Factors Affecting International Students’ Academic Achievement in Azerbaijan

The various challenges faced by international students have been investigated in most countries. However, this study was the first to investigate international students’ challenges in their academic life in Azerbaijan and how their academic achievement is affected by academic, social, cultural, and psychological factors. Its purpose was to raise awareness of the problems of international students so as to contribute to the internationalization of universities by developing more appropriate strategies. This exploratory study applied a qualitative research design. It was determined that international learners’ main challenges dealt primarily with attitude and communication, as well as academic factors. In-depth analysis yielded unexpected results: Whereas the academically satisfied students perceived academic factors as the main impactful factors affecting their academic achievement, for the academically unsatisfied students, psychological factors were more prominent. Moreover, the international students were not provided with efficient institutional supports and assistance to overcome challenges. This research is intended to catalyze future studies and help with developing more focused, purposeful, and solution-oriented approaches in this field.