Multicultural TeKu : the international learning environment at Savonia

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to investigate the situation of the foreign students at Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Engineering Kuopio. Students coming from different cultures face different kind of obstacles concerned to learning As well in their normal ‘every day’ life caused by e.g. social, economical or language reasons. What are these challenges they have to deal with? Key questions are how comfortable the foreign students feel in their study environment, how well are they integrated into school’s network‐ and social environment. Besides the scientific approach to the subject of intercultural learning environment there will be also a discussion from both the students and teachers side of general study related problems. The kernel of the empirical part is a questionnaire for the foreign students supported by interviews and free discussions withstudents and teachers. As a summary I try to find suggestion to address these cultural differences and the problems of the students when organizing te curriculum and implement the teaching.