The importance of previous education for foreign students entering studies in the western higher education system

Abstract

The aim of the research is to find out the significance of foreign students' previous general education experience when beginning their studies in the 1st academic year of higher education abroad according to the Western education philosophy. The research question envisages finding out what academic difficulties foreign students face when starting their studies abroad in the 1st academic year and how to provide support in the academic study process. The research is based on the exploration of the reasons behind academic failures, and on ways how to improve academic performance. The research sample involves South Asian and Central Asian 1st academic year students studying in Latvia for bachelor degree (the European Qualifications Framework (level=6)). The study was conducted in 4 phases in the period from 2019 to 2022: 1) a survey of foreign students (n=89) was conducted in order to find out the self-assessment about the teaching and learning methods practised in previous education; 2) an observation method of foreign students (n=89) was conducted during classes with the aim to analyse with which academic methods the students performed better and which they performed worse during the 1st academic year; 3) interviews were conducted with nationals of India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan (n=3) to learn about the teaching and learning methods in general education in particular countries; 4) interviews were conducted with representatives of Latvian higher education institutions (n=8), in order to find out whether previous educational experience causes difficulties for students and whether it affects the learning outcomes. The results of the research indicate that previous education: lack of diversity of methods, proportion of large classes, teacher-centred lessons, has a negative impact on learning outcomes.