A FIELD STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION TO CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS

Abstract

The graduate classrooms in US universities are one of the most culturally diverse educational settings in the world, representing very different cultures. Each student in such a multicultural setting must differ in his approach to educational practices carried out in the classroom. Participation to discussions is one of them. This study aimed to explore how international graduate students studying at a US university contribute to classroom discussions and how and why they differ from their American counterparts. Therefore, a graduate seminar was observed for eight weeks. Results of qualitative analysis revealed that international students differ from their American classmates in their participation to classroom discussions in “patterns of turn taking” and “patterns of participation and its quality” due to cultural differences. It was concluded that international students should be supported in their struggle to adapt to the expectations of the new culture for them to become successful in culturally-diverse settings. Key words: International Students, Cultural Diversity, Educational Practices, Classroom Discussions.