Skip to main content

Framing Student Development Theory

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Supporting International Students in US Higher Education
  • 103 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter takes a student development theory-based approach to supporting international students on U.S. campuses. The authors briefly trace the evolution of this body of theory with an emphasis on intersectionality of identities. They then examine international students’ development and how this may be influenced by their race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of campus environment to promote and foster international student development and the actions that can be taken to create culturally relevant and responsive spaces to support whole student development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abes, E. S. (2019). Crip theory: Dismantling ableism in student development theory. In E. S. Abes, S. R. Jones, & D. L. Stewart (Eds.), Rethinking college student development theory using critical frameworks (pp. 65–71). Stylus Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alhajjuj, K. K. (2016). Learning to manage: How Saudi female doctoral students in education manage academic and motherhood roles in US universities. Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Council on Education. (1937). The student personnel point of view (American council on education studies, series 1, no. 3). Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Council on Education. Committee on Student Personnel Work. (1949). The student personnel point of view (Rev. ed.: American council on education studies, series 6, no. 13). Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andino, M., Reid-Brown, C., Parlkar, U., Knutson, D., & Mackey, V. (2023). Ambiguity, uncertainty and loneliness: Challenges to mental health in international students. In G. Nyunt, K. Koo, P. Witkowsky, & M. Andino (Eds.), International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story (pp. 12–26). STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Awuor, D. C. (2022). Experiences of Black-African international students in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and in Historically White Colleges and Universities (HWCUs) in the United States: A narrative inquiry (Publication #29605466). Doctoral dissertation, Sam Houston State University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badgett, M. L., Carpenter, C. S., & Sansone, D. (2021). LGBTQ economics. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 35(2), 141–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2006-02515-002.pdf

  • Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity-politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denton, J. M. (2019). Queer theory: Deconstructing sexual and gender identity norms, and developmental assumptions. In E. S. Abes, S. R. Jones, & D. L. Stewart (Eds.), Rethinking college student development theory using critical frameworks (pp. 58–64). Stylus Publishing, LLC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fries-Britt, S., George Mwangi, C. A., & Peralta, A. M. (2014). Learning race in a US Context: An emergent framework on the perceptions of race among foreign-born students of color. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 7(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George Mwangi, C. A., Changamire, N., & Mosselson, J. (2019). An intersectional understanding of African international graduate students’ experiences in U.S. higher education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(1), 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glass, C. R., Heng, T. T., & Hou, M. (2022). Intersections of identity and status in international students’ perceptions of culturally engaging campus environments. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 89, 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.05.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, J., Schlossberg, N. K., & Anderson, M. L. (2006). Counseling adults in transition: Linking practice with theory. Springer Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, S. R. (2019). Waves of change: The evolving history of student development theory. In E. S. Abes, S. R. Jones, & D. L. Stewart (Eds.), Rethinking college student development theory using critical frameworks (pp. 7–16). Stylus Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks for multiple dimensions of identity. John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koo, K., & Nyunt, G. (2022). Mom, Asian international student, doctoral student, and in-between: Exploring Asian international doctoral student mothers’ mental well-being. Journal of College Student Development, 63(4), 414–431. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2022.0035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koo, K., Nyunt, G., Coleman, M., & Paralkar, U. (2023). Racial hierarchy, minority stress, and mental well-being among international students of color. In G. Nyunt, K. Koo, P. Witkowsky, & M. Andino (Eds.), International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story (pp. 58–72). STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahwani, A., Daruwalla, S., & Cheng, J. (2023). Making visible psychosocial experiences of LGBTQ+ international students. In G. Nyunt, K. Koo, P. Witkowsky, & M. Andino (Eds.), International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story (pp. 73–85). STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, W. (2020). International student services. Student affairs and services in higher education: Global foundations, issues, and best practices (3rd ed., p. 299). International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS). https://www.studentenwerke.de/sites/default/files/210129_dsw_iasas_final_web.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipka, O., Sarid, M., Aharoni Zorach, I., Bufman, A., Hagag, A. A., & Peretz, H. (2020). Adjustment to higher education: A comparison of students with and without disabilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 923. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, T., Wong, Y. J., & Tsai, P. C. (2016). Conditional mediation models of intersecting identities among female Asian international students. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(3), 411–441. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000166372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martirosyan, N. M., Bustamante, R. M., & Saxon, D. P. (2019). Academic and social support services for international students: Current practices. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 172–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Museus, S. D. (2014). The culturally engaging campus environments (CECE) model: A new theory of success among racially diverse college student populations. In M. Paulsen (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (Vol. 29, pp. 189–227). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Museus, S. D., Yi, V., & Saelua, N. (2017). The impact of culturally engaging campus environments on sense of belonging. The Review of Higher Education, 40(2), 187–215. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2017.0001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers-Walls, J. A., Frias, L. V., Kwon, K. A., Ko, M. J. M., & Lu, T. (2011). Living life in two worlds: Acculturative stress among Asian international graduate student parents and spouses. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(4), 455–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/41604463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadal, K. L. (2019). A decade of microaggression research and LGBTQ communities: An introduction to the special issue. Journal of Homosexuality, 66(10), 1309–1316. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1539582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyunt, G., & Koo, K. (2023). Raising children in a foreign country: Balancing parenting with school as an international student. In G. Nyunt, K. Koo, P. Witkowsky, & M. Andino (Eds.), International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story (pp. 98–110). STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyunt, G., Koo, K., Witkowsky, P., & Andino, M. (2023). International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story. STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oba, Y., & Pope, M. (2013). Counseling and advocacy with LGBT international students. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 7(2), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2013.785468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., & Quaye, S. J. (2016). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pond, M. L. (2021). The effectiveness of intensive English language programs: Preparing international students linguistically, academically, and culturally for academic studies (Publication #16350). Doctoral dissertation, Montana State University-Bozeman, Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabia, A., & Hazza, M. (2017). Undergraduate Arab international students’ adjustment to US universities. International Journal of Higher Education, 6(1), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v6n1p131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ray, V. (2019). A theory of racialized organizations. American Sociological Review, 84(1), 26–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122418822335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid-Brown, C., Andino, M., Fetterman, K., Meredith, M., & Macky, V. (2023). Navigating stressors that impact the mental well-being of international students with disabilities. In G. Nyunt, K. Koo, P. Witkowsky, & M. Andino (Eds.), International student identities and mental well-being: Beyond the single story (pp. 111–128). STAR Scholars.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renn, K. A. (2022). The impact of a sense of belonging in college: Implications for student persistence, retention, and success. Stylus Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Su-Russell, C., & James, A. (2021). Chinese international scholars’ work–life balance in the United States: Stress and strategies. Journal of International Students, 11(2), 484–504. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i2.1548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd

  • Warren, A. K., & Constantine, M. G. (2007). Counseling African international students. In H. D. Singaravelu & M. Pope (Eds.), A handbook for counseling international students in the United States (pp. 211–222). American Counseling Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wijeyesinghe, C. L. (2019). Intersectionality and student development: Centering power in the process. In E. S. Abes, S. R. Jones, & D. L. Stewart (Eds.), Rethinking college student development theory using critical frameworks (pp. 26–34). Stylus Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodford, M. R., Kulick, A., Garvey, J. C., Sinco, B. R., & Hong, J. S. (2018). LGBTQ policies and resources on campus and the experiences and psychological well-being of sexual minority college students: Advancing research on structural inclusion. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 5(4), 445–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeo, H. T., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S. A., & Huntt, M. B. (2019). Asian international student and Asian American student: Mistaken identity and racial microaggressions. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 39–65. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v9i1.278

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tricia A. Seifert .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Seifert, T.A., Tran, Q.N. (2024). Framing Student Development Theory. In: Roberts, D.L., Ammigan, R. (eds) Supporting International Students in US Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46395-2_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46395-2_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-46394-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-46395-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics