Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2025
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Learning Experience and Academic Achievements of Chinese International Students in the UK
Jia (Lucy) Lu and Yimin Wan
ABSTRACT:
Achieving strong academic achievements is essential for ensuring a high-quality education for international students. However, research has shown various psychological and contextual factors can significantly impact their success. Anxiety in learning environments, particularly foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) has been recognized as a key barrier affecting student performance. Furthermore, cultural intelligence (CQ) has been also identified as a critical construct for assessing international students’ learning experiences and their adaptation to new academic and cultural environments. However, there is a lack of studies that examine the combined impact of these two factors, particularly among Chinese international students. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these two factors affect the academic achievement of Chinese students at UK universities.
This study investigates both the overarching constructs and the specific sub-dimensions of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) and Cultural Intelligence (CQ) with a questionnaire. The findings reveal a negative correlation between FLCA and academic performance, indicating that heightened language anxiety can impede learning outcomes. However, CQ shows a significant positive association with academic achievement, suggesting that students with higher levels of CQ are more likely to succeed academically. The overall findings hold significant implications for enhancing the learning experience of Chinese international students by promoting the development of intercultural competence and supporting their psychological well-being.
Keywords: behavioural Cultural Intelligence (BCQ), cognitive cultural intelligence (CCQ), foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), metacognitive cultural intelligence (MeCQ), and motivational cultural intelligence (MoCQ)