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Article published In:
Preparing Teachers for Addressing the Sociocultural Issues with Asian Pacific Immigrants and Refugees
Edited by Yin Lam Lee-Johnson and Hsiao-Chin Kuo
[Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 31:1] 2021
► pp. 100–121

Enhancing Asian immigrants’ and international students’ learning

Faculty cultural awareness and pedagogy training

| Columbia College Chicago
| Columbia College Chicago
| University of West Florida
| Loyola University Chicago

With the rapid growth of Asian immigrants in American educational settings, this mixed method study examined whether a professional development program on cultural awareness and pedagogy for faculty members would impact their knowledge and skills in working with Asian immigrants to ensure these students’ retention and success. This study, therefore, assessed the effectiveness and the impact of the program designed to address the needs of Asian immigrants. Guided and supported by the constructivism learning theory (Vygotsky, 1980), the professional development program applied theories of intercultural communication training (Bennett & Salonen, 2004). A mixed method of inquiry involved surveys with ten faculty members and 16 students, in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Faculty members attended the workshops during the first year of students’ enrollment in their classes. The data stem from a longitudinal study conducted throughout the three years of students’ enrollment in the institution. The results established a probable relationship between the workshops and faculty members’ success in working with Asian immigrants.

Keywords: cultural awareness workshop, global education, intercultural communicative competence, professional development, Asian non-native English speakers
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review and theoretical frameworks
    • Challenges of Asian immigrants and international students
  • Theoretical framework
    • Constructivism in the five domains
    • Intercultural communication in professional development
  • Methodology
    • Participants and procedure
    • Data collection and analysis
  • Results and discussion
    • The impact of GEPD workshops on faculty’s knowledge, skills and dispositions
    • Impact of faculty’s pedagogical approaches on Asian NNESs’ learning experiences
      • The impact of pedagogical approaches
      • The impact of faculty’s knowledge, attitudes, and dispositions
      • The impact of Asian NNESs’ affective factors
  • Limitations
  • Implications for future research
  • Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 17 September 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00059.yeh
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