East Asian engineering students' learning perception in an international environment : a practical research on improving the international learning environment at TAMK

Abstract

The number of East Asian students is significant among the number of non-EU/UAE students who are enrolled in Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) for their studies. Beside linguistic proficiency, the students need to be prepared social-culturally in encountering unfamiliar western pedagogical and social practices. Understanding cultural differences and their influence on the students’ learning ability is necessary in enhancing the learning environment and wellbeing of international students.

This thesis discusses how to aid East Asian engineering students’ learning approach through understanding their learning perception in an international environment in TAMK. The theoretical part consists of a literature review on students’ learning approaches, and East Asian students’ integration into international universities environment. The structure of the empirical part was based on a study of Asian Students’ learning experiences at a New Zealand university. In this thesis, the qualitative method involved interviews with five East Asian individuals who were studying or had finished their studies in an engineering Bachelor’s degree in TAMK.

The thematically analysed results and literature review revealed that the East Asian students were generally satisfied with their learning experience at the university in terms of educational quality, programme offerings and interaction with the lecturers. Certain learning challenges were found including language difficulties, cultural differences as intercultural communication barriers, initial misconception about university’s role in their study, unfamiliar learning activities, unfamiliar classroom interaction pattern, difficulties in making friends with domestic students, and lack of sense of belonging. These challenges hinder the students’ access to meaningful university learning experience and support. The study also identified the connection between East Asian students’ achieving attitude and their culturally shaped definition of success or expectations.

The study suggests that it is essential that lecturers and host institution are aware of the cultural differences in order to prepare East Asian students with adequate knowledge of the academic discourse, and to assist with their integration into the Finnish university life.