The Development of Academic Identity Among Korean International Doctoral Students in the United States

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: International Student Experiences (Table 9)

Abstract

This multiple case study examines the experiences of three Korean Ph.D. students at a US university concerning the development of their academic identities. This study adopted McAlpine and Lucas’s (2011) three dimensions of academic identity development—intellectual, networking, and institutional. A background information questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and written admission essays were collected over one semester, and a thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. The findings revealed how Korean international students’ doctoral experiences are embedded in three facets of academic identity, containing challenges as a racial minority in the United States, and developing their academic identity. This research provides an in-depth understanding of Korean international doctoral students by considering them as a heterogeneous group.

Authors

• Hanna Kim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Hyun-Sook Kang, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign