The Effects of Educational Service Quality and Socio-Cultural Adaptation Difficulties on International Students’ Higher Education Satisfaction

Abstract

The potential international university education market value is expressed in billions of dollars. Countries are trying to increase their competitiveness to attract international students and get a decent market share. Countries that can accurately analyze the factors affecting the country and school preferences of international students will be more advantageous in developing appropriate competitive strategies. The primary purpose of this study is to try to understand and explain the effects of the quality of university education service and socio-cultural adaptation difficulties factors on the satisfaction levels of international students. The research was carried out at Karabuk University, with the highest number of international students in Turkey. The data obtained through an online questionnaire using the convenience sampling method from 413 international students were analyzed with the “Structural Equation Model.” According to the analysis results, assurance and empathy from service quality dimensions, and cultural differences and religious belief variables from socio-cultural adaptation difficulties positively affect general student satisfaction. The research sample mostly consists of Syrian students who migrated to Turkey due to the war and bright students from low-income African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Turkish universities form attraction centers for international students flowing toward western countries. In this respect, the results of the research offer original contributions to the higher education literature.