Subjective Well-Being of Angolan Students in Portugal

Abstract

This study examined the subjective well-being (SWB) of international students. International students represent one of the biggest and most relevant sojourners groups. The sample included 204 Angolan international students who attended Portuguese universities and a control group of native-born Portuguese students. Using quantitative survey research methods, the relative strengths of demographic, acculturation, and sociocultural adaptation factors in predicting two indicators of SWB (overall well-being and academic satisfaction) were explored. Angolan students revealed lower levels of well-being and higher levels of academic satisfaction than Portuguese students. As expected, language proficiency, interaction with conationals, ethnic identity, and sociocultural adaptation were significantly correlated with SWB. In addition, results indicated that acculturation and sociocultural adaptation variables accounted for a larger proportion of explained variance in SWB than demographic variables. Academic satisfaction predicted well-being beyond demographic, acculturation, and sociocultural factors. Some implications of the findings for improving SWB of international students and future research are discussed.

Academic Satisfaction of International Students at Irish Higher Education Institutions: The Role of Region of Origin and Cultural Distance in the Context of Marketization

“…However, satisfaction offers a particular view on the complex experiences of both domestic and international students. Future research could focus on education outcomes such as grades or academic performance (Gang et al, 2009), or broader measures of well-being (Baik et al, 2019;Neto, 2019), going beyond satisfaction to include engagement, friendships, relationships, social life, and experiences of discrimination (Brown & Jones, 2013). Regarding maternal education, and its endurance on satisfaction in this study after adding region of origin and cultural distance, it is important to note broader evidence of strong links between maternal education and the outcomes of their children (Currie & Moretti, 2003).…”

“…The concept was first operationalized in seminal work by Vallerand and Bissonnette (1990), with Diener (1995) further developing understandings related to well-being and cross-cultural differences. Neto (2019) has identified that sociocultural adaptation factors predict satisfaction, with satisfaction proving to have particular utility in the study of cultural variation. To date, broad patterns on the experiences of international students according to global region of origin remain underexamined.…”

“…A common concept in exploring how students settle into college life is academic satisfaction (Neto, 2019). Broadly defined as “enjoyment of one’s role or experience as a student” (Lent et al, 2007 p. 87), it is typically measured through combinations of relevant statements on Likert-type scales (Baik et al, 2019; Duffy et al, 2011; Gopalan et al, 2019; Lent et al, 2007; Merola et al, 2019).…”

“…Neto (2019) has identified that sociocultural adaptation factors predict satisfaction, with satisfaction proving to have particular utility in the study of cultural variation. To date, broad patterns on the experiences of international students according to global region of origin remain underexamined.…”

“…Disaggregating by region of origin facilitates the identification of specific needs of different subgroups of international students, often treated as homogeneous within research and practice. Recognizing the role of culture in the experiences of international students (Neto, 2019), this article tests whether cultural distance is associated with academic satisfaction. This allows for better targeting of institutional support (Ammigan et al, 2020) as well as leveraging the experiences of international students to also enhance support for domestic students (Mihut, 2019).…”