Developing Guidelines for the Internationalisation of Education Programmes from Sojourners’ Experience using Merriam’s (2009) two-level Analysis.

Normazla Ahmad Mahir,Norhana Abdullah,Noor Saazai Mat Saad,Norhaili Massari,Hazlina Abdullah,Zarina Ashikin Zakaria

doi:10.33102/sainsinsani.vol6no1.265

Abstract

This study was an impetus from the experiences of two Malaysian students who embarked on a credit transfer programme to Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo, Indonesia. The programme was to uphold the Internationalisation of Education (ILe) as proposed by a public university in Malaysia. The aim of the study was to explicate the successes and challenges that the students had endeavoured during the programme for 6 months. The methods employed were document analysis and interview. The data were collected via learning journal entries which the students submitted through email to be compiled by the researchers as well as their final report which was submitted at the end of the programme. In order to triangulate the data, they were then interviewed once they came back to Malaysia. The data from both methods were analysed thematically following Merriam’s (2009) two-level analysis. Four themes emerged from the data – experiences, public relations, independence and communication skills. Each of the theme details both successes and challenges. These findings provide input for a draft of guidelines for any faculty or university to conduct a credit transfer programme in the future.

Highlights

One of the seventeen main objectives of UNESCO’sEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD), the 4thSustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) is to ensure people from all walks of life have “access to quality education on sustainable development at all levels and in all social contexts”(https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainabledevelopment)
In 2016, academic collaborations between Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and its regional counterpart had seen the fruitful outcome from the credit transfer programme (CTP) between two students of Faculty of Major Language Studies (FPBU, USIM) and Walisongo National Islamic University, Indonesia (UIN)
Such move can be termed as the concept of Internationalisation of Education (ILe), and very much in line with the 1st shift in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025, where universities are expected to produce holistic, entrepreneurial, and balanced graduates

Summary

Introduction

One of the seventeen main objectives of UNESCO’sEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD), the 4thSustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) is to ensure people from all walks of life have “access to quality education on sustainable development at all levels and in all social contexts”(https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainabledevelopment). In 2016, academic collaborations between USIM and its regional counterpart had seen the fruitful outcome from the credit transfer programme (CTP) between two students of Faculty of Major Language Studies (FPBU, USIM) and Walisongo National Islamic University, Indonesia (UIN). Such move can be termed as the concept of Internationalisation of Education (ILe), and very much in line with the 1st shift in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025, where universities are expected to produce holistic, entrepreneurial, and balanced graduates. This paper will highlight the experiences (the successes and challenges) of USIM through its students’ involvement in the ILe and Credit Transfer programme (CTP)

Objectives

Methods

Results