Saudi Arabian scholarship students in MELP's IEP: Goals, successes, and challenges

Abstract

This study examines the perceptions of Saudi Arabian recipients of the King Abdullah Scholarship studying in the Intensive English Program at the University of Minnesota. It provides insight about their goals, the challenges they face, and the success they achieve, as well as their perceptions of the IEP program itself. Using qualitative analysis methods, the results of individual interviews conducted with the participants were examined in order to learn about these perceptions as described by the participants themselves. In general, there is remarkably little research targeting this particular population, and this study takes steps towards filling that gap. The study finds that the participants’ goals and experiences are diverse in terms of both their specificity and their chosen fields of study. It also finds that their perceptions of their own strengths and weaknesses are highly insightful, and that they may run counter to commonly held beliefs. The successes and challenges discussed by the participants also go far beyond language to include cultural exchange, living independently, and administrative issues. In addition, the study finds that the participants have generally positive perceptions of the IEP program, and that they are adaptive to their environment at the same time that their individual and national identities are being shaped and continuing to evolve. Finally, the study indicates some implications for teachers and administrators regarding the explicitness of expectations, the awareness of the challenges students face, and the development of personal relationships for the benefit of student learning. Key words: Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah Scholarship Program, IEP