Perception and satisfaction of foreign students in a public education institution

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the overall adaptation and satisfaction with the current context of life, main perceived difficulties and satisfaction with specific aspects among undergraduate foreign students in a Federal Institution of Higher Education in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, linked to the Student Program Agreement-Graduation (PEC-G). Six students, mostly from the African continent, participated in the study. The data were obtained through interviews, which were conducted between August and September 2017. Most of the students registered reasonable or good levels of adaptation. Among the main difficulties cited are the homesickness they feel about the family and the differences of the Brazilian education system in relation to the system they were accustomed to in their country of origin. The services they would seek at this moment would be medical and dental assistance, assistance in the search for housing, living spaces for foreigners, psychological guidance and guidance and career planning. The research also highlights the need to consider cultural aspects in the care of these students, especially in the reception period, because it is when they feel more difficult to adapt and organize their personal and academic life in the new country.