The Ethiopian Adolescent and the Effect of Cultural Difference on Immigrant Students' Learning

Abstract

This article investigates the effect of cultural difference on the secondary school induction and learning of Ethiopian–Australian immigrant students living in Melbourne, Australia. A qualitative methodology was employed using interviews as data-collection instruments. Secondary school students, their teachers, and parents acted as participants in the study. The immigrant students' school life was examined through the interaction and influence of the cultural experiences and expectations the students brought with them and the expectations attached to the preexisting culture within the schools attended. The research identified some specific discriminatory forces related to cultural differences that contributed to, and inhibited, the students' learning when they relocated between countries and school systems.