International Graduate Students’ Perceptions of American Culture

Problem Statement: International students studying in American institutions of higher education face some difficulties largely because of the differences between American culture and their home cultures. One way of better understanding the reasons of cultural difficulties could be to investigate international students’ perceptions related to American culture. Having more knowledge about how international students see American way of living could provide researchers and school administrators some guidance for designing more effective multi-cultural communication environments. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to investigate a group of international students’ perceptions related to American culture. Method: The participants of this study were 50 international students studying in graduate level programs at a university in upstate New York. Their countries of origin were Turkey, China, South Korea, India, Russia, Syria, Iran, and Germany. The data of the study came from two sources: answers to a questionnaire and interview sessions. Findings and Results: The results of the study indicated that international students were generally aware of the features of American culture even if some of these features conflicted with their home cultures. On the other hand, the participants of the study reported that they were not quite happy with open ended learning situations. Conclusions and Recommendations: These results might indicate some guidelines for professors who are working with international students and for professionals who prepare orientation programs for international students.