Factors Influencing Academic Adjustment among Cambodian Undergraduate Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

Academic adjustment during the transition to higher education plays a crucial role in shaping students’ learning experiences, academic success, and overall development. It demonstrates students’ capability to cope with and adapt to changes in academic learning environments. Prior studies have investigated various competence-based, psychological, and behavioral factors associated with students’ academic adjustment in higher education. However, these studies aimed to examine individual predictors independently, while unified SEM-based evidence from Cambodian higher education remains limited. This study addresses this critical gap in empirical research by examining key influencing factors in a cohesive framework to predict students’ academic adjustment in the Cambodian context. Using a quantitative correlational method, data were collected from 385 undergraduate students across four faculties at BELTEI International University using a structured questionnaire and convenience sampling approach, and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to assess the factor structure and validity of the measurement model, while structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships among constructs. The results indicate that core English language competence, ICT knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-directed learning significantly and positively influence students’ academic adjustment, collectively explaining 69% of the variance. Students’ self-efficacy emerged as the strongest factor, followed by self-directed learning and ICT knowledge, while core English language competence demonstrated a comparatively smaller yet still significant effect. The findings suggest that academic adjustment among Cambodian undergraduate students is shaped by the interaction of psychological, behavioral, and competence-based factors. The study provides practical implications for higher education institutions to strengthen students’ academic adjustment through English language support, ICT development, and learning strategies that foster self-efficacy and self-directed learning. Future research is encouraged to further refine this integrated framework by incorporating additional predictors and investigating its applicability across diverse disciplinary, geographical, and institutional settings.