Effects of Acculturative Strategies and Social Distance on Academic Achievement of Chinese Students in Korea

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acculturative strategies and social distance on the academic achievement of Chinese college studying in Korea. Barrys EAAM (The East Asian Acculturation Measure) and Schumanns social variables were used as the survey tools to investigate students acculturative strategies and perception of social distance. Data from 117 Korean and 122 Chinese were analyzed using independent two samples t-test, correlation analysis and, multiple regression analysis. As for the results, the study discovered (i) that the frequently used acculturative strategies of Chinese were separation, marginalization, assimilation, and integration in order; in particular, the integrative strategy had a significant influence on Chinese students academic achievement. Further, (ii) the social distance of both groups toward each other showed a significant correlation in congruence, attitude, cohesiveness, and group size. In addition, (iii) the attitude of both groups toward each other had a significant influence on Chinese students academic achievement, and (iv) the variables in social distance had an effect on acculturative strategies.