Emotional Well-Being of International Graduate Students in Classroom Settings

Classrooms at agricultural education graduate programs often rely on socially engaging activities such as discussions and team projects. International students, especially those from strong agricultural economies, are attracted to these programs for their focus on rural development, extension education, and instructional methods. This chapter explores these international students’ emotional experience, both challenging and validating, in these highly interactive classroom settings, as well as their coping strategies for acculturative stresses. Many students reported anxiety and dread about speaking English in class. Fear also emerged when classmates acted disrespectfully, triggering defensive responses. Hurt and disappointment were expressed when expected relationships with instructors or peers were unfulfilled, such as when their discussion contributions were overlooked. Students felt validated when instructors and peers included them in small talk and asked them follow-up questions. A sense of empowerment arose from academic autonomy and practical course materials in a global context. Students used coping strategies to solve problems and alleviate emotional burden. While the problem-solving approach offers long-term benefits, students also used avoidance and other temporary emotion-alleviating strategies. This chapter recommends practical strategies to help international students thrive in both agricultural education classrooms and other classroom settings they encounter during their graduate studies.