International student mobility has increased significantly, and Sweden is no exception. However, this increase brings challenges, not least when it comes to perceptions of quality in higher education among international students. The purpose of the present study is to gain increased knowledge about how students on English-speaking master's programs at a Swedish university experience the quality of their education, as well as to gain a better understanding of what the students initially expected from the education and their experiences so far. By using a qualitative method, involving a survey (n= 90) and semi-structured interviews (n= 16) conducted in the period of October to December 2023, the expectations and perceptions of international master students are examined. The results show that students’ original expectations are often high, characterized by an expectation of high educational quality and good future career opportunities. However, many experience challenges related to linguistic and cultural adaptation, which affects their perception of the quality of education. Furthermore, the study shows that a considerable portion of international students particularly value practical elements within the education, and they express a strong desire for the course content to be more clearly linked to concrete professional skills useful in future career ambitions. The discussion highlights the need for improved support structures and adapted educational strategies to enhance the academic and social experiences of international students. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of the internationalization process and its impact on educational quality, which is important for policy development and quality assurance in higher education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-68712 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Sahlström, Maria |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Institutionen för skolutveckling och ledarskap (SOL) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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