Enhancing Student Affairs Management in Chinese Universities: A Pedagogical Approach to Cultural Adaptation and Holistic Student Development Using PLS-SEM

Abstract

The transformation of student affairs management (SAM) in Chinese higher education has become a strategic priority under national initiatives such as Education Modernization 2035 and the Double First-Class policy. However, a persistent gap remains between policy aspirations for holistic, internationally oriented student development and the actual implementation of SAM practices on many campuses. This study investigates an integrated model of SAM that positions pedagogical integration, learning environment, intellectual engagement, and institutional internationalization as predictors of holistic student development, with cultural adaptation serving as a mediating mechanism. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 397 undergraduate students across seven universities in Yunnan Province, China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The results confirmed all six hypotheses, revealing that intellectual engagement (β = 0.295, p < 0.001) and pedagogical integration (β = 0.252, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of cultural adaptation, which in turn strongly predicted holistic student development (β = 0.513, p < 0.001). Cultural adaptation significantly mediated the effects of all four independent variables on holistic development, with full mediation observed for learning environment. The measurement model demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach's α ranging from 0.896 to 0.940) and convergent validity (AVE from 0.657 to 0.770). These findings provide empirical evidence that student affairs must be reconceptualized as a pedagogical enterprise rather than an administrative support function, and that fostering students' cultural adaptation is essential for translating institutional and pedagogical inputs into holistic developmental outcomes. The study offers actionable guidance for university administrators, counsellors, and policymakers seeking to enhance student affairs practices in culturally diverse and internationally oriented higher education settings.