Analysis of the International Students' Views About Higher Education in Turkey: The Example of Azerbaijan

This study aims to reveal the views of Azerbaijani students studying in higher education in Turkey about Turkish higher education. 107 Azerbaijani university students who are studying in different universities in Turkey participated in the study. The participants were asked to compare the education system of Azerbaijan and Turkey. In addition, they were asked open-ended questions about their suggestions towards improving the higher education system in Turkey. Responses from the participants were analyzed through content analysis. The frequencies and percentages of the themes were calculated. First, participants' responses regarding "Comparison of the education system of their country and Turkey" were discussed. The participants' views were gathered under five themes. These themes included "academic opportunities", "personal development opportunities", "informal topics", "career opportunities", and "physical and social facilities". Regarding their suggestions about the higher education system in Turkey; the following themes emerged: "suggestions concerning the conditions for university entrance and graduation", "suggestions for educating students", "suggestions for academicians", and "suggestions related to curriculum and course contents", respectively. These findings are discussed in the light of the literature, and various suggestions are made