Academic satisfaction among East Asian international students in the U.S. : an examination of SCCT
Abstract
With the Asian Hate outbreak during the COVID-19 pandemic, East Asian international students experience more overt racial discrimination and attack while seeking education afar from home. Despite the increased emphasis on social justice and multiculturism in the educational program development, East Asian international students may have more experiences of isolation, alienation, and marginalization due to their accent, skin color, ancestry, and religion, which is similar yet distinctive compared to that against racial minorities in the United States. The current study examined factors that contribute to these students' academic satisfaction, based on the well-being model of Social Cognitive Career Theory. Perceived discrimination was used as an environmental barrier in the model as its relevance to these students. Data from 324 East Asian international students (Mage = 22.30, SDage = 4.82; nfemale = 155, nmale = 162) were collected through Qualtrics. Multigroup measurement invariance and multigroup structural equation modeling were used to examine the gender differences in measurement constructs and relationship. The result showed that two gender groups were equivalent at the scalar level and the proposed model fit the data in two sample groups well. Significant gender differences in several latent factors and pathways were observed. Implications, limitations and future research were discussed.
Degree
Ph. D.