Cultural belonging impact on retention intention of non-American international undergraduate students in attendance at U.S.-based postsecondary institutions

There is a limited understanding regarding how non-American international undergraduate students who have lived outside the U.S. for a majority of their lives construct their educational identities within U.S.-based postsecondary institutions in comparison to international students who have lived in American culture for more than two years. The multifaceted cultural nature of their educational identity within the confines of an Americanized educational learning environment demands further exploration into the hybridity of these student populations. This study proposes to identify which aspects of the learning experience help or hinder the sense of cultural belonging for non-American international students in attendance of U.S.-based institutions, as well as which aspects of the learning experience impact the retention intention and persistence of undergraduate non- American international students living abroad and in attendance of U.S.-based institutions. Using the interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative study was designed to gather narratives of lived experiences of various non-American international students. Using semi-structured interviews, this phenomenological study will utilize narratives of lived experiences of approximately ten non-American international students in attendance at U.S.-based institutions to assist in identifying if cultural belonging impacts retention intention of these student populations.