Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

In recent years, the Saudi Arabian government has facilitated the process of external scholarship. Consequently, the number of Saudi students in Western colleges has jumped markedly—mainly in the United States, which has hosted the majority of Saudis who study outside of the home country. Notwithstanding the enormous increase in the number and representation of Saudis in American institutes of higher Education in current years, studies and literature on this group of foreign students are few, and more research is needed to cover the gap in the literature about Saudi Arabia's international learners. A qualitative study was conducted to answer the main research question: How do American instructors in post-secondary schools perceive their Saudi college students? Eight participants working as faculty members were interviewed face to face to collect information for this study. The findings of the study were divided into five themes, each one containing topic harmonious with each other. The results of the study indicated that the participants believe that their Saudi students are weak in terms of language skills. Participants also demonstrated religious tolerance with their Saudi students and evaluated their experiences with the Saudis as positive.

Share

COinS