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Framing Academic Socialization of International Undergraduates in an American University: A Critical Ethnographic Study

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2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus).

With globalization, the number of international students is increasing in American higher education. Academic success is important to them. Grounded on critical academic socialization (Barton and Hamilton, 2005; Lea and Street, 2000), community-of-practice (Wenger, 1998), and dialogism (Bakhtin, 1981; Mercer, 1995), this ethnographic study reports findings regarding the critical academic socialization process of international English as a Second Language (ESL) for undergraduates in an American university. Data was collected with a focus on the parameters of symbolic modality (speaking and writing), unit of learning (individual and collaborative learning), and longitudinal time span. By synthesizing conceptual frameworks and empirical findings, this dissertation proposes an academic socialization model that brings together a diachronic dimension (euphoria critical academic becoming evolution phase of academic socialization) and three synchronic dimensions (contextual levels, sites, and modes of learning in academic socialization).

While focusing on the critical academic becoming phase, this study highlights how the negotiation process of each focal student’s learning to write occurs idiosyncratically across intercultural, interdisciplinary, and intertextual levels. Case analysis illustrates the development of critical literacy stance of each focal student (i.e.), analytical, questioning, and contesting literacies), which can counter the myth of silent transience of L2 international undergraduates in the U.S. Cross-case analysis also suggests that the culture of this study population is silent resistance, grounded on the textual, institutional, and discursive practices, prompts me to propose a theory of discourse hybridization to change the current status quo of commercialization and citizenship discourse in one American state university. Secondly, using cross-case analysis from the zoom-out perspective, this study reports that learning opportunities in the out-of-classroom sites can be as important as classroom sites for increasing student learning outcomes. This finding broadens our understanding of the process of learning to write and speak in a social network of peers and family, in addition to using institutional resources such as writing centers. Thirdly, using spoken discourse analysis from the zoom-in perspective, this study explicates how dialogic thinking (i.e., dialogism) contributes to students’ learning outcomes through monologic coordination and dialogic collaboration with others.

By portraying how international undergraduates resiliently adapt to situations, and how these students contingently and creatively use social resources for achieving their academic goals, this study sheds light on the creative, enabling, and positive force of L2 international ESL undergraduates in their negotiation of literacies individually and collaboratively.

Cynthia L. Selfe, PhD (Advisor)
Evonne Halasek, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Rebecca Kantor-Martin, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Alan Hirvela, PhD (Committee Member)
337 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Park, H. (2009). Framing Academic Socialization of International Undergraduates in an American University: A Critical Ethnographic Study [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245434397

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Park, Hyechong. Framing Academic Socialization of International Undergraduates in an American University: A Critical Ethnographic Study. 2009. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245434397.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Park, Hyechong. "Framing Academic Socialization of International Undergraduates in an American University: A Critical Ethnographic Study." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245434397

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)