Beyond Ecological Challenges: International Students’ Strengths and the Impact of Culturally Responsive Peer Mentorship on Academic Writing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonses.6117Keywords:
international students, academic writing, high-impact practices, peer mentorship, culturally responsive teachingAbstract
This qualitative case study challenges the persistent deficit-based discourse and explores how culturally diverse international students negotiate ecological differences as academic writers in higher education. It highlights underrepresented student writers’ assets as highly motivated, self-efficacious learners while it also addresses ecological challenges including academic language and cultural differences. Drawing on ecological, high-impact practices, self-transformation, and culturally responsive teaching frameworks, the research investigates participants’ academic writing experiences including other-perceived surface-level barriers and self-perceived cultural challenges and learners’ transformative strategies as well as peer mentors’ culturally responsive mentoring strategies to provide targeted language support and foster deeper engagement for mutual transformations. Findings emphasize the importance of writer-assessed improvements in writing competence, tailored language support, culturally responsive peer mentoring, interaction with diverse peers, and fostering international cultural awareness. This study provides implications for curricular and extracurricular design and institutional support, and calls for reframing the discourse around international student engagement and success, acknowledging their strengths and the value of culturally responsive high-impact peer mentorship.
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