Acculturation stressors and academic adjustment among Nepalese students in South Korean higher education institutions

Introduction International students are steadily increasing in South Korean higher education institutions. How well international students in South Korea are adjusted academically and the relationship between acculturation stressors and academic adjustment has not yet been determined. The study aimed to fill this research gap by examining the relationship between acculturation stressors and academic adjustment among Nepalese international students in South Korean higher education institutions. Methods The sample of the study consisted of Nepalese international students who enrolled in 36 universities in South Korea. Students’ background characteristics and acculturation stressors (e.g., discrimination, homesickness, hate/rejection, fear, cultural shock, and guilt) were selected to assess the association of these characteristics and stressors with academic adjustment. Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were utilized to examine the association between acculturation stressors and academic adjustment. Results The results from the Pearson correlation revealed the negative correlation of perceived discrimination (r = -.23, p< 0.01), perceived hate/rejection (r = -.18, p< 0.05), perceived fear (r = -.24, p< 0.01), and perceived cultural shock (r = -.17, p< 0.05) with academic adjustment. Further, the hierarchical regression model revealed that marital status ( β = .223, p < .01) had a positive association with academic adjustment, whereas perceived fear ( β = -.206, p < .05) had a negative association with academic adjustment even after including students’ background characteristics and other acculturation stressors. Conclusion Addressing acculturation stressors among international students in higher education institutions is essential to facilitate positive academic adjustment. Mainly, perceived fear has negatively affected students’ academic adjustment. Based on these findings, tailored programs must be developed to curtail students’ perceived fear in order to enhance their academic performance in South Korean higher education institutions.