Unsettling Silences: Exploring Imposter Syndrome Among African International PhD Students and Its Implications for Belonging, Integration, and Academic Self-Efficacy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Belonging & Identity: Diverse Doctoral Journeys

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates how imposter syndrome manifests among African international PhD students in the United States and examines its impacts on their sense of belonging, social integration, and academic self-efficacy. Drawing from qualitative interviews and guided by stereotype threat and self-efficacy frameworks, the research reveals the often-overlooked psychological and socio-cultural challenges that shape the experiences of African doctoral students in U.S. institutions. The findings highlight how variations in culture, educational system, and language (particularly accent discrepancies) contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and cultural displacement among African international PhD students in the United States.

Author

• Mohammed Ibrahim, Arizona State University