ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY IRANIAN STUDENTS IN FINLAND: A PHENOMENOGRAPHIC STUDY

"This study aims to examine the experience of international students studying in Finland based on a phenomenographical approach. Due to the nationality of the researcher Iranian students were selected as the research sample and 25 tertiary-level students from various Finnish universities were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were assessed and interpreted based on the theory of Anxiety-Uncertainty Management (AUM). The results showed that the Finnish academic system, such as teaching/ learning strategies, assessment methods, and university facilities, reduces participants’ anxiety/uncertainty. The participants noted fundamental differences between characteristics and teaching style of Finnish and Iranian teachers in universities. However, this unexpected situation not only did not make them anxious, but also made them feel more comfortable than when they were studying in Iranian universities. In contrast, Finnish culture, and communication issue associated with language barriers and lack of job opportunities increase participants' anxiety/uncertainty. Many participants did not consider themselves members of Finnish society, and some felt they were strangers. The findings highlighted the important role of communication as an AUM thematic principle and propose a set of axioms to AUM theory that focuses more on the different dimensions of communication in an intercultural context. Given the importance of context in the study of communication issues, further studies are recommended to understand the intercultural issues of students of other nationalities in different contexts."