What’s in It for Me? Native Students’ (De)motivations to Interact With International Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: What’s in It for Me? Self-Efficacy and Student Engagement

Abstract

U.S. institutions send many students abroad to learn global competency skills—the ability to engage with the world. This international exposure does help them gain self-awareness, active communication skills, global understanding. However, more than 88% of undergraduate students in the U.S. cannot afford study abroad opportunities. These students could benefit from engaging with the international students present on campus. But current literature suggests that meaningful engagement between domestic and international students doesn’t take place just because international students are here on campus. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, this research aims to find the motivating or inhibiting factors of domestic undergraduate students at a large research university in the South by exploring their attitudes, motivations, beliefs, and values.

Author

• Uttam Gaulee, Morgan State University