A reflection on adaptability, achievement motivation and success of Central and Eastern European students in one English university

Abstract

This article focuses Central and Eastern European (CEE) students’ adaptability and achievement in one English post-1992 university. There are few studies that discuss values, beliefs, attitudes and needs as well as achievement (and factors contributing to it) between CEE and other learners. Since the expansion of the European Union, CEE students’ presence in British higher education has become more pronounced. CEE learners are treated as home students and yet they come from a distinctively different socio-historical background and pedagogic tradition, which is, to a certain extent, common in CEE countries as a result of the sovietisation of education systems within post communistic countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the British higher education sector there is a move in curriculum delivery towards more personalised learning, which underlines that effective teaching and learning starts with understanding the individual student. Therefore, it is important that universities with a high proportion of EU students attempt to understand where CEE students come from and what their aspirations might be. This article attempts to provide some insights into CEE learners’ values, attitudes and motivations to learn and looks for possible reasons for their success.