notes. Total sample (TS), less than three years in the United States (<3 US), and three or more
years in the United States (+3 US). 95% CI utilized for calculating p values.
Fluidity of acculturative strategy development. The data suggest that MWU’s
international students adopt and adapt acculturation strategies over time as students episodically
confront different environmental drivers that impel international students to reconcile adaptation
to the demands of the host culture while maintaining their core sense of identity. Seven of 11
interviewed subjects (63%) recounted the emotional vortices they experienced as they developed
their strategies over time. A representative case is that of PMF1, a Muslim female fully
committed to wearing the traditional hijab. She recounted, “First time I came here, I was
wearing hijab, and headscarf…. At the beginning I was thinking this is my identity and I'm just
going to show people that I'm Muslim.” However, over time, PMF1 noted micro-aggressive
racist behaviors both on the MWU campus and in the surrounding community, “Later after six
months, I decided it was a mistake and caused me a lot of stress.” At this point, PMF1 ceased
wearing the hijab.” She stated that her decision to “dress American” came after a period of
reflection from which she emerged realizing that she could make some compromises (i.e., cease
wearing traditional clothing) while maintaining private religious observance (i.e., continuing
prayer rituals and maintaining a strict halal diet), “For me, I realized the hijab is an ancient
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 44
tradition of my culture. It does not define who I am.” She recounted the manner in which this
critical acculturative concession helped in her overall transition to the U.S.
In contrast to PMF1, PMF2, another Muslim female, found that she could comfortably
meet the Muslim requirement regarding the wearing the traditional hijab without being
conspicuous. Like PMF1, PMF2 arrived at MWU committed to wearing the hijab and
experienced comparable micro-aggressive responses. However, PMF2 determined that she
needed to gain a deeper knowledge of the Muslim doctrine of wearing the hijab to understand her
options. From her research, she determined that she could wear fashionable head coverings that
that fulfilled religious obligations in a satisfactory manner. She recounted “I [realized] the
hijab…means girls have to cover their hair…it doesn’t have to be a scarf or turban, it can be nice
looking and people won’t be afraid of me.”
The prior cases are illustrative of the emotional vortex many MWU international students
confront as they navigate as they balance the demands of the culture while preserving the core
cultural values and norms. Although the social constraints and exclusionary attitudes faced by
PMF1 and PMF2 are lamentable, they exist nonetheless and international students must negotiate
compromises to achieve an acculturative balance that mediate the potentially debilitating effects
of acculturative stress (Berry, 1980; Ward & Kennedy, 1993). It is noteworthy that, although
each subject approached their decision in a different manner and chose a different option, both
PMF1 and PMF2 enjoyed similar results: a decrease in acculturative stress. These experiences
highlight the difficulties that international students at MWU face as they seek to engage with and
achieving acculturative integration the within the cultural milieu of the MWU campus. Pursuant
to this theme, the following subsection presents the findings of the study related to the Cultural
Setting of Inclusion domain of the conceptual framework.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 45
Cultural Setting of Inclusion
Studying and living in a cultural setting where international students feel a sense of
inclusion, engagement, and safety are environmental factors that mediate acculturative success.
The analysis of the quantitative data for the domain demonstrated a positive response regarding
the sense of inclusion reported by survey respondents (M = 3.156, but demonstrated no
statistically significant difference between the means of the subgroups. However, a deeper
analysis of the five questions that made up the domain yielded a more nuanced picture. As seen
in Figure 2, the subgroup of respondents from predominately-Muslim countries and the subgroup
of respondents with four semesters or more at MWU showed lower means in response to the
statement I feel welcome to join campus activities and the statement I have not experienced
prejudice or discrimination. These statistics guided questions within the qualitative interviews,
the results of which the following subsections present.

Figure 2. Subgroup Means Comparisons to Domain Questions–Setting of Inclusion
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 46
Seeking engagement for its instrumental value. Seven of the 11 subjects (64%)
expressed an appreciation for the efforts the MWU administration made to create an inclusive
environment for students of all backgrounds and sense of belonging they felt. However, none of
the four subjects from predominately-Muslim countries shared this sentiment. An unexpected
finding was the sentiment of four of the eight subjects (50%) with greater than four semesters at
MWU, indicated that they sought campus engagement less for seeking belongingness and more
for its instrumental value in their pursuit of social recognition and success. Two subject stories
illustrated this finding. SAF1, a student with 7.5 semesters at MWU, described the evolution of
her strategy of engagement. Initially, she saw the campus activities as being helpful and that the
organizers from the Office of International Programs were “nice and friendly,” but felt student
participants were at best ambivalent to her and found the activities to be boring. However, her
attitudes toward participation changed, as she perceived that their value was beyond
entertainment and fraternization and proffered her the opportunity to enhance her social skills
and personal influence. “I didn’t go for fun or friends, but because I knew I had to get involved
if I wanted to succeed.” EAM1 echoed similar sentiments, describing his goal in campus
involvement as being to develop his English skills and leadership competencies: “I do campus
[activities] to learn English so I can be a leader…when I pass a class, nobody notices, but when
they see me lead, they [will] remember me.” A subsequent review of the literature revealed that
these findings are consistent with research showing that international students’ motivation to
engage interculturally encompasses not only the emotional needs for interconnectedness but also
aspirational goals such as employability (Tran & Pham, 2016).
However, all efforts to create a culture of campus inclusion can be for naught if
international students experience discriminatory and racist treatment on campus. Such
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 47
experiences are more damaging when it comes at the hands of faculty and staff members and as
it represents a betrayal of institutional trust to the student (Lee, 2007). The following section
provides greater insights from the qualitative interviews regarding international students’
experiences with racial insensitivity from faculty and staff members.
The emotional toll of institutional racism. Five of the 11 subjects (46%), including all
subjects from predominately-Muslim nations recounted experiencing discrimination and racial
insensitivity from faculty and staff members. PMF1 shared the disheartening experience of
taking a class from a faculty member who demonstrated micro-aggressive behaviors toward
PMF1, a situation exacerbated by the facts that the faculty was also PMF1’s academic advisor,
and the only instructor for a required course. She recounted that the professor was consistently
dismissive of her comments in class, often responding with “Well, that’s only your opinion.” In
one incident, an American student openly expressed a derogatory characterization of MPF1’s
home country’s legal system as being a “bunch of shitty laws.” As PMF1 began to ask the
student to support his comments with evidence, the professor interrupted her and told her to
“calm down.”
After this incident, PMF1 noted a pattern in which the professor would openly reinforce
negative stereotypes regarding PMF1’s home nation during her lectures. During this period,
PMF1 made multiple attempts to receive feedback from the professor whose only comments
were to the effect that PMF1 needed to “figure it out” on her own. PMF1 proceeded to fail the
class and retake it with the same professor, only to fail it again. It was during this period that she
made the decision recounted earlier to cease wearing traditional Muslim clothing. PMF1
recounted how helpless and “let down” she felt, as she could find no advocate for her cause.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 48
Like PMF1, SAF1 experienced a moment of institutional racism when she confronted
racial insensitivity in the support area where she least expected to encounter such: The Office of
International Programs (OIP). She shared her experience of taking a newly enrolled Ethiopian
student to OIP to resolve a problem with his meal plan. She felt mortified when the staff
member responded, “You're an Indian and you’re supposed to buy food for this hungry African,
Ethiopian kid." She recounted her reaction, “Of all places, this is OIP, I felt so bad for this
student who looked at me [with an expression] like ‘What the fuck?’ It was awful…I felt so
embarrassed.” SAF1 attempted to lighten the moment by telling the staff member to stop joking.
The OIP staff member responded with effectively the same comment. She continued, “It was
this broad-brush stereotype [as if he said] ‘Oh, you're an impoverished Ethiopian. We raise
money here for Ethiopia.’ The flip of it was, ‘You're a Gandhi person; you should be giving
food to the poor.” Following this incident SAF1, attempted to avoid the offending staff member
whenever she went to OIP.
In summary, the findings for the organizational domain of cultural inclusion highlight the
different values that MWU international students place on inclusion and belongingness as well as
the intense emotional stress they feel when facing perceived institutional prejudices. Although it
is indispensable that MWU administration creates a campus where international students feel a
sense of inclusion, engagement, and belongingness, it is by no means sufficient to support
acculturative integration; the students must also perceive the university to be effective in its
support of their needs. Pursuant to this theme, the following and final subsection presents the
findings of the study related to the Cultural Setting of Effective Support domain of the conceptual
framework.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 49
Cultural Setting of Effective Support
Table 7 displays the descriptive statistics and means comparison for the total sample
population and statistically significant subgroup results concerning acculturative satisfaction
with the cultural setting at MWU. Independent-samples t-tests for the subgroups highlighted the
statistically significant differences. Specifically, the quantitative results indicate a positive sense
of inclusion among the total population (M = 3.102), but a statistically significant lower
perceptions among students from predominantly Muslim countries (M = 2.882) and those with
more than four semesters at MWU (M = 2.893). These statistics guided questions within the
qualitative interviews, the results of which the following subsections present.
Table 7
Descriptive Statistics, Sample, and Subgroup Means Comparisons – Cultural Setting
Comparison M SD t df p
TS 3.102 .587 - - -
PM
NM
2.882
3.202
.719
.495
-2.027 59 .047
<4 MWU
+4 MWU
3.213
2.893
.476
.723
-2.076 59 .042
Notes. Total sample (TS), predominantly Muslim country (PM), predominantly non-Muslim
country (NM), less than four semesters at MWU (<4 MWU), and four or more semesters at
MWU (+4 MWU). 95% CI utilized for calculating p values.
Perceived inefficacy in support functions. Five of the 11 subjects (45%) shared their
perspective that their satisfaction with the effectiveness with MWU’s support functions
decreased over time. PMM1 shared a representative perspective as he recounted the anxiety he
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 50
felt upon arriving at MWU and feeling overwhelmed by the confusion he felt navigating the
different campus support functions. Initially, he viewed his struggles as being attributable to his
own inexperience and exacerbated by his perceived language deficiencies. However, as became
more confident in his own perspectives he came to recognize inefficiencies in the support
departments: “It seems like no one here talks…I fix one mistake with my advisor but I have to go
to the Registrar five times to get it right. I realized it’s not me, it’s them, and that makes me
mad.” PMF2 recounted an experience with MWU’s registrar in which she attempted to receive
transfer credit for prior academic work: “My friend got credits for the same courses. I asked the
Registrar why my friend received the credits and not me and she slammed her fist and told me to
prove my friend had received those credits.” PMF2 recounted how the experience disturbed her
to such a degree that she ceased seeking the transfer credits. “It was so unfair and so
unprofessional and I had no one to help me out.”
Four of the 11 subjects (37%) reported disappointment with what they perceived to be the
inefficacy of the Office of International Programs (OIP). PMM1 shared a sentiment similar to
other subjects. He expected that OIP staff members would act as advocates for international
students, helping them to resolve problems across different functions. Notwithstanding PMM2’s
perception that the OIP staff sincerely wanted to help, he experienced frustration by what he
perceived to be an inability to “get things fixed…they care and [are] really nice, but they are
disorganized and…afraid to talk with other departments to help us [the international students]
out.”
Deterioration of support satisfaction among Muslim subjects. All four Muslim
subjects interviewed (100%) reported a deterioration of satisfaction with the support functions at
MWU from the time they arrived. Complaints ranged from the poor selection of Halal food to
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 51
limited accommodations for organized worship. PMF2 shared her disappointment with what she
perceived to be the inflexibility of campus housing to accommodate her requests for a fellow
Muslim student as a dorm mate. “I asked several times…and they never responded…I just got
an American. It’s hard because people don’t understand my prayer needs and [they will] laugh
at me.” Although she spoke with fondness of the relationships she had developed with her dorm
mates, PMF2 also expressed resentment that campus housing not only did not grant her request,
but, more significantly, she felt ignored by MWU staff members in the process.
Three of four Muslim subjects (75%) reported their dissatisfaction with MWU increased
as they became familiar with a major metropolitan city located within 45 minutes’ drive of
MWU. PMF1 described her experience in discovering the diversity and inclusion she
experienced in the large city as being “…a mental escape. I can just be me and people don’t care
what I do or how I live.” PMM1 spoke of similar feelings as he and his fellow Muslim friends
traveled regularly to the large city to “get away from the rednecks around here.”
In summary, the quantitative and qualitative findings of the study highlight that MWU
received a moderately positive evaluation of the efficacy of its support (M = 3.102). However,
there are gaps in international students’ satisfaction with said support and a need to realign the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational systems to better reflect the voice of the international
student and optimize their experience. Such changes are vital if MWU wishes to achieve its goal
of 100% international student acculturation.
Conclusion
The findings from this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study centered on assessing
the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences associated with MWU’s goal that, by
fall 2020, 100% of its undergraduate international students entering their junior year will
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 52
demonstrate acculturative success. The findings statistically validated the structure of the
conceptual framework. The findings also demonstrated that MWU is performing well among the
general population of its international students, but is experiencing material deficiencies among
students from predominately-Muslim countries, particularly in the organizational domains of
creating a cultural setting of inclusion and creating a cultural setting of effective support. A
prominent theme among all findings was the complex challenges that MWU’s international
student’s face and the importance of intentionally developing coping skills and acculturation
strategies to decrease acculturative stress and increase adaptive success. These findings provide
the basis for the Solutions and Recommendations section that follows.
Solutions and Recommendations
The prior section reported the results of the explanatory sequential mixed-methods study
whose purpose was to create a baseline assessment of the acculturative perspectives of the
international student. As seen, the results validated the conceptual framework, the importance of
the six KMO influences to the acculturative success of MWU international students, and
highlighted gaps between the current reality of MWU’s international students’ acculturative
experience and MWU’s stated objective of achieving 100% international student acculturative
success. Informed by the results of the study, the following section presents a series of research-
based recommendations addressing the validated KMO influence gaps related to international
student acculturation at MWU.
Knowledge Recommendations
The mixed method study validated the conceptual framework’s knowledge influences of
English Language Proficiency and Reflective Coping as being critical to the acculturative success
of MWU students. Table 8 presents the validated knowledge influences, the typology of each in
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 53
accordance with Krathwohl’s (2001) taxonomy of learning, a summation of the research-based
principles for developing procedural and metacognitive skills, and summarizes the context-
specific recommendations developing the individual knowledge influences.
Table 8
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Validated
Knowledge
Influence
Knowledge
Type
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
International
students who
demonstrate
English language
proficiency
experience lower
levels of stress and
greater
sociocultural and
academic success.
Procedural To develop a new competence,
individuals must learn the
constituent skills of the
competence, practice
integrating the constituent
skills, and understand the
scenarios that require
utilization of the new
competence (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)

Use training when individuals
need demonstration of new
behaviors, structured
monitoring, and feedback to
perfect a new procedure (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Mayer, 2011;
Shute, 2008).

Pre-arrival: Provide pre-
arrival, online learning
modules dedicated to a
general overview of the
academic English,
communication
expectations in the
classroom, strategies for
capturing lecture content,
the principles of academic
writing, and major-specific
glossaries.

Post-Arrival: Provide
workshops during a two-
week international student
orientation that builds upon
pre-arrival learning support
modules with campus
workshops.

Design the online learning
support modules and post-
arrival workshops to
incorporate formative
evaluations of constituent
English language skills and
create mechanisms to
provide timely, relevant,
constructive, and actionable
feedback.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 54
Validated
Knowledge
Influence
Knowledge
Type
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
MWU
international
students must
master reflective
coping skills to
mediate
acculturative
stress.
Metacognitive Reflective coping is a
metacognitive problem-solving
skill necessary to mediate the
physiological and
psychological stressors
associated with adversity
(Lazarus & Folkman, 1984;
Heppner, Cook, Wright, &
Johnson, 1995).

To develop a new competence,
individuals must learn
constituent skills of the
competence, practice
integrating the constituent
skills, and understand the
scenarios that require
utilization of the new
competence (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)

Use training when individuals
need demonstration of new
behaviors, structured
monitoring, and feedback to
perfect a new procedure (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Mayer, 2011;
Shute, 2008).

Create a training program
for international students to
developing the
metacognitive skill of
reflective coping within the
context of the demands
associated with the process
of acculturation. Such
workshops will teach
constituent coping skills
such as constructive
management of personal
emotions, self-regulation,
and help seeking

Design the program to
incorporate formative
evaluations of the
constituent reflective
coping skills and create
mechanisms to provide
timely, relevant,
constructive, and actionable
feedback.

English proficiency recommendations. International students must possess sufficient
levels of English language proficiency to succeed academically and socio-culturally. The
effective mastery of procedural skills such as English language proficiency requires an individual
to gain a cognitive understanding of the skill and demonstrate the ability to perform the
procedural skill in an acceptable fashion (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Clark and Estes (2008)
posit that the development of procedural skills requires comprehensive training programs
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 55
designed to develop demonstrable mastery of the procedure. Effective procedural training
programs focus on the development of the constituent components of the procedure; incorporate
formative evaluations where the learner can demonstrate incremental progress in their
knowledge acquisition and skills development; and provide timely, constructive, and actionable
feedback to the learner (Mayer, 2011; Shute, 2008). Collectively, the research supports the
context-specific recommendations in Table 8 to design a series of pre-arrival online leaning
support modules followed by workshops dedicated to enhance international students’ mastery of
key English language skills.
In addition to their alignment with the general literature on developing procedural
knowledge, the recommendations found in Table 8 are consistent with empirical research
conducted in the field of international student acculturation. In their meta-analysis of 37 studies
regarding the sociocultural adjustment of international students, Zhang and Goodson’s (2011)
meta-analysis of sixty-four studies published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990
and January 2009 showed English proficiency to be the most frequently reported predictor of
successful adaptation by researchers. Studies show that English language proficiency contributes
45% to the variance in psychosocial adjustment (Poyrazli et al., 2002), 47% to the variance in
effective learning (Vermetten, 2003), and is a statistically significant predictor of academic
failure as reported in Attrill, McAllister, and Lincoln’s (2016) study of 854 health care students
where students who spoke English as a second language were 283% more likely to receive
failing assessments.
Reflective coping recommendations. The metacognitive problem-solving skill of
reflective coping is critical to the MWU international student’s ability to manage acculturative
stress. As the study demonstrated, MWU’s international students often relied on reflective
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 56
coping skills to confront the challenges of several of the conceptual framework’s KMO
influences, such as developing English proficiency, balancing demands to adapt personal norms
and behaviors to achieve acculturative integration, experiencing racist attitudes and behaviors,
and coping with deficiencies in MWU’s support and service functions. As such, it is arguable
that reflective coping is the most indispensable of the conceptual framework.
The recommendation for MWU to provide training in reflective coping is in line with the
Berry’s (1980) presentation of acculturation theory as an immigrant coping model. Studies
demonstrating reflective coping reduces acculturative stress by 30% (Akhtar & Kröner-herwig,
2015), decreases the manifestation of psychopathologies (Wei et al., 2007), and is a positive
predictor of self-efficacy and academic success (Atri, Sharma, & Cottrell, 2007; Ezeofor, 2016)
also justify the training. Finally, Sam and Berry (2010), found the reflective style of coping is
most likely to result in students’ adoption of an acculturative integration strategy and decrease
the probability of the assimilation, separation, and marginalization strategies shown to increase
acculturative stress (Ward & Kennedy, 1994).
Motivation Recommendations
The mixed method study validated the conceptual framework’s motivational
influences of Coping Self Efficacy and Value for Acculturative Integration as being critical to the
acculturative success of MWU students. Table 9 presents the validated motivation influences,
identifies the motivation type of each motivational influence, presents research-based principles
associated with the motivational influences, and summarizes recommendations for improving
MWU’s performance in the motivational domain.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 57
Table 9
Summary of Motivational Influences and Recommendations
Validated
Motivation
Influences

Motivation Type Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
International
students
need to feel
confident in
their ability
reflectively
cope with
the
challenges
associated
with
acculturative
stress
Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy is necessary
for students to commit to
tasks and persist to the
point of task completion
(Bandura, 1997; Eccles,
2006; Pintrich, 2006).

Modeling desired behaviors
enhances self-efficacy,
appreciation for the value
of the behavior, and long-
term performance (Denler,
Wolters, & Benzon, 2009)

Modeled behavior is more
likely to be
adopted if the model is
credible, similar (e.g.,
gender, culturally
appropriate), and the
behavior has functional
value (Denler et al.,
2009).

Feedback as well as actual
success on challenging
tasks
positively influence
people’s perceptions of
self-efficacy (Borgogni et
al., 2011).

Ensure that MWU designs
reflective coping learning
modules in a manner that
promotes feelings of self-
efficacy in the student’s
ability effectively when
facing the challenges
associated with
acculturation. Such design
will include:
 The rationale for how
reflective coping will
enhance the student’s
likelihood to succeed;
 Provide frequent
formative evaluations to
provide participants with
constructive and
opportunities for success;
and
 Employ a diverse mix of
successful international
students to discuss and
model reflective coping
behaviors.
International
students
who value
acculturative
integration
will
Value for Task Learning and motivation
are enhanced if the learner
values the task (Eccles,
2006).

Create workshops for
international students that
explain the rationale that
promote the development of
acculturative integration
strategies. Specifically the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 58
Validated
Motivation
Influences

Motivation Type Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
demonstrate
higher
degrees of
acculturative
success.
Rationales that include a
discussion of the
importance
and utility value of the
work or learning can help
learners develop positive
values (Eccles, 2006;
Pintrich, 2003).

Activating personal interest
through opportunities for
choice and control can
increase motivation
(Eccles,
2006).

program will incorporate the
following:
 Provide the rationale for
how adopting an
acculturative integration
strategy will increase the
student’s likelihood to
succeed;
 Employ formative
evaluations that provide
participants with
constructive feedback
and opportunities to track
their progress;
 Involve successful
international students to
share their own examples
of the acculturation
choices they made; and
 Conduct exercises in
which students surface,
articulate, and document
their values and beliefs
regarding acculturative
integration.

Coping self-efficacy recommendations. Self-efficacy theory posits that individuals
must possess sufficient levels of confidence in their personal ability to succeed if they are to
actively commit to, persist, and exert the mental effort necessary to perform a given task
(Bandura, 1997; Pajares & Valiente, 2006). As such, self-efficacy is a key motivational
influence in the Clark and Estes (2008) KMO construct. The design of effective training
programs incorporates established principles related to effectively creating self-efficacy. One
such principle is that modeling desired behaviors enhances self-efficacy, appreciation for the
value of the behavior, and long-term performance, especially if the models are credible to the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 59
participants due to similarities such as cultural background, gender, and circumstance (Denler,
Wolters, & Benzon, 2009). Another principle that promotes self-efficacy is consistent and
constructive feedback combined with opportunities for incremental successes increase
individuals’ self-efficacy in a task. As seen in Table 9, the context-specific training
recommendations incorporate general principles related to effectively promoting self-efficacy.
In addition to their alignment with the general literature on self-efficacy, the
recommendations found in Table 9 are consistent with empirical research conducted in the field
of international student acculturation. In her study of 221 international students, Ezeofor (2016)
found that coping self-efficacy accounted for 16% of the variance in acculturative stress and 27%
of the variance in life satisfaction in the U.S. Conversely, reactive coping styles increase
acculturative stress as demonstrated by Akhtar and Kröner-herwig (2015), who found that the
reactive style was accountable for 30% of the variance in acculturative stress in their study’s
subjects.
Value for acculturative integration recommendations. Closely related to self-efficacy
theory, expectancy-value theory provides a framework for assessing the inter-relationships
between beliefs and values in motivating human achievement. People make an active choice to
pursue only those activities they believe they can accomplish successfully and those for which
they hold subjective value (Eccles, 2006). A corollary of expectancy-value theory is that
individuals are more likely to adopt new behaviors when they understand appreciate the
importance and utility value of the change (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003). As there are many
factors that influence individuals’ choice to engage, persist, and dedicate mental effort to
learning and performing new tasks, it is important to utilize training strategies that create greater
motivation for the new endeavor. Such strategies include providing a clear and compelling
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 60
rationale for the change (Pintrich, 2003), inviting the learner to participate in the change process
so that they feel a sense of choice and control in the process (Eccles, 2003), and express
optimism in the learner’s capacity to master the new tasks (Eccles, 2006). As seen in Table 10,
the context-specific training recommendations incorporate the general principles related to
effectively promoting engendering a sense of subjective vale for adopting the acculturation
integration strategy.
In addition to their alignment with the general literature on expectancy-value theory, the
recommendations in Table 9 are consistent with empirical research conducted in the field of
international student acculturation. International students who value acculturative integration
experience the lowest levels of acculturative stress as contrasted with those who pursue strategies
of assimilation, separation, and marginalization attitudes (Sam & Berry, 2010). Searle and Wood
(1990) demonstrated this point in their research of 105 international students in Australia
demonstrating that the acculturative integration attitudes accounted for 34% of the variance in
psychological adjustment as did Wang and Mallinckrodt (2006) who showed value for
acculturative integration strategy accounted for 44% of the variance in psychological distress.
Organizational Influences Recommendations
The mixed method study validated the conceptual framework’s organizational influences
of providing a Cultural Setting of Inclusion and providing a Cultural Setting of Effective Support
as being critical to the acculturative success of MWU students. Table 10 presents the validated
organizational influences, presents research-based principles associated with creating cultural
settings of inclusion and effective support, and summarizes recommendations for improving
MWU’s performance in the organizational domain.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 61
Table 10
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Validated Organization
Influence
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific Recommendation
International students
need a cultural setting
where they feel a strong
sense of inclusion,
engagement, and
safety, and freedom
from exposure to
discriminatory and
racist behaviors.
Cultural settings are the
venues where stakeholders
experience behaviors that are
either congruent or
incongruent with espoused
organizational
values (Gallimore &
Goldberg, 2001; Schein,
2004).

Organizations must
communicate core values and
institutionalize systems that
reinforce commitment to and
accountability for behaving in
a manner consistent to the
organization’s espoused
values (Bolman & Deal 2013;
Clark & Estes, 2008).
Create a process to ensure the
university responds to external
events (e.g., travel bans) that
threaten the well-being of the
international student in a manner
that instills a feeling of belonging,
care, and safety in the student.
Such a process would be owned by
the Office of the President and
would include a rapid-response
communication plan reiterating the
core values of the university and
its dedication to supporting all
students, regardless their nation of
origin; workshops that realistically
depict the challenges the external
realities along with coping tools;
and support systems through
which international students would
find practical and emotional
support

Establish a university-wide
accountability plan that places the
responsibility for creating an
inclusive, safe, and welcoming
environment at the college and
departmental levels.

Require college deans and
functional vice presidents to
conduct internal gap analyses
utilizing the Clark and Estes
(2008) KMO gap analysis
framework. Hold regular
accountability meetings in which
deans and vice presidents report
progress in closing their respective
KMO gaps.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 62
Validated Organization
Influence
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific Recommendation
Create data collection and
publication system that tracks
performance at the college and
departmental level. Hold college
deans and functional vice
presidents accountable for
improving results and reward
success.

Create training programs for
MWU’s faculty and support staff
that educate them regarding the
unique challenges and needs of the
international student so that they
can effectively and emphatically
respond to the students’ needs.

International students
need a cultural setting
where they receive
strong, effective, and
empathetic support
from the support and
services functions of
the University.
Cultural settings are the
venues where stakeholders
experience behaviors that are
either congruent or
incongruent with espoused
organizational values
(Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001;
Schein, 2004).

Effective organizations ensure
that
organizational messages,
rewards, policies
and procedures that govern the
work of the
organization are aligned with
or are
supportive of organizational
goals and values
(Clark & Estes, 2008).

Effective change efforts
utilize feedback to
determine when/if
improvement is happening
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016).
Establish a university-wide
accountability plan that places the
responsibility for providing strong,
effective, and empathetic support
at the college and departmental
level.

Require college deans and
functional vice presidents to
conduct assess the quality of their
support for international students
by conducting internal gap
analyses utilizing the Clark and
Estes (2008) KMO gap analysis
framework. Hold regular
accountability meetings in which
deans and vice presidents report
progress in closing their respective
gaps in providing international
student support.

Create data collection and
publication system that tracks
support performance at the college
and departmental level. Hold
college deans and functional vice
presidents accountable for
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 63
Validated Organization
Influence
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific Recommendation
improving support results and
reward success.

Create training programs for
MWU’s faculty and support staff
that educate them regarding the
unique challenges and needs of the
international student so that they
can provide strong, effective, and
empathetic support.

Cultural setting of inclusion recommendations. International students look to the
university to provide a cultural setting where they feel a strong sense of inclusion, engagement,
and safety if they are to achieve acculturative success. Organizations, such as universities
constantly communicate their core values in the day-to-day interactions they have with their
stakeholders and even more so during critical incidents (Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001; Schein,
2004). Organizational design theories posit that leaders must intentionally design their social
and technical systems in a manner aligned with the organization’s espoused values if they are to
create cultural settings consistent with their core ideologies (Bolman & Deal, 2013; Clark &
Estes, 2008). Human resource management theory underscores the need to institutionalize
accountability systems that define, develop, and reinforce the requisite attitudes and behaviors
for realizing the organization’s desired results (Bolman & Deal 2013; Clark & Estes, 2008).
As presented in Table 10, the recommendations place the onus on the MWU president to
create a culture of inclusion within MWU and to create a system of accountability that places the
responsibility for the creation of such a culture on department and college leaders. While the
recommendations highlight the necessity for the MWU president align the university’s processes
and systems in such a manner that ensures no internal factors impede a culture of inclusion, it
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 64
also must build systems and processes to ensure it responds to external events that threaten the
well-being of the student. An example of such an event was the January 27, 2017 issuance of
Executive Order 13769, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United
States (Trump, 2017), which banned citizens of predominately-Muslim countries from travelling
to the U.S. The travel ban created a crisis for students from the banned countries in universities
throughout the U.S. as they found themselves in a state of limbo unsure of whether they could
return to the U.S. if they were to leave. As noted in the recommendations, MWU must create a
president-level system to effectively respond to such externalities, communicate the reality and
implications of such events to its international student population, reinforce MWU’s
commitment to protecting and supporting its scholars, and provide workshops and support
resources to help the student cope with the practical and emotional implications associated with
the event.
In addition to their alignment with the general literature on creating aligned
organizational cultural settings, the recommendations in Table 10 are consistent with empirical
research conducted in the field of international student acculturation. Researchers such as
Telbis, Helgeson, and Kingsbury (2014), Glass and Westmont (2014), and Smith and Khawaja
(2011) maintain that a key outcome of the international student’s cultural interactions on a
campus should be the development of feelings of inclusion and belongingness (i.e., “I am wanted
here and belong”). Empirical studies demonstrated perceptions of care and concern from others
(Zhang & Goodson, 2011), social companionship (Ramsay, Jones, & Barker, 2007), and strong
relationships with faculty (Rienties et al., 2012) mediate a sense of inclusion. Conversely,
perceptions of prejudice and discrimination, create feelings of fear, self-loathing, depression, and
social avoidance (Wei, Russell, Mallinckrodt, & Liao, 2008).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 65
Cultural setting of effective support solutions. International students need a cultural
setting where they receive strong, effective, and empathetic support from the support and
services functions of the university. Similar to general theories discussed regarding the
organizational influence of creating a cultural setting of inclusion, cultural settings are the venues
where stakeholders observe behaviors are either undermine or reinforce the organization’s
espoused values (Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001; Schein, 2004). Effective organizations ensure
organizational messages, rewards, policies, and procedures governing the work of the
organization align with or are supportive of organizational goals and values (Clark & Estes,
2008). As seen in Table 10, the context-specific training recommendations incorporate the
general principles related to establishing cultural settings aligned with the espoused values of the
organization.
In addition to their alignment with the general literature on creating aligned
organizational cultural settings, the recommendations found in Table 10 are consistent with
empirical research conducted in the field of international student acculturation. Effective
campus support mediates a sense of belonging, increases social efficacy, and buffers the effects
of perceived discrimination and prejudice (Young, 2017) and can mitigate the effects of
depression associated with perceived discrimination and prejudice by as much as 30% (Jung,
Hecht, & Wadsworth, 2007).
Discussion
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Appendices F through P present an integrated implementation and evaluation plan (IIEP)
whose purpose is to ensure the successful implementation of the improvement recommendations
presented in the prior section. The IIEP utilizes the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 66
& Kirkpatrick, 2016) as an overarching construct. The IIEP begins with MWU’s Level 4
objective of achieving 100% international student acculturative success and identifies leading
indicators associated with the goal. Level 3 identifies critical acculturative behaviors
international students must manifest and the organizational drivers that MWU must provide to
reinforce, encourage, reward, and monitor the adoption of said behaviors. Level 2 of the IIEP
focuses on the learning goals and presents a pre-arrival online program of leaning modules and a
post-arrival program that utilizes on campus workshops and online support modules. Level 1 of
the IIEP presents tools to assess the initial reactions of international students to the training
modules and assesses their levels of engagement with and commitment to developing the
knowledge and motivation necessary to demonstrate the behaviors that lead to acculturative
success. Finally, the IIEP presents an integrated Acculturative Progress Dashboard that collects,
organizes, and presents the critical indicators from all four levels of the program.
IIEP Change Infrastructure
The MWU IIEP for international student acculturation is complex and requires
coordination of multiple functions across the university. As such, it is incumbent upon MWU
leadership to create a university-wide change infrastructure to ensure the proper design,
development, implementation, and evaluation of the plan. While the MWU president ostensibly
has ownership for the IIEP, the Assistant Provost for International Affairs (APIA) has primary
responsibility for the experience and success of the international student. In light of the cross-
organizational scope of the IIEP, it is recommended that the MWU president charter a permanent
committee headed by the APIA and tasked with accountability for the execution of the
international student IIEP, its ongoing monitoring, and its continued improvement. In addition to
the APIA, the members of the IIEP committee would include the Director for Student Success,
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 67
the Director for the Office of International Programs, the Director for International Student
Recruiting, the Director for International Initiatives.
Conclusion
This dissertation in practice focused on evaluating the MWU’s problem in practice
related to MWU’s global goal of achieving 100% international student acculturative success by
2020. Guided by the Clark and Estes (2008) KMO gap analysis model, the dissertation
presented an extensive literature review of international student acculturation and identified six
KMO influences that are reliable predictors of acculturative success. A new conceptual
framework provided a graphical representation of the manner that the six KMO influences
interact to mediate acculturative and the manner that acculturative stress mediates psychosocial
adaptation. The conceptual framework provided the informed the design of an explanatory
sequential mixed-methods study whose intent was to create a baseline assessment of the
acculturative experience of the MWU undergraduate international student population.
The results of the study validated the makeup of the conceptual framework, the current
importance of the KMO influences to the acculturative success of MWU’s international students,
and highlighted performance gaps in each of the KMO domains. Informed by the results of the
study, the dissertation presented a series of research-based recommendations designed to close
performance gaps in the KMO domains. Finally, the dissertation presented an integrated
implementation and evaluation plan dedicated to providing the MWU international student with
the requisite knowledge, motivation, and organizational support to achieve acculturative and
adaptive success. As such, this dissertation in practice fulfilled its objective of being a tool to
effect the kind of change that will improve the lives of MWU’s international students. That said,
it is recognized that the study had certain limitations: a) the dissertation in practice was confined
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 68
to MWU, as such, the finding are applicable only to MWU; b) the subjects who volunteered to
participate in the qualitative interviews tended to be more confident and successful; future
studies would be well-served to actively recruit less-successful international students; and c) the
survey dedicated only one question to the international student’s perceptions of racism and
discrimination at MWU; given the depth and breadth of data gathered regarding racism and
discrimination from the qualitative phase of the study, it would be beneficial to focus future
studies primarily on these themes.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 69
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 80
APPENDIX A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Only international students attending MWU on an F-1, nonimmigrant
student visa were participate in the survey as the temporary and regulated nature of the student
sojourner is a key contextual variable the makes this population distinct from those who are in
the U.S. on an immigrant visa status.
Criterion 2. Only international students over the age of 17 were invited to participate.
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
An initial email invitation was sent from the Director of International Initiatives to the 143
international students older than 17 over a 45-day period. During this period, 18 follow-up emails
were sent, several directed to specific demographic subgroups.
Qualitative Interview Candidate Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Only international students attending MWU on an F-1, nonimmigrant
student visa were be recruited to participate in the in the qualitative interviews as the temporary
and regulated nature of the student sojourner is a key contextual variable the makes this
population distinct from those who are in the U.S. on an immigrant visa status.
Criterion 2. Only international students over the age of 17 to were contacted to
participate in accordance with ethical standards stipulating only adult participation in research
studies of this sort.
Criterion 3. A subject representing the major geographic regions within the MWU’s
international student population (i.e. Latin America, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Europe
was successfully recruited.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 81
Criterion 4. As an analysis of the quantitative results showed students from
predominately-Muslim countries experienced higher degrees of acculturative dissonance, four
such was students were recruited including two females and two males
Criterion 5. A representative mix of male and females were recruited with four females
and seven males participating. The resulting ratio of 37% females to 63% male subjects,
effectively approximated the total international student population, which consists of 27%
females and 73% males.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 82
APPENDIX B: Instruments and Protocols
This study utilized the Qualtrics platform to administer the survey instrument and as the
statistical analysis tool as well. The survey will be to the whole of the international student
population from the Office of International Programs under the aegis of the Assistant Provost for
International Affairs and was administered via email. As the population was international,
English be the language of the survey in light of the English-language proficiency standards
required for admission by MWU. That said, as recommended by Creswell (2011), the design of
the study factored in the lower language proficiency levels of the international participants as
well as their potential lack of familiarity with surveys, particularly in comparison to domestic
students. As such, the selection of previously validated instruments designed for international
respondents serves as a measure for creating strengthening internal validity. Additionally, the
survey will employ simple language in in its instructions, the voluntary nature of participation,
policies regarding confidentiality and privacy, and general instructions.
Survey Instrument
Research
Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct
Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Demographic NA What is your country of origin? (drop down
box).
Nominal
Demographic NA With which gender do you identify (if any): Nominal
Demographic NA Age Ordinal
Demographic NA Sexual Orientation Nominal
Demographic NA Country of Origin Nominal
Demographic NA Years in the U.S. Ordinal
Demographic NA Years at Valparaiso University Ordinal
What is the
international
student’s
perception of their
English
proficiency?

(K: Skill) 1. My English is good enough to
understand what is taught by my
instructors.
2. My English is good enough that I can
communicate what I want to say to my
instructors.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 83
Research
Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct
Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
3. In situations outside of class, my
English is good enough to understand
what Americans are saying to me.
4. In situations outside of class, my
English is good enough that I can
communicate what I want to say to
Americans when I am not in class.
Does the student
demonstrate
reflective coping
skills?

(K-MC) 5. When I find myself in a difficult
situation, I usually concentrate my
efforts on doing something about the
situation.
6. When I find myself in a difficult
situation, I usually take action to try to
make the situation better.
7. When I find myself in a difficult
situation, I usually view it differently
to make it seem more positive.
8. When I find myself in a difficult
situation, I usually look for something
good in what happened.
9. When I find myself in a difficult
situation, I usually try to get advice or
help from other people about what I
should do.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree
Does the student
feel self-efficacy
in reflective
coping?

M-Self-
efficacy
10. I am confident in my ability to cope
with missing my family and friends
back in my home country
11. I am confident in my ability to
maintain my belief in my academic
skills, despite occasional
disappointments.
12. I am confident in my ability to cope
with situations in which people
discriminate against me or stereotype
my cultural background
13. I am confident in my ability to seek
help when I need it.
14. I am confident in my ability to persist
in communicating in English, even
when I feel embarrassed by my
mistakes.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree)

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 84
Research
Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct
Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Do international
students feel a
sense of inclusion
at MWU?

O: Cultural
Setting
15. I like to participate in campus activities
such as clubs and organizations.
16. I feel invited to join campus activities.
17. People at Valparaiso University show
they really care about me.
18. I feel safe at Valparaiso University.
19. I have not experienced prejudice or
discrimination at Valparaiso
University.
20. I have both American friends and
friends from my home country.

4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree
Do international
students believe in
the value of
acculturative
integration?
M: Goal
Orientation
21. I feel that both people from my home
country and Americans value me
22. I feel very comfortable around both
Americans and people from my home
country.
23. I feel I can fit in with Americans
without giving up my home culture.
24. I feel I can fit in with people from my
home country while still adopting some
American customs.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree
Do international
students feel a
sense of inclusion
at VU?

O: Cultural
Setting of
Inclusion
25. I like to participate in campus activities
such as clubs and organizations.
26. I feel invited to join campus activities.
27. People at Valparaiso University really
care about me.
28. I feel safe at Valparaiso University.
29. I have not experienced prejudice or
discrimination at Valparaiso
University.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree
Do international
students have
satisfactory social
support at VU?

O: Cultural
Setting of
Support
30. I feel like I know where to find support
(e.g., example: academic, writing,
mental health, OIP) at VU if I need it.
31. I am willing to use the support services
VU offers.
32. I find that the VU support services are
very helpful.
33. I find that people in support services
really want to help me.
4-point Scale
(Strongly
Disagree to
Strongly Agree

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 85
Interview Script and Protocol
I want to thank all of you for taking the time to talk today. As MWU looks at how we
can better serve international students as a university, your insights and perspectives are critical
in understanding the nature of your experience and that of other international students at MWU.
To facilitate note taking, I would like to audio tape our discussions today. I assure you that only
researchers associated with the project will have access to the tapes. I will keep the tapes secure
and destroy them after transcriptions have been made.
In the scenario that they are not comfortable having tapes made: That is perfectly fine. I will
take notes as we talk.
The transcripts of your responses will be held confidential from anyone who is not a researcher
on this project. The results of this study will not identify you. Additionally, I want to reinforce
that your participation in this interview is purely voluntary. As such, you may stop this interview
at any time you are uncomfortable or simply do not want to continue. Before we continue
further, would you please sign the informed-consent form that summarizes the points we just
discussed? Thank you, I will now turn on the recorder.
Sample Questions
 What is it like to be an international student at MWU?
 What do you wish you had known before you came here?
 What would you tell incoming international students?
 How do American students make you feel?
 Who do you hang out with most?
 What is it like being Muslim at MWU…in the surrounding community?
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 86
 What do you wish faculty members knew about what it is like being an international student
here?
 What is it like to go into town here? How do the citizens here make you feel?
 Describe your experiences dealing with your professors, instructors, and TAs.
 Describe your experience dealing with the MWU support functions (i.e., Office of
International Programs, the Office of the Registrar, Student Accounts, the Writing Center,
your academic advisor, Financial Aid, etc.).
 If it has occurred, describe an experience where you ever felt unwanted, fearful, or
discriminated against.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 87
APPENDIX C: Credibility and Trustworthiness
All inquiry, whether quantitative or qualitative, requires that the researcher conduct her or
his studies with a dedication to rigor of design, transparency of intent and methods, honesty in
the presentation of results, and dedication to the highest principles of ethical integrity (Glesne,
2011; Merriam & Tisdale, 2016; Rubin & Rubin, 2012). Without such, the study not only has no
potential to add to the body of knowledge in the researcher’s area of study, the researcher
compromises his or her professional reputation and capacity for future research. Given the
explanatory sequential mixed-methods design of this study, it was critical that the principles of
credibility and trustworthiness were maintained from the launch of the study to its end.
Two key processes were be employed to assure the credibility of the study: test piloting and
triangulation. As recommended by Merriam and Tisdale (2016), pilot studies provide an
opportunity to validate the questions with a sample that is representative of the target population,
solicit feedback regarding the questions and the structure of the instrument, and make
appropriate changes. Pilot tests were shared with nine international graduate students and four
international faculty members.
Triangulation helped establish credibility as it reduced the opportunity to make
false inferences from the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The qualitative interview phase of the
study served to triangulate the quantitative data and provide deeper insights into the international
student experience. The trustworthiness of the study required that the international student have
no fear of sharing information that may be critical of faculty, staff, and other MWU stakeholders;
as such, it was critical to ensure confidentiality of responses (Merriam & Tisdale, 2016; Rubin &
Rubin, 2012). Finally, investigator bias is another area of consideration for the purposes of
establishing credibility and trustworthiness (Merriam &Tisdell, 2016). Within this study, the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 88
potential for investigator bias existed due to the reporting relationship that exists between the
investigator and the Assistant Provost for International Affairs, the investigator exists
relationships with MWU international students, and his engagement in strategic international
initiatives for MWU. As such, the aforementioned process of triangulation served to provide
both quantitative and qualitative data to minimize the potential for such bias.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 89
APPENDIX D: Validity and Reliability
As defined by Creswell (2014) validity in quantitative research “refers to whether one can
draw meaningful and useful inferences from scores on particular instruments (p. 250) As
discussed, validity in the survey instrument was established through a synthesis of instruments
shown to exhibit high internal consistency employed in quantitative acculturation studies
published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Additionally, the study achieved content validity
by utilizing only instruments explicitly associated with the KMO factors identified in the
acculturation literature. The published instruments utilized for this survey all presented strong
internal consistency and provided test-retest correlations in their published versions. To address
the threat of non-response error, the investigator ensured participation from across all the major
national demographics in both phases. The use of the USC-branded Qualtrics platform increased
reliability by providing students with a neutral and secure site where they felt their anonymity
was protected. First, as the email will be generated from the MWU Office of International
Programs, a link will take the respondent to the USC Qualtrics site. The use of an electronic
survey also increased data reliability as it removed the potential for data entry error on the part of
study administrator (see Creswell, 2014).

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 90
APPENDIX E: Ethics
This study of the international students at MWU sought to uphold the highest ethical
standards to ensure the protection of all participants and associated institutions from harm
(Krueger & Casey, 2009; Merriam & Tisdale, 2016; Rubin & Rubin, 2012). In conducting the
survey, all participants were informed of the purpose and methods of the study. Anonymity was
protected by ensuring the Qualtrics system was set up to not collect personal information. In the
settings of Qualtrics, the tool which collects IP addresses and locations was disabled. Using
internal data, the participant list was filtered so that only those over 17 received an email request
to participate.
In the interviews, all participants provided researcher signed consent forms prior to after
the investigator informed them of the voluntary nature of their participation, the promise of
confidentiality and anonymity, their right to not answer questions, and their right to terminate
participation at any time. All efforts were made to sanitize the study of any potentially
identifying data by utilizing aliases. Data were stored in a secure folder on a cloud-based server
off the premises of MWU. Notes were stored in a locked file.
IRB clearance was obtained from both MWU and USC prior to beginning the study. The
IRB assessments provided a professional, objective, and rigorous assessment to ensure all
appropriate ethical considerations were given to the study. As a whole, a robust, disciplined, and
conscientious consideration of the ethical principles provided the foundation of protection to the
subjects, researchers, and institutions.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 91
APPENDIX F: Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The following table summarizes MWU purpose, need, and expectations as defined by its
desired external and internal outcomes, its target metrics for each outcome, and the method for
outcome data.
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Recognition by
international partner
institutions of the
competence of MWU in
providing a cultural
setting that engenders
acculturative success.
Demonstrated median score of 4
or greater in a 5-point scale in the
category of “MWU successfully
supports the acculturative success
of its international students.”
Survey of administrative staff in
international departments of
MWU’s international partners
(high schools and universities).
International student
alumni satisfaction
Demonstrated median score of 4
or greater on a 5-point scale in the
category of “willingness to
recommend.”
Surveys of international student
alumni
Recognition of superior
nature of MWU’s
international student
experience by NAFSA:
Association of
International Educators
(leading organization
committed to
international education
and exchange)
1. Number of positive articles
published
2. Invitations to speak on
international student
acculturation at national
NAFSA conferences
3. Win NAFSA’s “Senator Paul
Simon Award for Campus
Internationalization.”

1 and 2: Create a long-term plan
for communicating
acculturation successes to
NAFSA.

3. Application for NAFSA’s
“Senator Paul Simon Award for
Campus Internationalization.
Receive Council for the
Advancement of
Standards in Higher
Education (CAS)
Award for Standards of
International Services
and Programs (Based
on Baldrige Award)
Receive CAS Standards Award
for International Services and
Programs
Application for CAS Standards
Award for International
Services and Programs

Internal Outcomes
Demonstrated
achievement of
100% achieve a score or 53 or
lower on the Acculturative Stress
Administration of Sandhu and
Asrabadi’s (1994) Acculturative
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 92
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
acculturative success by
international students
by the time they
commence their junior
years.
Scale for International Students
(ASIS) evaluation tool
Stress Scale for International
Students (ASIS). Students must
score lower than 53 (of a
possible 160 acculturative stress
points) on the ASIS by the time
they enter their junior year to
demonstrated acculturative
success.
International Student
Six-year Graduation
Rate
95% or greater international
student graduation rate.
Internal tracking of
disaggregated international
student graduate data.
Demonstrated
competence in use of
reflective coping
strategies by
international students.
1. 100% demonstrate observable
competence in application of
reflective coping strategies.
2. 100% of participants in
reflective coping workshops
express either an
“appreciative of value of
workshop” or a “highly
appreciative of value of
workshop” opinion in post-
workshop survey.
Assessment provided in
conjunction with reflective
coping workshop provided
during international student
orientation.
International student
demonstrates
appreciation for value
of acculturative
integration strategy (vs.
assimilation, separation,
or marginalization
strategies)
1. 100% of international
students demonstrate espousal
of an acculturative integration
strategy.
2. 100% of participants in
acculturative integration
workshops express either an
“appreciative of value of
workshop” or a “highly
appreciative of value of
workshop” opinion in post-
workshop survey.
Rissel Assessment of
Acculturative Integration
(Rissel, 1997) provided in
conjunction with acculturation
workshop provided during
international student orientation
and conducted annually for
comparative purposes.
Faculty, staff and
students population
create a climate of
inclusion and support
for international
students.

1. Demonstrated median
score of 4 or greater in a
5-point scale for the
question “I feel welcome
at MWU.”
2. Demonstrated median
score of 4 or greater in a
5-point scale for question
“I am satisfied by the
level of support I receive
Annual international student
climate survey.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 93
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
from the MWU support
functions.”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 94
APPENDIX G: Level 3-Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
The critical behaviors required to successfully acculturation (i.e., mediate the
acculturative stress associated with pursuing a degree abroad) are correlated with the knowledge
and motivation influencers prioritized within this study. Successful international students
demonstrate effective communication and reflective coping skills that enable them to overcome
the challenges inherent to studying abroad. They are active in engaging with others who are not
conational to develop a sense of inclusion and self-efficacy in social interactions. They adopt a
strategy of acculturative integration by seeking to adapt to their host culture while preserving and
celebrating their unique cultural heritage. They seek help by leveraging the support services
offered by their campuses. The following table details the behaviors, metrics, methods, and
timing for evaluating said behaviors.
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
1. International students
will demonstrate
satisfactory interpersonal
communicative
competence in their
interaction with faculty
and staff in campus
settings.
Faculty and staff will report
a median score of 4 or
greater on a 5-point scale
for the questions “The
international students with
whom I interact
demonstrate satisfactory
English competence.”

International student
assessment survey
sent to faculty and
support and service
staff.

Annually at
the end of
Spring
semester.

2. International students
demonstrate competence
in the application of
reflective coping skills at
the end of their first
semester.
100% of international
students demonstrate
reflective coping skills and
self-efficacy in their use
reflective coping skills
Demonstration of
reflective coping
skills as observed by
instructors in role
playing scenarios.
By the end
of the
student’s
first
semester.

3. International students
adopt acculturative
integration strategies.
100% of international
students report adoption of
acculturative integration
strategies.
The Vancouver
Index of
Acculturation
(Ryder, Alden, &
Paulhus, 2000)

Annually
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 95
4. International students
demonstrate they feel a
sense of inclusion at
MWU.
Increased participation by
international students in
campus events.

Reports from
campus event
organizers regarding
international student
attendance.

Annually
5. International students
seek help from faculty,
academic advisors, and
mental health services. .
Increased number of help-
seeking events from
faculty, academic advisors,
and mental health services.
Reports from
professors, academic
advisors, and mental
health services.
Annually

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 96
APPENDIX H: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Organizational change initiatives require the international institutionalization of support
systems to reinforce the manifestation of critical behaviors that are required to achieve objectives
of the initiative (Clark & Estes, 2008; Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) refer to such support systems as behavioral drivers. Well-designed
behavioral drivers reinforce, encourage, reward, and monitor stakeholders so as to elicit the
critical behaviors necessary for the achievement of organizational performance goals
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The following table outlines the drivers that facilitate and
motivate the acquisition of acculturative skills, encourage the demonstration of acculturative
skills, reward the effective use of said, and provide for ongoing monitoring of acculturative
success.
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Behavioral aids providing succinct list of
principles of effective communication in a second
language.
Ongoing 1
Major-specific English glossary of critical
technical terms with translation into major
languages.
Ongoing 1
Communications via social media providing tips
for reflective coping.
Ongoing 2
Communications via social media extolling
benefits of adopting an acculturative integration
strategy (i.e., preserve your heritage while
adapting to new culture).
Ongoing 3, 4
Communications via social media promoting
participation in campus events as a source of
success for international students.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
Communications via social media extolling the
benefits of help-seeking strategies and describing
benefits of campus support services.
Ongoing 2, 3, 4
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 97
Encouraging

Feedback and coaching from faculty. Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Feedback and coaching from advisors. Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Rewarding
Publication of specific international student
acculturative success stories that also recognize
staff, faculty, and domestic students (social media
and campus periodicals).
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Create a certification of intercultural competence
that captured on transcript and diploma.
Annual 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Monitoring

International student completion of Acculturative
Stress Scale for International Students (Sandhu &
Arsbadi, 1994).
Annual 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 98
APPENDIX I: Level 2 Learning Goals
Following the implementation of the proposed solutions, international students will be able to
do the following:
1. Recognize the importance of English language proficiency (D).
2. Demonstrate effective English language proficiency (P).
3. Recognize the importance of reflective coping as opposed to reactive coping (D).
4. Correctly describe the processes associated with reflective coping (D).
5. Plan and monitor their own strategies for reflective coping based on a self-evaluation of
their reactive coping tendencies (P, M).
6. Indicate confidence in their ability to cope with the acculturative challenges they will
face in their path to receiving a degree at MWU (Self-efficacy).
7. Recognize the importance of adopting a strategy of acculturative integration versus
assimilation, separation, or marginalization (D).
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the different acculturative strategies, their respective
advantages, and respective disadvantages (D).
9. Indicate the adoption of an acculturation integration strategy (Motivation-Value).
10. Recognize the importance of developing relationships outside their conational peer group
(D).
11. Value participating in activities and events with those who are not members of their
conational peer group (Motivation-Value)
12. Recognize the importance of seeking support and help from MWU support and service
functions (D).
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 99
13. Demonstrate an understanding of the different missions of the various MWU support and
service functions (D).
14. Demonstrate an understanding how to avail oneself of the various MWU support services
(P).
15. Indicate with confidence their willingness to seek support and help from MWU support
and service functions as the needs arises (Self-efficacy, Motivation-Value).
Note: D = Declarative Knowledge, P = Procedural Knowledge, M = Metacognitive Knowledge

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 100
APPENDIX J: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
To apply the learnings necessary to achieve acculturative success, international students
must have the knowledge, skills, and motivation to achieve their constituent acculturation
goals. Thus, it is important to assess learning for both the declarative and procedural knowledge
taught. It is also vital that the international students value the training program, are committed to
becoming competent skills taught, and are confident in their ability to use the skills in efficacious
fashion. As such, the following table lists the evaluation methods and timing for the constituent
learning components.
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing

Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”

Knowledge checks during distance-training
modules
Intermediate short quizzes embedded in
videos.
Embedded quizzes in self-study courses Topic transitions and at the end of modules
Forum discussions Summative discussions with moderators in
response to discussion prompts
Retrospective pre- and post-assessment End of training
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”

Role playing coping strategies including help
seeking
Integrated into on-campus workshop
sessions
Demonstration of knowledge of the missions of
various campus support services
Topic transitions and at the end of training
Retrospective pre- and post-assessment End of training
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 101
Instructor and facilitator evaluations Throughout training
Retrospective pre- and post-assessment End of training
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”

Student role playing demonstrations End of Training
Retrospective pre- and post-assessment End of training
Instructor assessments Throughout program
Student advisor and faculty assessments Quarterly
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”

Retrospective pre- and post-assessment End of training
Student advisor and faculty assessments Quarterly

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 102
APPENDIX K: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Level 1: Reaction. It is vital to establish a consistent and replicable evaluation system
designed to determine that the learning event was relevant, engaging, and advantageous by the
participants. As such, the following table lists the desired reactions of the students to the learning
events and their perceptions as to the efficacy of the training offered.
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Instructor observation (either through monitor of online onboarding
modules or during the live on-campus workshops)
During training and end
of training
Pulse checks During training and
topic transitions
End-of-training survey and open-ended questions End of training
Relevance
Instructor observation During training and end
of training
Pulse checks During training and
topic transitions
End-of-training survey and open-ended questions End of training
Customer Satisfaction
Instructor observation During training and end
of training
Pulse checks During training and
topic transitions
End-of-training survey and open ended questions End of training

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 103
APPENDIX L: Level 1 Survey
Course: Onboarding Program
Place an X in the box representing your opinion concerning the statement.

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
1. I found the training to be interesting.

2. I found the training to be worth my time.
3. I found the training to be useful.
4. The training will help me to succeed as a student
at MWU.

5. I am better prepared to use effective
communication skills in and out of class.

6. I understand the importance of reflective coping.
7. I appreciate the advantages of an acculturative
integration strategy (i.e., I embrace the new culture
while preserving my heritage)

8. I understand the different support services
provided by MWU and how to receive help.

9. I am confident that I can access the help I may
need as a student at MWU.

10. I feel that the staff and faculty understand me
and want to help me succeed.

11. I feel I understand the skills I need to succeed
as at MWU.

12. Overall, I feel more confident about my ability
to succeed at MWU than I did before I started the
onboarding program.

Open-ended Questions
13. What part of the training was most beneficial?

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 104
14. What part of the training needs modification?
15. List the three most important things you learned that would help you succeed as a
student.

Note. Survey administered electronically.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 105
APPENDIX M: Level-2 Survey
Course: International Student Acculturative Onboarding Program
Place an X in the box representing your opinion concerning the statement regarding the results of
your training.
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Not
sure
Agree Strongly
Agree
1. I understand and can employ interpersonal
communication strategies effectively in and
outside the classroom.

2. I understand and can employ effective coping
strategies.

3. I am confident in my ability to cope with the
challenges and obstacles I may face in my
academic career at MWU.

4. I appreciate the advantage of committing myself
to a strategy of acculturative integration.

5. I believe that this training is worthwhile

6. I can independently seek help from the various
on-campus service and support functions.

7. I understand the benefit of actively developing
friendships with domestic students and
international students who are not from my home
country.

8. I am committed to using the knowledge and skills
I learned from this training on a daily basis.

Open-ended Questions
9. What part of the training was most beneficial?
10. What part of the training needs modification?
11. List the three most important things you learned that would help you succeed as a student.
Note. Survey administered electronically.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 106
APPENDIX N: Level-3 Behavioral Rating Scale
Place an X in the box representing your opinion concerning the statement regarding the results of
your training.
Critical Acculturative Behaviors Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Proactive Communication in English
1. I always try communicating what I want to say
to Americans, even at the risk of making mistakes.

2. I try hard to understand what Americans are
saying to me by listening intently, asking them to
repeat, and asking them to explain further until I
understand.

Reflective Coping
3. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I
usually concentrate my efforts on doing
something about the situation.

4. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I
usually take action to try to make the situation
better.

5. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I
usually view it differently to make it seem more
positive.

6. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I
usually look for something good in what
happened.

7. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I
usually try to get advice or help from other people
about what I should do.

Coping Efficacy
8. I am confident in my ability to cope with
missing my family and friends back in my home
country

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 107
9. I am confident in my ability to maintain my
belief in my academic skills, despite occasional
disappointments.

10. I am confident in my ability to cope with
situations in which people discriminate against me
or stereotype my cultural background

11. I am confident in my ability to seek help
when I need it.

12. I am confident in my ability to persist in
communicating in English, even when I feel
embarrassed by my mistakes.

Seeking and Promoting Inclusion
13. I attend campus activities such as clubs and
organizations.

14. I actively participate in join campus activities.
15. I look for opportunities to share my culture
with others.

16. I respect the beliefs different from mine even
if I disagree with or do not understand them.

17. I seek to promote understanding between
different cultures.

Value for Acculturative Integration
18. I spend time with people from my home
country and America.

19. I feel comfortable around Americans and
people from my home country.

20. I have close friends who are both American
and from my home country.

21. I have been able to fit in with Americans
without giving up my home culture.

22. I have been able to fit in with people from my
home country while still adopting some American
customs.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 108
Help Seeking
23. I know where to find support at MWU if I
need it.

24. I use the support services MWU offers.
25. I am confident in my ability to get the help I
need at MWU.

26. I encourage other international students to use
the MWU support services and help them to do
so.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 109
APPENDIX O: Level-4 Assessment: Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students
Place an X in the box representing your opinion concerning the statement regarding the results of
your training.
Acculturative Stress Assessment
Questions
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Not
Sure
Agree Strongly
Agree
1. Homesickness bothers me.
2. I feel uncomfortable to adjust to new
foods.

3. I am treated differently in social
situations.

4. Others are sarcastic toward my
cultural values.

5. I feel nervous to communicate in
English.

6. I feel sad living in unfamiliar
surroundings.

7. I fear for my personal safety because
of my different cultural background.

8. I feel intimidated to participate in
social activities.

9. Others are biased toward me.
10. I feel guilty to leave my family and
friends behind.

11. Many opportunities are denied to
me.

12. I feel angry that my people are
considered inferior here.

13. Multiple pressures are placed upon
me after migration.

14. I feel that 1 receive unequal
treatment.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 110
15. People show hatred toward me
nonverbally.

16. It hurts when people don't
understand my cultural values.

17. I am denied what I deserve.
18. I frequently relocate for fear of
others.

19. I feel low because of my cultural
background.

20. Others don't appreciate my cultural
values.

21. I miss the people and country of
my origin.

22. I feel uncomfortable to adjust to
new cultural values.

23. I feel that my people are
discriminated against.

24. People show hatred toward me
through actions.

25. I feel that my status in this society
is low due to my cultural background.

26. I am treated differently because of
my race.

27. I feel insecure here.
28. I don't feel a sense of belonging
(community) here.

29. I am treated differently because of
my color.

30. I feel sad to consider my people's
problems.

31. I generally keep a low profile due
to fear.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 111
32. I feel some people do not associate
with me because of my ethnicity.

33. People show hatred toward me
verbally.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCULTURATION 112
APPENDIX P: Data Analysis and Reporting

The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2008) New World Kirkpatrick Model is predicated
upon leadership establishing a culture of data-driven accountability that is inquiry-driven and
evidence-based. The implementation of a program of the complexity of the proposed
international student acculturation learning and development program requires data collection,
analysis, and reporting function that publishes the results of the program in an easy to
comprehend format that provides necessary data to inform decision-making. The following
dashboard represents a consolidated reporting tool that reports the critical data points from the
Levels 1-4 assessment instruments.

Acculturative Progress Dashboard

Abstract (if available)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Froelich, Erik Van (author)

Core Title Antecedent to acclimation: the mediating influence of acculturation on international student adaptation

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 08/06/2018

Defense Date 08/01/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag acculturation,acculturation theory,acculturative integration,acculturative separation,acculturative stress,international student inclusion,international student success,international student support,OAI-PMH Harvest,reflective coping

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Mora-Flores, Eugenia (committee chair), Datta, Monique (committee member), Stowe, Kathy (committee member)

Creator Email efroelic@usc.edu,efroelich340@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-54070

Unique identifier UC11670812

Identifier etd-FroelichEr-6654.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-54070 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-FroelichEr-6654.pdf

Dmrecord 54070

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Froelich, Erik Van

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA