The Perception and Lived Experiences of African International Students During Their Studies in the United States Colleges and Universities: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience and perceptions adapting to the process of college-level education for African international students at a four-year college in the southeastern United States. The theory that guided this study was Berry’s acculturation theory, which categorizes individual adaptation strategies into two dimensions. This study was guided by acculturation theory aligned with the central research question and sub-questions. Participants who completed their studies or were current students at the university were selected through purposeful and snowball sampling. Data was collected through individual interviews, online surveys, and focus groups and analyzed using Moustakas’s phenomenological seven-step approach of bracketing, horizontalization, clustering into themes, textural descriptions, structural descriptions, and textural-structural synthesis. Data collected illuminated themes and sub-themes across participants’ lived experiences. Five themes emerged from the individual interviews and focus group data: (a) cultural differences, (b) course teaching, (c) lack of university assistance, (d) lack of diversity, and (e) individualized orientation process. The findings may guide international agencies, instructors, and higher education institutions to serve African international students better studying in the U.S. and those aspiring to study in the U.S.