The effects of acculturative stressors to academic performance of international students at University Laval

Abstract

This work aims to assess the effects of acculturative stressors on the performance of international students at Université Laval. The purposive sampling technique was used to select twenty respondents, composed of eighteen international students and two lecturers. After analysing the interview, results have shown various acculturative stressors which affect the academic performance of international students such as language, which affects the performance of students who come from countries where French is not the medium language of instruction. It has also been noted that the pronunciation of Quebeckers is difficult to understand for international students. Another acculturative stressor was the educational system which is said to be intensive and the type of student centered learning used makes students work more than expected. However, respondents did show appreciation for the availability and cooperative spirit of lecturers at Université Laval. The socio-cultural acculturative stressor was not found to have much of an effect on the performance. Discrimination is not done openly and generally does not come from professors but rather from other students by forming groups wherein international students are excluded. The financial acculturative stressor does not have a significant effect on international students because most of them have scholarships or are coming from wealthy families. Finally, the respondents did mention other acculturative stressors which affect the performance of international students such as diet, time management and climate. Winter in Quebec was described as a very sensitive acculturative stressor to international students.

Keywords: Acculturation, acculturative stressors, academic performance and international students.