Institutional Integration Factors That Impact Students’ Academic and Intellectual Developments: A Case Study of Three Cambodian Rural Universities

Following the end of the 28-year civil war in 1998, the number of Cambodian higher education institutions rose substantially to 125 over the next two decades (MoEYS, 2022). Furthermore, as a result of the ASEAN economic community's integration in 2015, Cambodia has been focusing more on enhancing its educational system in response to the rapid development of these educational institutions. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of institutional integration elements on students' academic and intellectual development in three rural universities in Cambodia. Despite numerous research undertaken in developed countries, only few cases have been conducted in least developed countries. This type of research has not been conducted, particularly in Cambodian context. That is why the research will be created and carried out to fill gaps in prior studies of industrialized and developing nations, particularly Cambodia, which has had difficult higher education institutions. This research would be helpful to improve educational experiences in Cambodian rural public universities. This research also helps to a better understanding of how institutional integration elements affect students' academic and intellectual development. The quantitative cross-sectional survey method was utilized in this investigation. A self-reported questionnaire was given out. The participants were 381 third-year students from three Cambodian rural institutions who were chosen at random using stratified random sampling. The data was analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) and structural equation modeling (SEM) tools. According to the statistical findings, three hypotheses had a substantial influence on student's academic and intellectual growth, while one hypothesis was rejected. The findings suggest potential institutional variables for integrating students into social and academic activities to support their academic and intellectual efforts. Furthermore, Cambodian public higher education institutions are encouraged to enhance their academics and academic-related concerns in order to prepare students to compete in regional and international markets. There are also limitations and suggestions for future research.