Abstract
The interview held on Monday, 17th February 2020 at Ahmed’s apartment in Boca Raton, Florida aimed at creating an understanding of how Saudi students felt about studying in America. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying what challenges if any the Saudi students in America encountered and how they solved those problems if they ever did. The study revealed that the greatest challenge the Saudi students was the difference in culture in the United States as compared to their homes. In America, they found that people were more open minded about concepts and life and openly addressed such areas. The interview concluded by revealing that time created the opportunity for Saudi students to learn and acquire cultural competency which further facilitated the opportunity for Saudi students to enjoy the benefit of the high-quality education provided in the United States.
Interview Results Analysis Report
Background
The study focused on investigating whether or not the Saudi Student’s living in the United States enjoyed the freedom to discuss issues that concerned their native country. Also, study aimed at identifying the challenges that Saudi students in the United States experience. In America, public opinion is considered an important cultural tool that identifies the key issues facing society and further provides suggestion on what can be done to improve the situation or solve the problem entirely. This study, therefore, sought to investigate how the American culture impacted the Saudi students. The interview was conducted to collect relevant data on what Saudi students perceived of the American culture and what impact studying in America had on their lives and mindset. All interview questions were aimed at identifying how different things were in Saudi as compared to in the United States but focusing only on the educational sector.
Methods
To ensure that the interviewee was as comfortable as possible the interview was held at the interviewee’s residence in Boca Raton, Florida. The interview was held on the Monday, 17th February 2020. The two methods employed in collecting data during the interview were the use of a voice recorder as well as note taking. For note taking, some of the important techniques applied were such as using short phrases to capture data as opposed to writing complete sentences. The phrases captured were often direct quotes such as words he used to describe his experience. The relevance of this technique was to ensure that the report prepared after the interview would reflect either an exact representation or something close to the exact representation of what the interviewee had in mind when providing the responses. The recording would help capture points and clues missed during the initial interview. At his apartment, the interviewee was calm and composed and the environment was net and quiet making it conducive for the interview.
Results and Discussion
Provided that the interview was recorded, and notes are taken, the session was followed by another session where the researcher transcribed the interview for further analysis. The interview transcription is attached below. See Appendix ii. The interview revealed that at first Saudi students found the culture in the United States different (Alsahafi and Shin, 2019). It was difficult to understand whether the Saudi students found the American culture different in a good way or a bad way. Ahmed the interviewee however explained that with time, studying and residing in the United States got easier. However, he stated that the key was to develop cultural competence and have an open mind towards the difference in the various cultures that exist in the world.
Conclusion
First, from the interview, it was evident that Saudi student’s indeed have a difficult time adapting in the United States. The cultural difference could at first offset the Saudi students (Abdel Razek, 2012). However, Ahmed the interviewee explained that with time, the students begin to become more open minded as they learn and understand the culture in the United States. Also, Ahmed explained that he as a Saudi student and an accurate representative of the Saudi students enjoyed studying in the United States because the opportunities of learning and quality of education in the United Sates was far higher than what was offered back home in Saudi. The central and unifying theme was, therefore, that Saudi student’s while they faced challenges settling in and accepting the culture in the United States, the more culturally competent they became the easier it became for them to enjoy life as American Students. However, Ahmed also explained that even after four years of studying in the United States, he continued to proudly identify himself in his country Saudi and with his culture and people. The information provided helped my topic by answering the research questions. The answers Ahmed were meaningful because they clarified some of the assumptions held against Saudi students studying in the United States (Abdel Razek, 2012). The interview was void of any obvious researcher or participant bias and appeared to be honest open and accurate.
Appendices
Appendix i. References
Abdel Razek, A. N. A. (2012). An exploration of the case of Saudi students' engagement, success and self-efficacy at a Mid-Western American university (Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron).
Alsahafi, N., & Shin, S. C. (2019). Factors affecting the academic and cultural adjustment of Saudi international students in Australian universities. Journal of International Students, 2017 Vol. 7 (1), 7(1), 53-72.
Appendix ii. Transcript of the Interview
Abdul: “Hello Ahmed, how are you?”
Ahmed: “I am good, how are you?”
Abdul: “I am good, thank you.”
Abdul: “I am making a research about the Saudi student’s life in the U.S and I have a couple questions that I want to ask you if that’s okay with you?”
Ahmed: “Yeah sure!”
Abdul: “Okay, what do you think about living in the U.S as an international student? How do you feel about that?”
Ahmed: “The U.S. presents a great opportunity for people eager for learning and accomplishment.
Throughout my studies at different institutions in the U.S., I have learned a lot in my field as well as in other disciplines. I saw that in myself and in other classmates who came from other countries around the world. We used to take classes together, accumulate our knowledge and experience, and perfect our scores. It is amazing to see what they have accomplished after they graduate and to notice the level of professionalism I achieved along the way, also.”
Abdul: “I see, and have you faced any problem(s) with adapting in the U.S? If yes, what is/are it/they?”
Ahmed: “After being used to a specific lifestyle back in my home country, I faced some obstacles trying to adapt to life in the U.S. It did not take me much time to grasp the flow of everyday life here in the U.S. One of first challenges I faced, is dealing with public transportation. At the time, I had no previous knowledge or experience, and it cost me time to ask friends about it. After that, it became an everyday process that requires no thinking. ”
Abdul: “Okay, and what do you think about the American culture?”
Ahmed: “I admire the open-mindedness of people, which is inherently in American culture. People are adherent to their culture, and also open to exploring other traditions and cultures.”
Abdul: “What are the differences between the education in Saudi Arabia and the U.S?”
Ahmed: “Although education in Saudi Arabia is not as advanced as education here in the U.S., graduating Bachelor students in the fields of Science and Engineering in Saudi Arabia are comparable if not competent to the graduates of matching fields in the U.S. Officials in Saudi Arabia are trying to raise the level of the outcomes of Saudi universities to match the requirements of the labour market.”
Abdul: “Could you describe a situation in which you felt it’s necessary to be an ambassador for your country?”
Ahmed: “Being an international student in the US has taught me a lot through many situations and occasions. One of the lessons that I learned, is to set a good example of my culture and the country I come from. Whenever I take a new class, I introduce myself to my classmates with my name at first. However, sometimes they get curious about the origin of my name, since it is not so much common. I have made many friends from the US as well as other countries around the world. I always focus on conveying a good image about my country, culture and our tradition. I remember helpful conversations that yielded a deeper understanding of our tradition. That all is added to the help in reviewing and revising course material and preparing for exams. It leaves a good impression about myself and the culture I represent.”
Abdul: “What are the differences between the education in Saudi Arabia and the U.S?”
Ahmed: “”
Abdul: “Has your experience here in the U.S helped you gain an ability to communicate effectively within and among diverse cultural groups? If so, could you cite specific examples?”
Ahmed: “Having friends and classmates representing different cultures from many backgrounds is an eye-opening experience. It stimulates critical thinking and facilitates progress of conversion. During my English language program, I participated in extracurricular activities that involved initiating and continuing conversations with classmates as well as others. Talking with others whom I have barely met in a foreign language gets me out of my comfort zone, however it also forces my brain to be sharp and spontaneous.”
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