Graduate Student Instructors Coping Strategies and Concurrent Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Research

Authors

RAZAK K. DWOMOH, Northern Illinois UniversityFollow
Boatemaa Tawiah-Sarpong, Eastern Illinois UniversityFollow

Abstract

Acculturation stress is ubiquitous among international students. There is a preponderance of the use of social support in dealing with stressors by international students. This paper investigates Ghanaian graduate student instructors’ (GGSIs) coping strategies for mitigating stress in learning, teaching, and research. Primary data collection was in-depth semi-structured interviews. Focus group discussions served as complementary data. Seven participants were purposefully selected using a criterion-based selection from a midwestern U.S. public university. Thematic analysis yielded substantial results. The results show that GGSIs use social support for learning, not teaching or research. Preferable strategies for teaching are professional work ethics and setting classroom rules. In research, GGSIs prefer faculty and peer collaborations. This paper informs graduate students, primarily African international students, about other applicable ways of dealing with acculturative stress and fostering graduate proficiency. Additionally, it offers academic advisors strategies for advising international students. The paper also offers recommendations for new and current GGSIs.

Recommended Citation

DWOMOH, RAZAK K. and Tawiah-Sarpong, Boatemaa (2023) "Graduate Student Instructors Coping Strategies and Concurrent Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Research," Journal of Multicultural Affairs: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jma/vol9/iss2/1