Abstract:

With internationalization of higher education becoming a global trend, China is the country with the largest number of international students enrolled worldwide. This study examines some of the academic experiences of Chinese students in Lithuania higher education institutions: why they choose and how they perceive the education in Lithuania, what differences they encounter in culture and classroom pedagogy, how these differences influence their learning experiences and how these experiences impact upon their academic identity. To answer the research questions, the qualitative research approach was employed (the method of in-depth semi-structured interview was selected). The sample of the qualitative research was composed of seven Chinese students, who were enrolled in Vytautas Magnus University and Vilnius University, Lithuania. Generally, Chinese students enjoyed their studies in Lithuania regardless of whether they had faced any challenges or not. The positive experiences were related to a large number of factors, such as high quality education, friendly, helpful, and highly qualified university lectures, good teacher-student relationships, and their personal growth. The Chinese students marked their language difficulties/po-or skills of the English language, lack of interaction between Chinese and Lithuanian students, and intercultural communication barriers as a negative factor, which significantly reduces the level of development of their academic identity. The results of this study contribute to discussions concerning academic experiences within the domain of internationalization of higher education, while hoping to provide insights and implications on how host higher education institutions can better cater for the needs of international (Chinese) students.

Keywords:

Academic identity, academic challenges, Chinese student, university education, Lithuania