LAUSR

Learning communities are often associated with higher student engagement and academic achievement. Few studies to date, however, have examined the impacts of these practices among international students. To address this gap, the following questions led the current study: “To what degree is participation in learning communities associated with international students’ (1) engagement in educationally beneficial activities, (2) learning outcomes (e.g., general, practical, and professional development), and (3) overall satisfaction with their institutional environment and educational experience?” Drawing on student development theory, we designed a path analysis using a structural equation modelling to assess both the direct and the indirect effects. The results suggest that while students’ participation in learning communities positively correlates to student learning gains and satisfaction, the student engagement indicators are the significant mediating predictors for both outcomes, thus recommending that institutions interested in assessing the impacts of learning communities should determine not only the direct effects but also the indirect effects of these practices. Our results also show differences in participation patterns among international student subgroups. Institutions should be aware of such differences and make efforts to scale high impact practices like learning communities to provide opportunities for more students to become involved in these educationally purposeful activities. The findings call for future research aimed at identifying the environmental and individual conditions that are most conducive to the cultivation of these practices for international students.