The thesis provides theoretical generalization and scientific solution of the problem of social and pedagogical support of foreign students in the US higher education system. The status of the problem with social and pedagogical support of foreign students has been described, defines and specifies the definitions of the academic research. The definition of the methodological tools made it possible to outline positions that have enabled to build an algorithm and research structure, including empirical and inductive position, which includes descriptive, as well as descriptive and methodological knowledge, and axiomatic and deductive position, which consists of prescriptive and normative methodological knowledge. It was found that the study methodology for social and pedagogical support of foreign students is based on the definition of approaches (system, cultural, historical, humanistic, synergistic, competence-based) that made it possible to analyse the support system. To support findings of the study, a set of principles has been used, including objectivity, determinism, optimality, ethical principle, combination of holistic and aspectual approaches, description-explanation-prediction. Various study methods have been used, which are divided into general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, analogy, concretization, system analysis, dialectical) and professionally oriented methods (inductive and deductive, modeling, comparative and historical, diachronic and synchronic analysis, system and structural, axiomatic)). Factors, principles and functions, which are tools for overcoming the social, academic, structural, pedagogical problems in the process of foreign students’ social and pedagogical support at the US HEI has been determined. Based on the authors criteria, hind-sight study of the social and pedagogical support of foreign students in the US has been conducted in the unity of seven stages: I stage – organizational and establishment (1911–1919), II stage – normative and legal (1920–1960), III stage – institutional and structural (1961–1972), IV stage – advisory and international (1973–1989), V stage – renewing and modernization (1990–1999), VI stage – innovation and security (2000–2005), VII stage – globalization and integration (2006 up to the present).
A model of social and pedagogical support of foreign students in the US higher education system has been developed, which consists of relevant blocks (subject and subjective, methodological, content-related, evaluative, block of diagnostic tools, effective), components (empirical and inductive, axiomatic and deductive, multicultural, media education, content-related, technological) and elements (educational and cultural, psychological, and linguistic). The analysis of educational and cultural programs made it possible to reach conclusion on the peculiarities of the adaptation and preparation process. The study of the basics of psychological support in the US higher education institutions was based on the «culture shock», which directly affects the psychological processes of individual. The analysis of the linguistic training of foreign students in the US higher education institutions made it possible to identify communication skills as one of the most important components of effective academic and social interaction. Three subtypes of multicultural education technology were identified, such as: informational and sociocultural, interpersonal, and personal and program. Media education technology represents the technology, which is characterized by the use of complex of media tetrad, namely: video content, audio content, printed media, Internet technologies. The qualitative level of social and pedagogical support of foreign students in higher education institutions of Ukraine has been presented from the point of view of the acculturation triad elements (educational and cultural, linguistic, psychological). Areas contributing to the improvement of the effectiveness of Ukrainian practice of social and pedagogical foreign students’ support have been identified at the national, regional and university levels.
