Stories of South Korean Doctoral Students in STEM: A Qualitative Study

There is a great number of international students, who are studying in U.S. institutions and colleges. Many researchers have reported that many international students deal with various obstacles and hurdles, such as a language barrier and cultural transition. Asian international students tend to experience more difficulties in improving English skills and navigating a new academic system in the U.S. colleges and institutions (Park-Saltzman et al., 2012; Wu et al., 2015). Pursuing doctoral education adds an additional layer of difficulty among Asian international students, as a doctoral study requires more rigorous academic and professional development (Le & Gardner, 2010). The importance of supporting doctoral students through mentoring has been explored across multiple disciplines, including the STEM fields, but few studies have captured Asian international doctoral student perspectives from a theoretical perspective of culturally responsive mentoring. This dissertation project seeks to explore the needs and personal experiences of five South Korean doctoral students in STEM, building on culturally responsive mentoring. Among various types of qualitative research, a qualitative study that incorporates narratives is employed, as this research aims to interpret how one makes sense of their experiences and worlds in a more in-depth way. Research participants include those who are currently in a stage of completing a dissertation or who have recently graduated from STEM programs. By adopting a qualitative study, this present study aims to understand what roles mentoring has played in their academic achievements and career readiness.