Determinants of International Students’ Academic Performance

TLDR

With the increasing number of international students studying in developed countries, there is growing interest in the factors that influence their academic performance overseas. This study aims to examine differences between Chinese and non‑Chinese cultural groups to understand international students’ learning experiences. Key predictors of academic achievement were identified using multiple regression analysis. The analysis found that perceived family importance of learning success, English writing ability, and social communication with compatriots significantly predict academic performance for all international students, while Chinese students’ less active learning strategy does not negatively impact their achievement.

Abstract

With the increasing number of international students travelling to well-developed countries for higher education, there has been a growing interest in exploring the factors that influence their academic performance during their overseas studies. This study aims to give an insight into international students’ learning experience by investigating the differences between Chinese and non-Chinese cultural groups and leads to the identification of the key predictors of their academic achievement via multiple regression analysis. The results suggest that the perceived importance of learning success to family, English writing ability, and social communication with their compatriots are significant predictors for all international students. As the predominant group, Chinese students display some distinctive characteristics. A less active learning strategy is observed among Chinese students relative to others, but no evidence has found that this negatively affects their academic achievement.