East Asian Students’ Social and Academic Integration and their Satisfaction with Learning Outcomes at Norwegian Higher Education Institutions

The number of international students from East Asian countries at Norwegian higher education institutions is rapidly increasing. Despite the increased number of East Asian students, there has not been enough research done on these students. Considering East Asian students’ unique challenges such as in language and cultural gaps, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of East Asian international students’ integration and satisfaction with learning outcomes at Norwegian higher education institutions. In this study, an analytical framework developed from Tinto’s student integration model and Biggs’ 3P (Presage-Process-Product factors) model was applied. The data used in this study was collected by the Norwegian Agency of International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU) in 2019 (Paulsen, 2020). DIKU has collected data from 5094 international students at Norwegian higher education institutions, of these, 360 had citizenship from East Asian countries (China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan). The data was processed and analyzed statistically using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study has confirmed the adoptability of the analytical framework based on Tinto’s student integration model and Biggs’ 3P model to a good extent on East Asian international students at Norwegian higher education institutions. From statistical analysis, firstly, there were found significantly lower levels of social and academic integration and satisfaction with learning outcomes among East Asian students compared with Nordic students group and English-speaking countries’ students group with the exception of the mean difference of social integration level between East Asian students and Nordic students group, which was not statistically significant. Secondly, there was found a significant weak positive correlation between social integration level and satisfaction with learning outcomes, and a significant moderate positive correlation between academic integration level and satisfaction with learning outcomes. Finally, the presage factors (personal characteristics and teaching environment) were found to be important factors to decide students’ levels of social and academic integration and level of satisfaction with learning outcomes as it was expected in the analytical framework based on Tinto’s student integration model and Biggs’ 3P model. Among the personal characteristics that were statistically analyzed, age, student type (exchange or degree student), academic level, and motivations were found to be significant factors for social and academic integration. Among the teaching environments, academic workload and attitude of academic staff and Norwegian students were found to be significant factors for social and academic integration, and satisfaction with learning outcomes. Gender, citizenship (country of origin within East Asia), fields of study, and students’ accommodation type were found not significantly related to students’ level of social and academic integration, nor the level of satisfaction with learning outcomes in this study