Institutional and Faculty Readiness for Teaching Linguistically Diverse International Students in Educator Preparation Programs in U.S. Universities

Abstract

Despite the steadily increasing number of linguistically diverse international students (LDISs) in higher education in the U.S, many universities still mostly use curriculum and instruction that are based on monolingual norms (Ginther & Yan, 2018). Thus, the current system fails to accommodate the particular needs of LDISs, which, in addition to further developing their academic language proficiency, includes navigating multicultural perspectives and potentially unfamiliar instructional practices. To understand the current situation in this regard in order to provide evidence-based practical recommendations, a need for exploration of instructors' and institutions' readiness is warranted. To attend to this critical need, this study asks: What are the professional knowledge base and dispositions of faculty in educator preparation programs about linguistic and academic matters to meet the needs of LDISs? What pedagogical choices by faculty in educator preparation programs particularly address the linguistic and academic needs of LDISs? What institutional readiness-related affordances exist to support LDISs and faculty in participants' experiences? Data sources include interviews and institutional documents. The findings indicate that faculty members acknowledge a lack of a)

Strengthening co-op educators' support practices for international students' transitional experiences in the American workplaces

“…Supporting international students in these areas will help improve students' overall well-being (Domínguez et al, 2022;Lértora & Sullivan, 2019;Luo et al, 2019;Koo et al, 2021) and their development of critical engineering professional skills required by the world of industry, such as communication skills, work ethics, and intercultural fluency (Makhathini, 2016;Newell & Ulrich, 2022). Participants expressed hopes for enhancing their understanding and knowledge of international students' unique experiences and needs, which will reinforce the foundation for them to develop culturally responsive support for students from diverse backgrounds (Achirri, 2021;Mahalingappa et al, 2021). Furthermore, participants commented on international students' hesitation to contact their advisors when help was needed.…”

“…International students bring enormous value to their school communities, including fostering a multicultural atmosphere, bringing about language and ethnic diversity, and encouraging intercultural awareness and competency among all community members (Zhang & Chan, 2021). Providing a culturally responsive education to international students is necessary for achieving educational equality (Mahalingappa et al, 2021;Janakiraman et al, 2019;Xie & Ferguson, 2022) and cultivating a truly multicultural campus (Zhang & Chan, 2021). According to Yeh et al (2022), culturally sensitive teaching considers the implications of students' cultural contexts in all facets of their social and emotional development.…”

“…According to Yeh et al (2022), culturally sensitive teaching considers the implications of students' cultural contexts in all facets of their social and emotional development. To implement culturally sensitive teaching means that educators incorporate students' cultural knowledge and prior experience into curricula and class activities, making learning relevant to increase students' engagement (Mahalingappa et al, 2021;Yeh et al, 2022;Zhang & Chan, 2021).…”

“…In order to develop and implement culturally responsive educational practices, educators must develop knowledge and an understanding of the international students they support, including students' cultural assets, learning styles, and unique challenges and needs (Achirri, 2021;Mahalingappa et al, 2021). Such knowledge encourages educators' reflections on their own beliefs and privilege, fostering an empathetic attitude that underpins culturally responsive practices (Mahalingappa et al, 2021;Janakiraman et al, 2019).…”

“…In order to develop and implement culturally responsive educational practices, educators must develop knowledge and an understanding of the international students they support, including students' cultural assets, learning styles, and unique challenges and needs (Achirri, 2021;Mahalingappa et al, 2021). Such knowledge encourages educators' reflections on their own beliefs and privilege, fostering an empathetic attitude that underpins culturally responsive practices (Mahalingappa et al, 2021;Janakiraman et al, 2019). It is believed that faculty members who show empathy and are willing and open toward supporting students' unique journeys are more able to increase international students' motivation for learning, participation in academic activities (Cho et al, 2023), and trust in the educators (Yeh et al, 2022).…”