Page 40 - Movers, Shapers, and Everything in Between: Influencers of the International Student Experience

Chapter 2
rAtionAle And reSeArCh QueStionS
While research indicates the student experience differs among nationalities, this study deepens the understanding of why these differences exist, investigating the explanatory value of integration in student satisfaction.
reSeArCh QueStionS
Based on the evidence above, this study poses the following research questions and associated hypotheses:
Differences in Integration and Satisfaction among Nationalities4.
Research Question 1: How do students from different nationalities vary in their levels of satisfaction and integration?
Hypothesis 1: Satisfaction and integration vary significantly among Chinese, Indian, and South Korean students studying in the US, UK, and Australia, with Indian students displaying higher levels of satisfaction and integration.
Integration and Student Satisfaction.
Research Question 2: What is the effect of academic and social integration on international student satisfaction?
Hypothesis 2: Academic and social integration are both predictive of self-reported satisfaction among international students, with higher integration levels resulting in higher satisfaction, particularly in the case of academic integration.
Explanatory Value of Integration.
Research Question 3: What is the role of integration in mediating the relationship between nationality and satisfaction?
4 Social integration is based on reported satisfaction of students in the Living Section of the ISB: “Making friends from my home country”, “Making friends from this country”, “Making friends from other countries”, “Opportunities to experience the cultures of this country”, “The social activities”, “The social facilities”, and “Making good contacts for the future”. Academic integration is based on reported satisfaction of students in the Learning Section of the ISB: “Studying with people from other cultures”, “Help to improve my English language skills”, “Academic staff whose English I can understand”, “Getting time from academic staff when I need it/personal support with learning”, “Feedback on coursework/formal written submissions”, and “Advice and guidance on long-term job opportunities and careers from academic staff”.
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