ANNA VESTOCTOBER 16, 2015NASPA-FL REGIONAL CONFERENCE: “CONNECTING PASSION WITH PURPOSE”

Translating US College Admission into International Student Success:  Implications for Academic Advisors working with international students in US institutions of higher education

Desired Learning Outcomes • Learn how to contribute to a campus culture that acknowledges

international students’ interdependent approach to learning • Learn to consider international student population’s concerns through

the perspective of a potential cultural mismatch between students’ cultural norms and institution’s cultural norms • Learn to adjust advising approach to capitalize

on international student population’s assets, capabilities, and strengths as a means to help students better prepare for facing new challenges/experiences

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DIFFERENCES IN CULTURAL NORMS

A Clash of Cultures

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US Social Cultural Norms—Individualistic• Society influences individualistic norms in institutions of higher education

• Students are expected to pioneer, blaze trails, and carpe diem!

• The word “I” is the foundation for self actualization and achievement

(Stephens et. al., 2012)

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International Social Cultural Norms—Collectivistic • Society influences holistic norms in institutions of higher education

• Students are expected to work in harmony with others to achieve a common goal

• The word “We” is the foundation for the accomplishment of the group

(Basu-Zharku, 2011)

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Cultural Mismatch Theory

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Applying the Cultural Mismatch Theory to International students:

• Faculty perceptions of international students: lacking English language skills, academic writing skills, evaluating English language problems (Trice, 2003)

• Students from collectivistic cultures need time for adjustment to US university system’s cultural norms of independence

• Sense of belonging is crucial to success

(Stephens et al., 2012): (Stephens et al., 2012):

IMPACT OF INSTITUTION’S CULTURAL NORMS ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE

The Impact

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Today’s Norm: A Deficit-Based Approach

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Gallup Pole—Which would help you be more successful in your life:

knowing what your weaknesses are and attempting to improve your weaknesses

or

knowing what your strengths are and attempting to build on your strengths?

US 41% UK 38%France 29%China 24%Japan 24%

Country Knowing Strengths

(Hodges & Clifton, 2004)

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Impact of Deficit-Based Approach on Student Performance

76% of fifth graders are emotionally and intellectually engaged in their work, 61% in ninth grade, 44% in 12th grade, and 30% among adults (Gallup, 2014)

Addressing weaknesses can result in short-term improvement but not to a level of excellence (Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

Advising sessions where advisors structure questions in a way that probe to reveal the students’ inadequacies may cause student to avoid the very resources designed to help them and withdraw from the campus community under the belief that they do not

belong there (Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

“People do not grow by concentrating on their problems…The effect of a problem focus is to weaken people’s confidence in their ability to develop in self-reflective ways”

(Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

“…focusing on student deficit…is focusing on the student who

is not there.” (Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

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Impact of Institutional Culture on Student Performance

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Research Study Hypothesis: A cultural match or mismatch between a students’ motives and university’s cultural norms affects performance (Stephens et al., 2012)

Student Group AICollege Welcome Letter reflected independence:

• learning by exploring personal interests

• expressing ideas and opinions

• creating your own intellectual journey

• participating in independent research

Student Group BCollege Welcome Letter reflected interdependence:

• learning by being part of the community

• connecting with fellow students and faculty

• working together and learning from others

• participating in collaborative research

Impact of Institutional Culture and Deficit-Based Approach on Student Performance

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Research Findings: After reading 1 of 2 letters, each group was given 20 anagrams (verbal reasoning task) and tasked to complete as many as they could in 10 minutes (Stephens et al., 2012)

Student Group ACollege Welcome Letter reflected independence:

Students from interdependent social cultural orientation solved fewer anagrams than their counterparts

Student Group BCollege Welcome Letter reflected interdependence:

Students from both, interdependent and independent, social cultural orientations performed equally well

UTILIZING AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO ADVISING TOPROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS

The Solution

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An Asset-Based Approach2 million people were interviewed in a variety professions across the world. The following 3 consistent characteristics of high achievers were identified:

1) They spend most of their time in their areas of strength2) They focus on developing and applying their strengths while managing

their weaknesses3) They do not necessarily have more talents than other people, but they

have developed their capabilities more fully and have learned to apply them to new situations

(Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

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Asset-Based Approach to Advising

Field of social work: assumption that clients already possess the tools they need to overcome obstacles, to grow, and succeed (Schreiner, 2014)

Talent development approach utilized in higher ed.: emphasizes that every student can learn under conditions of appropriate challenge and support (Schreiner, 2014)

The positive psychology movement : highlights optimal human functioning and connections to intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and hope (Schreiner, 2014)

Strengths-based development in business models: uses feedback and awareness of talents in motivating people toward engagement and excellence, therefore enabling companies to improve productivity (Schreiner, 2014)

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Applying Asset-Based Approach When Advising Our Students

Identify: formal assessment tools such as StrengthsFinder/Strengths Quest or through interview process

Affirm: validate students in terms of how their strengths can be applied to college success

Envision: discuss student’s aspirations and how strengths can be utilized to meet goals

Plan: help students set specific steps to meet their goalsApply: help students identify skills they need to acquire to add to their natural abilities and how strengths can be applied to new challenges they may face

(Schreiner & Anderson, 2004)

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Potential Challenges Students may resist exploring strengths due to fear of discover that they have

none or fear possibility that they may still fail when applying their talents Have strong belief that focusing on addressing their weaknesses is the best way

to overcome them Awareness of strengths may conflict with current self-concept, producing conflict May be afraid of success if it threatens others and lead to rejection or more

pressure to achieve May have been criticized and come to believe that their strengths are actually

weaknesses

(Schreiner & Anderson, 2004)

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Impact of Asset-Based Approach to Advising on Students

Students feel well-understood and known by their Advisor, experience higher levels of motivation and confidence, and report significantly higher satisfaction with advising (Schreiner, 2000 as cited by Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

As students become aware of their strengths and how they can be applied to being a successful student, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging in college which in turn motivate them to become involved and connected in their college experience (Schreiner & Anderson, 2004)

“Intrinsic motivation is facilitated by a sense of competence, facing “optimal challenges,” feeling a sense of choice and self-directedness about the activities in which one is engaged, supportive relationships, and “freedom from demeaning feedback”” (Ryan & Delci, 2000 as cited by Schreiner & Anderson, 2005)

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References Basu-Zharku, O. JI. (2011). Effects of Collectivistic and Individualistic Cultures on Imagination Inflation in Eastern and Western Cultures. Student Pulse,

3(02). Retrieved from http://www.studentpulse.com/a?id=385

Gallup. (2014, August 13). Workforce Devoted to Weaknesses are Dangerous. Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://www.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/176504/workforces-devoted-weaknesses-dangerous.aspx

Hodges, D. T. & Clifton, O. D. (2004). Strengths-based development in practice. In P. A. Linley and S. Joseph (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=f-8iBCRk4c8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Schreiner, A. L. (2014). Strengths-based advising. In J. K. Drake, P. Jordan, and M. A. Miller (Eds.), Academic advising approaches: Strategies that teach students to make the most out of college. (chapter 7). Retrieved from http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=511711&loc=105.

Schreiner, A.L. & Anderson, E. (2005). Strengths-based advising: A new lens for higher education. NACADA Journal, 25(2). Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Journal.aspx.

Schreiner, A.L. & Anderson, E. (2004). Strengths-Based Advising. Princeton, NJ: The Gallup Organization. Retrieved from http://strengths.southmountaincc.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2011/12/StrengthsBased-Advising.pdf.

Stephens, N.M., Fryberg, S.A., Markus, H., Johnson, C.S., & Covarrubias, R. (2012). Unseen Disadvantage: How American universities’ focus on independence undermines the academic performance of first-generation college students. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology, 102(6), 1178-1197. doi:10.1037/a0027143.

Trice, G., A. (2013). Faculty perceptions of graduate international students: The benefits and challenges. Journal of Studies in International Education, 7(4), 388-400. doi: 10.1177/1028315303257120

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Questions? Anna Vest

Academic Advisor, INTO USF Pathway Program University of South Florida

nalitova@usf.edu www.linkedin.com/in/annavest