Graduation Term
Spring 2026
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology
Committee Chair
Dr. Cheri J. Simonds
Committee Co-Chair
John F. Hooker
Committee Member
Kevin R. Meyer
Abstract
The study examined college students’ perceptions of American Teaching Assistants and International Teaching Assistants on credibility, clarity, respect, homophily, cultural homophily, and instructor quality within the same instructional context. Guided by Face Negotiation Theory, the study employed a mixed-methods design combining survey data and open-ended responses from undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. Results indicated significant differences in perceptions of clarity, homophily, and instructor quality, with ATAs rated higher on these dimensions, while no significant differences were found in credibility and respect. Students’ narratives reflected comparable experiences with both ATAs and ITAs, as perceptions of cultural homophily and instructor quality emerged similarly across the two groups.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Pappoe, Deborah Aku Shika, "Are We Perceived the Same? A Cross-cultural Comparison of Instructor Communication Between American and International Graduate Teaching Assistants" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 2250.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2250
Included in
Arts and Humanities Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Higher Education Commons