Abstract:

Every year more and more students in EU and in the world are going to study outside homeland. After graduating high school, they have some learning - teaching tradition at home institution experience, and try to transfer this knowledge into the new environment (Marambe, Vermunt, Boshuizen, 2012). In this situation the problem emerges how to deal with cultural differences and to adjust to a new cultural environment. The authors of this research are interested in students attitudes towards learning space (classroom) environment created at specialized biomedical university (Eidimtas, Bruneviciute, Blazeviciene, 2018).

Researchers of this problem (Chung 2018), reveal different personal environment‘s spaces, and emphasize learning space (classroom) environment. Fraser ir Walberg (2006) argue, that in the studies on classroom environment learning outcomes and students‘ - as well as teachers‘ - perception of the learning environment must be taken into consideration. The authors conclude, that it has been common to find, that teachers typically perceive their classrooms more positively than do their students in the same classrooms. This perception mostly depends on teacher-student relationships. For example, a memory from a teacher‘s experience in 2021 -2022 school year: „After one of regular classes student came with a few questions which he found difficult to understand. After a short explanation he asked: "Could you please sometimes raise up your voice? In my country I am used to teachers who are shouting especially if I am incorrect and I do really want to improve my outcomes”. Student said that in his country this is absolutely normal and that would help him to do his best.

One of the reasons of such differences in teacher – student relationship is different background culture factors. For example – ethnicity, which consistently could be associated with students’ perceptions of their teachers.

The aim of this research is to reveal first year (freshmen) incoming students‘ expectations towards the learning environment, created by the teachers at hosting country university.

The objectives of the research were the following:
1) To analyze and reveal main expectations of first year incoming students towards the learning environment created by hosting university teachers;
2) To reveal university teachers, who have classes for incoming (foreign) students, opinion on teachers-student relationships.

The research was performed at one of Lithuanian universities, hosting more than 17% full time incoming students from more than 70 countries in 11 study programmes. During „Introduction to profession“ course students discuss different topics on adaptation, cultural differences, etc.

The qualitative research methodology is based on written interview of freshmen. The students’ answers are based on previous learning experience, their opinion about learning, and some expectations towards teacher-student interaction. During several academic years (2019-2021) more than 60 incoming freshmen, submitted approximately 300 expectations/suggestions on interaction aspect in learning environment. All these suggestions were analyzed and grouped in order to reveal main expectations. These data will be compared with the data of the university teachers (n=4), who have classes for incoming (foreign) students, opinion on teachers-student relationships in order to perceive attitudes of all participants of interaction in learning environment.

Keywords:

University studies, learning environment, incoming students, perceptions, teacher–student relationships.