Sense of Coherence, Problem Freedom and Academic Outcomes of Canadian Domestic and International Students

Abstract

Models of university outcomes have shown that the quality of the student experience has consequences for outcomes, such as academic achievement; however, such models have not included measures of students’ sense of coherence (SOC). In general, individuals with a high SOC are more likely than others to be able to deal with various stressors. This article focuses on the SOC of Canadian first year male and female domestic and international university students of European and Chinese origin and on the relationships among SOC, problem freedom, and academic achievement. The sample was drawn from first year students at the University of British Columbia, York University, McGill University, and Dalhousie University. It was found that, independent of place of birth, the SOC of students of Chinese origin was lower than that of domestic students of European origin. There were no differences in the SOC of male and female students. Despite differences in SOC related to ethno‐racial origin, it was not possible to conclude that within the university context the factors responsible for the SOC of European origin students were different from those supporting the SOC of Chinese origin students. By comparison, path analyses revealed that while high SOC contributed to problem freedom of both males and females, within the university context, relational factors contributed more to the SOC of females than males. Importantly, professors’ support was one of these factors. In turn, high SOC students were more able than others to deal with problems associated with university life, and students’ who were able to deal with their problems successfully were more likely than others to have high levels of achievement. Findings such as these indicate that by providing support to students professors may contribute to their academic achievement by increasing their SOC and ability to deal with various problems. University policies designed to ameliorate students’ difficulties would have the same effect.