Predictors of Cross-Cultural Adaptation among International Students in Jiangxi, China: The Moderating Role of Cultural Contact Frequency

Abstract

With the continuous advancement of educational globalization, the issue of international students’ cross-cultural adaptation in foreign environments has become a key topic in higher education research. This study takes international students in universities across Jiangxi Province as its focus and, based on cross-cultural adaptation theory, develops a structural equation model incorporating social support (SS), cultural distance (CD), learning motivation (LM), and cross-cultural contact frequency (CCF). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey, and the model was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) combined with Bootstrapping.

The results show that social support has a significant positive effect on cross-cultural adaptation (β=0.267,P=0.001), highlighting its role as an essential resource for international students in coping with environmental stress. At the same time, perceived cultural distance also demonstrates a significant positive effect (β=0.296,P<0.001), suggesting that greater cultural differences may, under certain circumstances, be transformed into a driving force for exploration and adaptation. In contrast, the direct effect of learning motivation was not statistically significant (β=0.058,P=0.377). Regarding moderating effects, cross-cultural contact frequency plays a crucial catalytic role in the relationship between learning motivation and cross-cultural adaptation (β=0.268,P=0.002). When international students engage frequently with the host culture, learning motivation can be more effectively translated into adaptive outcomes; however, when such contact is limited, this effect is difficult to realize. By contrast, the moderating effects of cross-cultural contact frequency on the paths of social support (P=0.495) and cultural distance (P=0.603) were not significant, indicating the relative stability of these influences. Based on these findings, the study proposes management recommendations, emphasizing that universities should establish diverse platforms for social practice to foster positive interaction between international students and the local community, thereby activating their inherent adaptive potential.