Saudi Student Integration in Southeastern U.S. Institutions: A Study on the Impact of Academic, Social, and Cultural Adjustments Related to Academic Success by Carrie Marie Melius A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama December 16, 2017 Keywords: international, Saudi students, higher education, adjustment, United States Approved by Maria Witte, Chair, Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology James Witte, Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology David DiRamio, Associate Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology Leslie Cordie, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology Abstract Saudi student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions has been increasing due to factors like the rising enrollment of international students in the U.S. Another major reason includes the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which implemented efforts to promote peace and improve international relations as well as boost the economy of Saudi Arabia (Alqahtani, 2014; Hilal, Scott, & Maadad, 2015; Hilal, Scott, & Maadad, 2015). There is a lack of mixed methods data on Saudi students’ social and cultural integration issues and how this impacts academic success. The purpose of this study was to examine these adjustment issues and how they relate to students’ abilities to succeed academically in U.S. universities. This study incorporated Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and Tinto’s Student Departure Theory into the theoretical framework. Data was collected using quantitative and qualitative mixed methods, including the Needs Assessment of International Students (NAIS) (Reynolds & Suh, 2005), the College Student Report by the National Survey of Student Engagement (Kuh, 2001a), and follow-up interviews. The student population focused on Saudi undergraduate students studying in Southeastern universities in the U.S. This study employed a mixed methods approach to analyzing the collected data. Data analysis was conducted using several methods. The online survey results were analyzed by inputting data into IBM SPSS Statistics 20. The researcher used SPSS to analyze data and show descriptive data and relationships between academic, social, and cultural adjustment issues with academic success using Pearson r correlations, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA analysis. The follow-up ii interview responses were analyzed through a phenomenological lens (Moustaka, 1994). Based on the interview responses, common themes were identified and expanded on for this study. Some of the findings from this study related to academic challenges revealed that participants found the amount of academic reading difficult and limited language skills and fear of making mistakes when speaking English as somewhat difficult. According to the qualitative results, most students shared that they did not feel adequately prepared in English and critical thinking skills prior to arrival in the United States. Participants indicated that they struggled to make American friends but had little difficulty making friends from their own culture. Depression and homesickness were acknowledged by participants in this study. Students also had difficulty with American students’ lack of understanding of their culture which led to cultural misconceptions and instances of discrimination. Most participants noted that their institutions should do more to support international students studying in the U.S. by providing specialized services for academic success. The results were concluded with a section on how self-reflection has assisted students with being successful and overcoming challenges through self-discovery and understanding. This study is significant because it investigated Saudi student perspectives in the entire Southeastern region of the U.S. The student population included both male and female perspectives on adjustment issues and incorporated a comprehensive analysis by use of the quantitative and qualitative results. The need for this study is appropriate to educate higher education institutions on the adjustment challenges faced by this growing student population within the Southeastern region of the U.S. to improve their overall experiences. iii Acknowledgments There are many individuals who have been a guiding light during this long and often desolate journey, but there are a few who have contributed to my success in which words cannot express. I will attempt to show my gratitude with the following: To my father, Randall Melius, and family, thank you so much for always pushing me further along and never doubting me. Your unwavering support throughout my program has always been such a motivating factor for me to persist through this process and make it to the finish line. This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved grandparents, Dr. Paul and Vaya Melius. I am one of many individuals who has been positively influenced by your passion for lifelong learning. To my dear friend Dr. Ellie Lee, your mentorship and positive feedback have truly helped me find the perseverance to achieve this goal. I am extremely grateful that we crossed paths years ago and cannot imagine having done this without your sincerest support. Your friendship brightened the dark days of contemplation during this long road. To my treasured friends, Katherine Barton, Carmen Britton, and Katherine Fisher, I am thankful beyond words to have you ladies in my life. Your support, no matter the occasion, means the world to me and I am so honored to share our journeys together. To Dr. Daniel Raffalovich and my colleagues in the Intensive English Program, thank you for your encouragement and all the wonderful experiences we have shared in the IEP. I have iv grown and learned so much from you and appreciate every professional opportunity offered to me through the program. To Graham Morris, thank you so much for your assistance and patience in working with me through my data analysis. You were such a great help and your expertise made the task less daunting for me. To my advisor, Dr. Maria Witte, and committee members, Dr. James Witte, Dr. David DiRamio, and Dr. Leslie Cordie, my deepest thanks for your guidance and encouragement throughout my studies and writing process during the program. I am very appreciative of the shared insight and knowledge from you all along this journey. And finally, thank you to Hamzah Alkhudaidi for always being here for me, whether near or far, through the excitement and the challenges. I am forever grateful for your reassurances and support throughout this project and have learned so much from your positive influence on my life. Thank you all! v Table of Contents Abstract …...................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………… ............... iv List of Tables ……………………………………………………………… .............................. xii List of Figures………………………………………………………………… ................. ..…. xiv Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 1 Statement of Problem ……………………………………………………………………… 2 Theoretical Framework ……………………………………………………………………. .3 Purpose of Study ……………………………………………………………………………5 Research Questions …………………………………………………………………………5 Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………………….. .6 Limitations ………………………………………………………………………………..... 7 Assumptions ……………………………………………………………………………… ..7 Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………………… ...8 Organization of Study ........................................................................................................... .9 Chapter 2: Literature Review…………………………………………………………………… .10 Purpose of Study …………………………………………………………………………..10 Research Questions ………………………………………………………………………. .11 College Student Adjustment ...………………………………………………………… .....11 Student Engagement and Adjustment..……………….………………………………….. ..12 vi Institutional Environment ………………………………………………………... ....…….24 Adjustment of International Students ……………………………….. ……………………26 Academic/Social Adjustment ……………………………………………………………27 Social/ Cultural Adjustment ……………………………………………………………..31 Significance of Integrating Support Systems…………………………………………….32 Background of Saudi Arabia …………………………………………………... ................33 History of Saudi Arabia ……………………………………………………………….... 33 Land ……………………………………………………………………………….. ........34 Religion ………………………………………………………………………………….36 People ………………………………………………………………………………...….37 Culture …………………………………………………………………………………... 38 Educational System in Saudi Arabia ………………………………………………… ..….43 King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) …………………………………….. .45 Change in Leadership ………………………………………………………………. 47 Adjustment of Saudi Students in U.S….………………………………………………… ..47 Academic Adjustment…………………………………………………………………… 47 English Language Concerns…………………………………………………………….. 52 Social Adjustment ……………………………………………………………………….55 Cultural Adjustment ……………………………………………………………………..59 Discrimination …………………………………………………………………………...62 Benefits of Saudi Students in the U.S. ………………………………………… .................65 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………. ..66 Chapter 3: Methods ……………………………………………………………………………. ..67 vii Purpose of Study …………………………………………………………………………. 67 Research Questions ………………………………………………………………………. 68 Research Design ………………………………………………………………………….. 68 Population and Participants ……………………………………………………………..... 72 Instrumentation ………………………………………………………………………......