Survey Reveals How International Students Perceive American Schools

The Brookings Institution released its 2017 Report on American Education, revealing survey results of international high schools students in the U.S. and their perspective on American education. The report, administered by the Brown Center on Education Policy, is a replicate and a comparative analysis of a similar study conducted in 2001. Key findings of the survey include reported differences in the difficulty of classes, the amount of time dedicated to out-of-school activities and homework, value placed in sports and math, and emphasis on learning a second language.Data results shows that even 16 years later, not much has changed in terms of international students’ perceptions and values. Over 600 past high school exchange participants in the AFS international program were contacted for this survey, with a response rate of 45.3 percent.When asked how U.S. classes compare to courses at home, 55.9% of international students reported in 2001 that classes were “a lot easier”, compared to 66.4% in 2016. Likewise, in terms of the total amount of time spent on homework, in 2001, 34% of international students thought Americans devote much less time to schoolwork than what they were used to from their home countries; that number increased to 44% in the 2016 survey.The rise of social media and the amount of time students spend on social media activities were a new development highlighted in the 2017 report, which was not a factor included in the 2001 survey. Also not included in the 2001 survey was the relative importance of learning a foreign language. More than half of respondents said it is considered “much less” important in the U.S. to study foreign languages than in their home countries. Similarly, another intriguing finding is the importance international students place on Math compared to the value American students place on sports.To read the full Report, click here.