Page 122 - Movers, Shapers, and Everything in Between: Influencers of the International Student Experience
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Chapter 6
international students feel they receive less individualized attention, which has been shown to influence student satisfaction (Luo et al., 2019).
In addition, previous research suggests that international student satisfaction is influenced by the quantity and quality of contact with domestic students (Palmer, O’Kane, & Owens, 2009). Educational quality is also measured by “open communication, friendliness, social and interpersonal support, cohesion, and feelings of group spirit” (Schonrock-Adema et al., 2012, p. 736). This may be more difficult to achieve in environments with a high proportion of international students, which could limit the ability to interact and build friendships with local students and thus negatively affect satisfaction with daily life.
Study 3: Differences in Satisfaction among International Students Enrolled at International Branch Campuses and Home Campuses
This study examined differences between home and IBC-enrolled international undergraduate students in their satisfaction with the academic experience. It was hypothesized that students enrolled at IBCs would report lower satisfaction than students enrolled at the home campus of the same institution. To examine this question, the researchers used data from the International Student Barometer (ISB), relying on responses from international students who answered the survey at the beginning of their academic year.
Factor analysis revealed three constructs of the academic experience:
Academic and Teaching Quality, Academic Environment, and Academic Engagement. The researchers then created composite scores for each of these three factors for each respondent. An ANCOVA tested for differences in average satisfaction with these three constructs between international students enrolled at IBCs and home campuses, adjusting for student gender, stage of study, and institution at which they were enrolled. Results were interpreted based on comments written in the ISB.
