CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ON ADJUSTMENTS TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION IN MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Internationalization of higher education is one of the important transformation process of developing countries towards globalization. The success of this country depends on the accomplishment and the progress of its educational system as it is one of the determining factor in the expansion of the nation economy at the national level. Generally, Malaysia is fast becoming one of the main education attractions among the international students from other countries around the world. International student enrolments make a vital economic contribution to universities in the whole region of the world. Satisfied students will help to attract more potential future customers (new students) to the institutions/universities through positive word of mouth (WOM) communication, increased students’ loyalty and the good image of the higher education institution However, to satisfy the customers is not easy, then to satisfy the customers with different cultural background will be even more difficult. Adjusting to a new culture can be so challenging and stressful experience for international students. Furthermore, it may put them at a greater risk than local students at the host countries. Racial discrimination, language problems, accommodation difficulties, dietary restrictions, financial problems, and loneliness are the common and unique problems that they faced during their life while they were away from their home country. Number of studies have been carried out on campus adjustment among international students in western countries but, only few studies had been done in Asian countries like Malaysia. This study contributes to the ongoing interest of research regarding the adjustments and international students’ satisfaction in Malaysian universities. Therefore, the conceptual framework is presented that provides the explanation of the relationship between adjustments and international students’ satisfaction in Malaysian universities. Implication for future research, discussion and overall conclusion are also presented at the end of the paper.