Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools

Erkan Acar

Erkan Acar ¹ ^*

More Detail

AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 7, Issue 4, pp. 51-63

OPEN ACCESS 1341 Views 2449 Downloads

Download Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study attempted to investigate how immigrant students in Florida’s K–12 schools acclimated. The study emphasizes the value of fostering a friendly and encouraging school climate for immigrant students since such climate can speed up their acculturation process and increase their academic and disciplinary achievement. Semi-structured interviews with 20 immigrant students from various cultural backgrounds gathered the data as part of the study's qualitative research design. The study population includes students who were born in different countries other than the US and who had attended Florida’s public schools for at least a year. According to the study’s findings, immigrant students experience a variety of difficulties connected to social separation, linguistic difficulties, and cultural alterations. On the other hand, the students also mention several advantages, including adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings, making new friends, and feeling more independent. The study adds to the body of knowledge on immigrant students’ acculturation experiences in the US, especially in K–12 institutions in Florida. The research results give educators, decision-makers, and academics new perspectives on how to better grasp the opportunities and difficulties faced by immigrant kids in the US K-12 educational system.

Keywords: immigrant students, acculturation, school climate, academic achievement.

References

Abi-Nader, J. (1990, April 19). Helping minority high school students redefine their self-image through culturally sensitive instruction [Paper presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED319831.pdf
Acar, E. (2016). Faculty perception on international students in Turkey: Benefits and challenges. International Education Studies, 9(5), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v9n5p1
Acar, E., Yigit, M. F., & Aslan, D. (2016). Ethnic identity development in schools among first generation immigrants in the United States. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(4), 105–110.
Adler-Greene, L. (2019). Every Student Succeeds Act: Are schools making sure every student succeeds. Touro L. Rev., 35(11), Article 4. https://digitalcommons.tourolaw.edu/lawreview/vol35/iss1/4
Agirdag, O. (2014). The long-term effects of bilingualism on children of immigration: student bilingualism and future earnings. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(4), 449–464. https://hdl.handle.net/11245/1.430343
Bae, S. M. (2020). The relationship between social capital, acculturative stress and depressive symptoms in multicultural adolescents: Verification using multivariate latent growth modeling. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 74, 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.11.007
Bennouna, C., Brumbaum, H., McLay, M. M., Allaf, C., Wessells, M., & Stark, L. (2021). The role of culturally responsive social and emotional learning in supporting refugee inclusion and belonging: A thematic analysis of service provider perspectives. Plos one, 16(8), Article e0256743. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256743
Berry, J. W. (2006). Acculturation: A conceptual overview. In M. H. Bornstein & L. R Cote (Eds.), Acculturation and parent-child relationships: Measurement and development (pp. 13–30). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Publishers. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780415963589-2
Berry, J. W. (2019). Acculturation: A personal journey across cultures. Cambridge University Press.
Bhugra, D. (2003). Migration and depression. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 108(s418), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0447.108.s418.14.x
Chavous, T. M., Bernat, D. H., Schmeelk-Cone, K., Caldwell, C. H., & Kohn-Wood, L. (2015). Racial identity and academic attainment among African American adolescents. Child Development, 74(4), 1076–1090. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00593
Deslandes, C., Kaufmann, L. M., & Anderson, J. R. (2022). A systematic and integrative review of qualitative research exploring experiences of acculturation and education among African-born migrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 86, 240–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.12.007
Dow, H. D. (2011). The acculturation processes: The strategies and factors affecting the degree of acculturation. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 23(3), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822310390877
Fuligni, A. J. (2001). A comparative longitudinal approach to acculturation among children from immigrant families. Harvard Educational Review, 71(3), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.71.3.j7046h63234441u3
George, T. (2023, June 22). Semi-Structured Interview | Definition, Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved July 11, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/semi-structured-interview/
Güler, A., & Yıldırım, M. (2022). Associations between acculturation, perceived discrimination and subjective well‐being among Syrian adolescents living in Turkey. International Journal of Psychology, 57(2), 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12795
Harris, A. L., & Robinson, K. (2016). A new framework for understanding parental involvement: Setting the stage for academic success. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 2(5), 186–201. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2016.2.5.09
Hoytt, K., Hunt, S., & Lovett, M. A. (2022). Impact of Cultural Responsiveness on Student Achievement in Secondary School. The Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, 9, 1–12. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1362100
Jeynes, W. (2010). Parental involvement and academic success. Routledge.
Juang, L. P., & Cookston, J. T. (2009). Acculturation, discrimination, and depressive symptoms among Chinese American adolescents: A longitudinal study. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 30(3-4), 475–496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-009-0177-9
Juang, L. P., & Syed, M. (2019). The evolution of acculturation and development models for understanding immigrant children and youth adjustment. Child Development Perspectives, 13(4), 241–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12346
Lee, J. S. (2010). Culturally relevant pedagogy for immigrant children and English language learners. Teachers College Record, 112(14), 453–473. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811011201408
Lilla, N., Thürer, S., Nieuwenboom, W., & Schüpbach, M. (2021). Exploring academic self-concepts depending on acculturation profile: Investigation of a possible factor for immigrant students’ school success. Education Sciences, 11(8), Article 432. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080432
Man Chu Lau, S., Brosseau, M. C., Maegerlein, E., LeRisbé, M., & Blandford, M. (2020). Supporting immigrant students’ academic and social integration: ESL and French college teachers’ collaboration in promoting cross-linguistic teaching of language and strategies. Canadian Modern Language Review, 76(4), 293–312. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr-2020-0001
Merriam, S. B. & Associates (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Migration Policy Institute (2023). U.S. immigrant population by state and county. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/us-immigrant-population-state-and-county
Nae, N. (2022). Acculturation in a hostile land: The plight of immigrant children in Japan. Euromentor Journal-Studies About Education, 13(1), 42–58.
Okilwa, N. S., Cordova, A. J., & Haupert, K. (2022). Learning in a new land: School leadership in support of refugee students. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 21(3), 695–717. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1843061
Palinkas LA, Horwitz SM, Green CA, et al. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Adm Policy Ment Health 2015;42: 533-44.
Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. SAGE Publications.
Pew Research Center. (2021). Florida population 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/01/25/florida-population-2023/
Suárez-Orozco, C., Suárez-Orozco, M. M., & Todorova, I. (2008). Learning a new land: Immigrant students in American society. Harvard University Press.
Titzmann, P. F., & Lee, R. M. (2022). New temporal concepts of acculturation in immigrant youth. Child Development Perspectives, 16(3), 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12458
Warren, M. R., Hong, S., Rubin, C. L., & Sychitkokhong, P. U. (2009). Beyond the bake sale: A community-based relational approach to parent engagement in schools. Teachers College Record, 111(9), 2209–2254.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Citation

Acar, E. (2023). Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 7(4), 51-63.

Acar, E. (2023). Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 7(4), pp. 51-63.

Acar E. Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2023;7(4), 51-63.

Acar, Erkan. "Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2023 7 no. 4 (2023): 51-63.

Acar, Erkan "Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 7, no. 4, 2023, pp. 51-63.

Acar E. Bridging the Cultural Divide: Examining Immigrant Students' Experiences of Acculturation in Florida's Public Schools. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2023;7(4):51-63.