Intercultural Capacities and Responsiveness in Higher Education Contexts: Perspectives and Experiences of International Graduate Students

Abstract

In this qualitative, single case study, I focused on international graduate students enrolled in a higher education institution in Western Canada to explore their perspectives and experiences on intercultural capacities and responsiveness in higher education contexts. The participants were international graduate students who had been in a Canadian higher education institution for a minimum of one year. Through semi-structured interviews with six international graduate students, document analysis, and a reflective journal, I explored their perspectives and experiences on intercultural capacities and responsiveness in higher education contexts. I sought to understand experiences of international graduate students that included: inclusive integration, alienation, and/or isolation when transitioning into their new academic environment, given their unique socio-cultural backgrounds and learning needs. I examined the responsiveness of higher education institutions to the needs of international graduate students by drawing on intercultural capacities of both the international graduate students and the higher education institution. As an international graduate student myself, I was a researcher–participant in this study. Together, participants and I interpreted and shared our perspectives and experiences through dialogue. The interaction focused on what intercultural capacities meant to them; their significant learning experiences; their intercultural perspectives as international graduate students; and, how the higher education institution supported them in adjusting to their new academic environment.