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What matters most: importance-performance matrix analysis of the factors influencing international postgraduate students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations

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  • Azadeh Shafaei

    (Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM))

  • Nordin Abd Razak

    (Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM))

Abstract

With the increase in international mobility in higher education especially in Asia, the issue of cross-cultural adaptation becomes paramount since international students try to overcome challenges and flourish psychologically and socioculturally in a new environment. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the factors influencing international postgraduate students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations in Malaysian public universities, an emerging education hub in the region. It also further examined importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) of the antecedents for psychological and sociocultural adaptations as the endogenous variables to provide managerial insights for the authorities in higher education. A quantitative research approach using questionnaire was applied to get response from randomly selected international postgraduate students (i.e. Master or PhD) from top five research universities in Malaysia. The findings revealed that among the identified factors in this study perceived stereotype image and adjustment attitude were significantly related to psychological and sociocultural adaptations of the international students in Malaysia. However, attachment attitude was not significantly associated with psychological and sociocultural adaptation; and English language proficiency was not related to psychological adaptation. Moreover, the results of IPMA in SmartPLS shed some light on perceived stereotype image and adjustment attitude as the factors with the highest priority with relatively lowest performance in relation with psychological and sociocultural adaptations. Based on the results, this study derives recommendations for education policymakers and academic administrators to ensure successful international postgraduate students’ cross-cultural adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Azadeh Shafaei & Nordin Abd Razak, 2018. "What matters most: importance-performance matrix analysis of the factors influencing international postgraduate students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 37-56, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:52:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11135-016-0418-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-016-0418-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Man Luo & Xiaofang Zhang & Fang Peng & Jing Zhao & Haijun Deng, 2021. "Predictors of acculturation attitude of international students in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Sana Mumtaz & Sadia Nadeem, 2022. "Understanding the Integration of Psychological and Socio-cultural Factors in Adjustment of Expatriates: An AUM Process Model," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, February.
    3. Musheer A. Aljaberi & Abdulsamad Alsalahi & Muhamad Hanafiah Juni & Sarah Noman & Ala’a B. Al-Tammemi & Rukman Awang Hamat, 2021. "Efficacy of Interventional Programs in Reducing Acculturative Stress and Enhancing Adjustment of International Students to the New Host Educational Environment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-20, July.

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