A study of foreign students’ intercultural experiences at Lithuanian University of educational sciences

Abstract

In different cultural context integration into academic and socio-cultural life of a university, language and other differences impose serious problems on each foreign student. Successful adaptation of the newly admitted students in a different cultural context is treated as one of the prerequisites for development of intercultural competence. The purpose of this study is to reveal the experience of foreign students, which is related to developing intercultural competence of pre-service music teachers. A qualitative research strategy was chosen for this study, using semi-structured written student reflections. The sample of the research included 36 foreign Master's degree students (Chinese), who chose studies at Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences (Music Education). The results of qualitative content analysis as an outcome of qualitative diagnostics have revealed the factors (educational, psychological, cultural, individual) influencing intercultural competence of future music educators (foreign students). The research was carried out in 2014-2016.