Browsing by Subject "international education"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Ethical Possibilities In International Student Recruitment
    (2020-05) Kirsch, Emily
    This study explores how international education professionals at public universities in the United States understand ethical international student recruitment. Decreasing federal and state support for public universities has contributed to some U.S. institutions regarding international students as a source of additional revenue, as they often pay substantially higher tuition than domestic students. While practitioners serving and recruiting these students may understand the life-changing decision students and their families make to study in a country outside their own, economics has a mediating factor in recruitment motivations. A social cartography developed out of the Ethical Internationalism of Higher Education (EIHE) study is used to map ethical dilemmas international student recruiters face in their work, making evident the tension between the student’s best interests and institutional financial imperatives. Recruiters who work in a neoliberal-liberal tension zone are guided by a self-perceived ethic of care that was exemplified by personal commitments to information sharing and consultation with trusted colleagues, navigating a contentious higher education environment by developing a set of personal and professional ethics that guided their daily actions.
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    An investigation of international mindedness at two IB World Schools
    (2021-01) Condon, David
    The purpose of this study was to investigate how international mindedness is conceptualized and enacted at two International Baccalaureate World Schools, one in Hawaii and one in Japan. This study begins with the assumption that our educational systems, particularly those in preK-12 international schools, must prepare students to understand and appreciate different cultural perspectives, to assume a responsibility for the health of the planet, and to be able to interact and collaborate with people from diverse cultures in order to function as internationally minded responsible global citizens. Though international mindedness is a core concept in IB philosophy and a central aim of international education, its meaning remains complex, ambiguous and elusive. Equally unclear is how international mindedness manifests in different preK-12 school settings, i.e. what schools do that promote or hinder its development in students. By better understanding what is meant by international mindedness and identifying promising practices related to its promotion, schools may be better positioned to help develop this construct within their students and their educational programs.This qualitative study takes a social constructivist, interpretive approach to investigate the range of meanings of the term international mindedness and how it is enacted according to the perspectives of those experiencing them. Drawing on an IB-sponsored study from the University of Bath (Hacking et al., 2016), data from focus group interviews, lesson observations, school tours, and document and artifact analysis were collected. These data were then analyzed using a comparative case study approach informed by Bartlett and Vavrus’s (2017) process-oriented approach. Two broad categories of inquiry were pursued: the conceptualization of international mindedness and the enactment of international mindedness. Horizontal comparisons between stakeholders at each school were made, as well as between the two schools. Vertical comparisons of stakeholder conceptualizations with official IB definitions were also made. There are two major implications of this study. First, as stakeholder conceptualizations of international mindedness were largely similar, rather than attempting to establish precise meanings, preK-12 schools interested in developing international mindedness in their students should engage in community discussions of how the term manifests in their particular settings. Second, this study shows that the significant differences between the two schools came from their enactment of IM. The development of international mindedness is largely seen to result from direct experience with people and cultures different from one’s own. Interested schools should therefore carefully consider the kinds of experiences they are able to provide their students to develop their international mindedness.
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    Student Learning on Faculty-Led Study Abroad: A Qualitative Study of Stakeholder Views
    (2019-05) Schlarb, Mary H.
    This is a study of intercultural learning and teaching through study abroad programs at one four-year public higher education institution in the United States. The purpose of this study is to determine stakeholder views of factors influencing student learning in faculty-led study abroad programs. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology and qualitative methods, the researcher explored with faculty study abroad leaders and returned study abroad students their experiences with intercultural learning, and from the collected data, constructed themes related the two research questions. The first question was: 1) In what ways do student and faculty stakeholders describe the student learning outcomes achieved through participation in faculty-led study abroad programs? Themes related to student learning outcomes include applied learning of course content, professional development, comparative understanding of cultures, personal growth, and understanding of identity-related issues. The second question was: 2) What do faculty and students view as factors influencing student learning outcomes in faculty-led study abroad programs? Key factors suggested by students and faculty related to student-centered teaching and learning, instructor expertise, student behaviors, and institutional support of faculty. Several implications for pedagogy and professional practice in the field of study abroad also emerged from this study. These related to faculty and student mutual definition of student learning outcomes; incorporation of authentic student-centered pedagogical practices, and related faculty professional development. Study findings also illustrate the need for institutional support for faculty engagement in study abroad programs.