The Spread of Covid-19 and International Students’ Intention to Leave China: A Self-Determination Perspective

¹Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Department of History and Political Studies

²National Identification Authority (NIA) M680 Ministries Accra

*Corresponding Author: Bernard Gumah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-Kumasi, Ghana; Email: [email protected]

Received Date: April 14, 2023

Publication Date: May 15, 2023

Manuscript Number: MG_P00239

Citation: Gumah B. (2023). The Spread of Covid-19 and International Students’ Intention to Leave China: A Self-Determination Perspective. Clin Res. 4(2):12.

Copyright: Gumah B. © (2023). 

ABSTRACT

Self-determination refers to the competence to think independently and autonomously make choices, which contributes to the individual’s desire for absolute control based on three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The study aimed to establish the influence of self-determination on international students’ intention to leave China due to the spread of COVID-19. Using 553 international students who participated in two rounds of data collection, regression analysis showed that rather than the region where an international student originates, the province of residence in China influences the intention to leave China. Also, self-determination mediates the effect of the province of origin and the intention to leave China. The reason could be the infection rate in individual provinces and the controlling nature of the measures instituted to combat the spread of the virus. We show the implication and contribution to the theory of self-determination.

Keywords: Self-determination; basic psychological needs; COVID-19; international students; intention to leave