Research on the Effects of Influencing Factors of International Students on Employability: A Case Study in China

Abstract

The current study explored the effects of international students’ influencing factors on their perceived employability: A case study of China. The explanatory research design was adopted to involve 514 international African students in the study. The research was conducted with a random sampling technique. Fifty (50)-test items standardized questionnaire was adopted as research instrument for the study. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study found that there is a strong positive relationship between students’ personal professional ability, university curriculum and social support, interpersonal and communication ability, social support and perceived employability. Four hypotheses were tested to determine whether they could predict international African students’ perceived employability. Out of the four models, it was revealed that personal professional ability, university curriculum and social support, interpersonal and communication ability, social support significantly predicted international students’ employability. The study found that the aforesaid variables have a significant positive effect on students’ perceived employability and that an increase in any of the influencing factors would significantly and positively increase international African students’ chances of employability after graduating from their respective universities in China. The study concluded that international African students could secure themselves employment after school within China or outside China if they take serious consideration of developing their personal professional abilities, interpersonal communication skills, social support from family and loved ones and become committed to the courses they are offered and taught in their respective university with uttermost precision and importance.