In this study, we examined differential item functioning (DIF) of the Deep Approaches to Learning scale on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for Asian international and Canadian domestic 1st-year university students. We also examined its potential sources of using focus-group interview results. Only 1 of the 12 items functioned differentially, possibly due to differences in how each group interpreted the term “faculty members” in the NSSE. Further research should be conducted beyond this initial exploratory study to examine DIF with other international student groups classified by country and/or language.
