The internationalisation of higher education has significantly reshaped university learning environments. Increasing student mobility has brought more linguistically, culturally, and academically diverse first‑year cohorts with differing expectations and adaptation pathways. Research shows that first‑year students’ initial assumptions—about teaching, assessment, lecturer support, and the academic community—strongly influence their early motivation, engagement, and sense of belonging (Vromans et al., 2023). 

Studies indicate that international students often face additional challenges that local students do not encounter, which can negatively affect their learning sustainability and create a mismatch between anticipated and actual experiences (Yassin et al., 2020; Oduwaye et al., 2023). This situation prompts higher education institutions to provide more structured support mechanisms. Qualitative research also shows that general satisfaction indicators frequently fail to capture the depth of international students’ experiences; although many report overall satisfaction in surveys, in‑depth interviews reveal difficulties related to social integration, belonging, and communication with local peers (Arkoudis et al., 2019). These unresolved issues may reinforce unrealistic expectations about lecturer accessibility or the organisation of the study process.

Studies indicate that clear course explanations, structured reflection, and intentionally designed intercultural interactions help reduce unfounded fears and moderate unrealistic expectations among first‑year students (Vromans et al., 2023). Such practices clarify what is expected and support students’ transition into culturally diverse learning environments. Other studies in intercultural education show that expectation‑experience mismatches often arise from culturally different interpretations of lecturer authority, feedback practices, and assessment standards. Culturally responsive strategies—such as explicit criteria, transparent instructions, and reflection‑based learning—are recommended to reduce early‑semester anxiety and support smoother adaptation (Vromans et al., 2023; Jaiswal et al., 2024).

A gap between expectations and reality may lead to reduced engagement, increased anxiety, or a weakened sense of belonging. This issue is especially relevant in multicultural university environments, where local and international students bring highly diverse educational backgrounds and perceptions of academic norms. It is therefore essential not only to understand what expectations students bring with them but also to examine how these expectations change during the semester and what factors drive this change.

Our previous qualitative research (2023–2025) examined first‑year international students’ understanding of the concept of “teacher professionalism,” identified key expectation categories to develop teacher guidelines, and compared local and international students’ expectations regarding the university learning environment and teaching staff. (Eidimtas, Brunevičiūtė, 2024; Eidimtas, Brunevičiūtė, Gudaitytė, 2025).  Based on the results of these analyses and the identified expectation ‑ and need ‑ based clusters, the key areas of student experience requiring targeted instructional support and clearer study structures were theoretically distinguished. Therefore, guided by the developed model, small‑scale pedagogical interventions were proposed to strengthen aspects of structure, clear communication, psychological safety, and student engagement within the learning process. 

Our further research is aiming to analize practiclly how students’ expectations change during the first semester in a multicultural higher education environment using Action Research design. Action Research is particularly well suited to this purpose, as it allows the researcher to observe student adaptation in real time, respond to emerging challenges, and test small-scale interventions that help rebalance the expectations-experience relationship.

Research Aim:

To explore the initial expectations of local and international first-year students and examine how these expectations change during the first semester in a multicultural higher education environment.

Research Objectives:

• To analyse the initial expectations of first-year local and international students regarding studies, lecturers, and the university environment.
• To evaluate how these expectations change during the first semester and identify emerging goals, needs, and challenges.
• To determine the cultural, academic, and psychological factors influencing these changes and identify potential interventions to support early student adaptation.

This study employs a single cycle Action Research design to examine how first year students’ expectations form and evolve during their initial semester in a multicultural university environment. The baseline phase draws on open ended reflections collected from first year local and international students at the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year (N = 474). These reflections were analysed using thematic analysis to identify the dominant expectation categories, areas of uncertainty, and cultural or academic differences that may influence students’ adaptation to university studies. Building on this diagnostic phase, several small scale pedagogical interventions were integrated into regular teaching practice throughout the semester. These interventions were intentionally modest to remain consistent with Action Research principles and included lectures on study organisation, seminars on effective learning strategies and time management, and class activities promoting intercultural communication and collaboration. The aim of these interventions was not to introduce major curricular changes but to provide clarity, reduce uncertainty, and support students’ adjustment. At the end of the first year, follow up data will be collected using two complementary methods: (1) a short reflective questionnaire with open ended questions, encouraging students to describe how their expectations had changed; (2) a brief Likert scale survey assessing perceived shifts in expectations, confidence, and understanding of academic requirements. The collected data will be analysed using comparative thematic analysis (Before vs. After) to identify expectation transformations, reductions in initial concerns, and the emergence of new study related goals or needs. This approach made it possible to trace how students’ assumptions about university life evolved and to understand which cultural, academic, or psychological factors contributed most strongly to these shifts. Overall, this Action Research design enabled the researcher to observe real time changes in student perceptions, evaluate the impact of targeted pedagogical interventions, and generate evidence based recommendations to enhance first year support in multicultural higher education settings. By combining initial diagnostic data with follow up reflections and survey responses, the study provides a nuanced understanding of how expectations develop and how early teaching practices can meaningfully support student adaptation.

The expected results of this action research study focus on understanding how first year students’ expectations evolve during their initial transition into a multicultural university environment. Based on the analysis of baseline data collected at the beginning of the semester, it is anticipated that students - both local and international - bring diverse, and at times unrealistic, assumptions about study demands, teaching methods, lecturer availability, assessment transparency, and the social dynamics of university learning. International students are expected to report additional concerns related to language, academic conventions, and integration into the local cultural and institutional context. After implementing small scale pedagogical interventions such as reflective activities, clarification of assessment requirements, and structured intercultural interactions, it is expected that students will demonstrate a clearer and more realistic understanding of university expectations. These interventions are likely to reduce unfounded fears, especially among international students, and strengthen their confidence in navigating academic tasks. The comparison between the initial and final reflections is expected to show signs of expectation adjustment: students shifting from idealized or vague assumptions to more grounded, experience- based perceptions of learning and teaching in higher education. We also anticipate identifying specific cultural, academic, and social factors that influence expectation transformation. Local students may report challenges related to group work in culturally diverse teams, whereas international students may highlight linguistic or communication-based barriers. Nevertheless, both groups are expected to show increased awareness of intercultural differences and improved ability to manage them as the semester progresses. Overall, the study is expected to demonstrate that even minimal, well-timed interventions can significantly support students’ early adaptation, leading to clearer expectations, increased engagement, and a stronger sense of belonging. The findings will offer practical recommendations for improving first year support structures and enhancing inclusive teaching practices in multicultural higher education settings.

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