Dismissed and Misunderstood: Examining International Graduate Students’ Learning Experiences in the Canadian Context

• In Event: Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Improving the Doctoral Experience

Abstract

This study examined international graduate students’ learning experiences from the Canadian context. The objective was to explore how students are positioned between issues of citizenship, nationalism, and the classroom culture. The study combined neo-racism and critical race theory as innovative lenses to theorize students’ experiences. Key findings that emerged from the interview data included a lack of inclusive practices within the classroom; an absence of international perspectives within curriculum and teaching; and language discrimination. This research contributes to the paucity of research on international graduate students in Canada. It offers insights into the need for organizational change towards diversity to improve students’ academic experiences and suggests that institutional accountability is a critical component to transforming the culture of the university.

Author

• Anita Gopal, University of Toronto, OISE