UBC Graduate Research

Analysis of student satisfaction and life experience indicators Godman, Peter J.

Abstract

International students provide a broad range of benefits to the global economy, their home country, their host country, and the institutions that are privileged to serve as their hosts. However, studies have found that Canada is lagging behind other Anglo-Western nations, such as Great Britain, the USA and Australia, in attracting students from abroad. Using a subset of data from a study conducted jointly by the University of British Columbia, York University, McGill University, and Dalhousie University this paper undertakes to analyze the experience of international students at those institutions. With a view to developing a preliminary understanding of how Canadian domestic and international students vary in their academic experiences, different areas of those experiences have been explored. For female international respondents, the mean level of satisfaction with academic programs and course instructors was significantly lower than their domestic counterparts, and compared to their domestic counterparts international male respondents reported significantly less satisfaction with their course instructors. Also, I found that the determinants of satisfaction with academic programs and instructors varied between domestic and international students. When gender is introduced as a variable, results indicate that both male and female international students are less satisfied with their instructors, academic programs, and staff contacts than their domestic counterparts. The results also indicate that the determinants of satisfaction differ for male and female international students differ, and from their domestic counterparts. The fact that the differences between domestic male and female students are not mirrored in the results for international male and female participants raises a concern about whether the questions posed in the survey instrument are valid across cultures.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International