Satisfaction with Online Chinese Learning among International Students in China: A Study Based on the fsQCA Method

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled Chinese international education to swiftly move online. Conducted in late 2021, this survey study collected self-reported data on online learning environments, student engagement, Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learning achievement, and student satisfaction among 440 international students in Chinese higher education institutions. Based on the configuration perspective, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to explore the multiple concurrent paths of the online learning environment (the accessibility of online learning resources, student interaction, teacher support, course organization), student engagement, and learning achievement affecting international students’ online CFL learning satisfaction. The results indicate that satisfactory teacher support combined with student engagement was an important path leading to international students’ satisfaction with online CFL learning. Meanwhile, the inadequate accessibility of online learning resources combined with the absence of learning achievement was likely to trigger international students’ dissatisfaction with online CFL learning.