Applying CIPO indicators to examine internationalization in higher education institutions in Taiwan

Abstract

This study investigated policy-driven implementations of internationalization in higher education institutions in Taiwan by evaluating its effects as perceived by students and faculty. For organizing the internationalization indicators, we designed a fuzzy questionnaire in which the review indicators were classified into context (C), input (I), process (P), and outcome (O) dimensions according to the context, input, process, and outcome (CIPO) model. This study used statistical models to interpret valid questionnaire returns from 612 students and faculty members from various universities. The results indicated wider gaps between the importance and feasibility of implementing internationalization in the I dimension and partially in the C dimension. In addition, the perceptions of students and faculty suggested a wide chasm between expected and actual results of the CIPO dimensions. Typically, the students favored implementing internationalization regarding the C, I, P, and O indicators more than did the faculty. The diversity of internationalization, based on implementations in public and private sector universities, is demonstrated in the C and I dimensions, with gender-based perceptions and distinctions between participants in universities and technological universities being exhibited in some indicators. This study provides a method for detecting key stakeholders’ perceptions of implementing internationalization policies in higher education institutions.