Micro-Aggression of International Students

Research in Education studentsM.Ed. students discussing a research poster during the Research in Education poster fair.

With an increasing number of international students coming to Canadian universities every year (Statistics Canada, 2019), the retention of international students has been a significant topic for administrators and researchers. Literature has demonstrated that the persistence of international students is largely predictable based on their sense of belonging which is associated with multiple factors such as academic support, socialization, etc. Among these factors, discrimination and racism can be significant (Smith, 2021). While no universities allow discrimination and racism in their policies, the daily practice on campus can be a different story (Guo & Guo, 2017). The literature identifies this form of discrimination as micro-aggression. This study is designed to explore international students’ experiences with micro-aggressions. 

While the first stage of this research is completed, we have begun discussions on how we might learn more deeply about the phenomenon of international student microaggression experiences both on and off-campus.

For more information on this project, contact Dr. Smith at Clayton.Smith@uwindsor.ca.