International Educational Experience Research Articles

Deep mapping in geography education: learning about a distant place and people in a summer school as a ‘committed outlier’

ABSTRACT This article discusses Deep Mapping in Geography teaching and learning by drawing on a case study of a summer school organised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deep Mapping was used to foster deep learning among the students and teach them about a distant place and people. The exercise tasked the students to work on the creation of layered maps representing the fieldwork site, the city of Vancouver, Canada. Critical student reflections about the Deep Mapping process are used to address some of the benefits and challenges. The Deep Mapping exercise stimulated the students to critically engage with the diverse summer school materials, move beyond a superficial view of the city, maps and mapping, and reflect on their positionality. The method is promising in light of making deep engagement with other places more accessible to those who might not have or be inclined to access such international educational experience and also offers another opportunity for blended learning. In conclusion, we argue that Deep Mapping offers a timely and highly engaging approach to learn about a place and people from another part of the world – be it on location or at a distance.

Current Status and Insights of Undergraduate Teaching Reform in Urban and Rural Planning under the Context of “Emerging Engineering Education”

Under the background of “Emerging Engineering Education,” the Urban and Rural Planning major faces significant challenges in teaching reform. This study thoroughly analyzes the current status of undergraduate teaching reform in Urban and Rural Planning in China, revealing that the reform has achieved notable results in promoting teaching quality and enhancing students' comprehensive abilities. The reform has updated teaching concepts, emphasized interdisciplinary integration and practical ability cultivation, and reinforced practical teaching by updating course content and teaching methods, effectively improving students' practical skills and innovation abilities. However, challenges such as insufficient practical teaching resources and incomplete innovation ability cultivation mechanisms remain. Drawing on successful domestic and international teaching experiences in Urban and Rural Planning, this study proposes recommendations such as strengthening interdisciplinary integration, deepening industry-university cooperation, innovating teaching methods, and improving the practical teaching system. In the future, undergraduate teaching reform in Urban and Rural Planning should further focus on interdisciplinary integration, industry-university-research collaboration, teaching method innovation, and the construction of a practical teaching system to meet the development needs of the Urban and Rural Planning field in the new era, contributing more wisdom and strength to China's sustainable urban and rural development.

Expatriate Teachers’ Experiences with Organizational Factors in International Schools: A Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to examine the personal and professional experiences of expatriate international teachers at international schools to develop a deeper, more heuristic understanding of the international teaching experience, particularly how the experiences might affect their decision to remain at a school past their initial contract period. International teachers are more likely to renew contracts when there is a reciprocity of trust and respect between faculty and administration, authentic appreciation, strong community and access to quality professional development. Participants value strong, student-centered leadership and philosophical approaches rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion. More research surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in international schools is required, specifically surrounding administrators and the lack of diversity within international school leadership.

Using the COIL pedagogy as a strategy for improving the virtual international educational experiences of students: North-South hemisphere case study

International Collaborative Online Learning (COIL) is a term that describes virtual mobility experiences that are integrated into the formal curriculum to give students the chance to interact with peers at international universities in specific learning activities, while also developing intercultural, professional, and digital skills. The objective of the research is to explore the influence of this pedagogical practice on the students’ learning, as well as to identify the associated challenges, the lived experiences of the students in Clinical Technology of the Technological University of Durban (DUT) in South Africa and the Administration students of the Universidad Veracruzana (UV) in Mexico were explored, during the application of the COIL pedagogy. Through a thematic analysis methodology, three themes emerged, namely: Experiences, Challenges, and Learning. This study confirms the usefulness of COIL as a pedagogy for internationalization in higher education and the development of professional skills, by incorporating the intercultural dimension in the curriculum within the virtual space. It is recommended that an appropriate instructional design, as well as an analysis before implementation to determine language proficiency and time zones of participating countries.

University presidents’ international education experience and the internationalization of higher education institutions: a study of leadership in China

ABSTRACT In the context of deepening globalization, accelerating the internationalization of higher education is the core development mission and important development mode of higher education today. This study investigates the impact of university presidents’ international education experience on the associated Chinese institutions’ internationalization. Based on imprinting theory, we argue that international education experiences received during sensitive periods leave an imprint on presidents concerning overseas countries, which may further impact their cognitive structures, enabling them to make strategic decisions conducive to international expansion. We manually collected multidimensional data from 868 Chinese general higher education institutions (HEIs) and 1,863 university presidents between 2001 and 2017. The results reveal that university presidents’ international education experiences significantly enhance the level of internationalization in HEIs. Additionally, when the country where presidents obtained international experiences has a closer cultural distance to China or the government in the location where presidents serve shows greater attention to higher education, can strengthen the positive impact of presidents’ international experiences on HEIs internationalization. This study makes important theoretical contributions to leadership literature, internationalization of higher education literature, and imprinting theory. It also has practical significance for the development and promotion of university presidents.

Innocents Abroad

Expectations of campus safety and security are inherent in the development of policies internal to the campus environment as well as to national regulations inclusive of Title IX, the Clery Act, and so forth. Yet, there seems to be an ongoing concern that international students may have heightened risk or are less likely to report violations of policies and regulations. This research is focused on determining to what extent awareness of policies and regulations often linked to equality on campus are a part of international student orientations and outreach. By examining the timing, manner, and extent of training, this article seeks to add to the study of ways that campuses may better engage, prepare, and serve students engaged in international education experiences.

African international students’ challenges, investment and identity development at a highly selective EMI university in Kazakhstan

This article documents the reflections of six African second-year master’s students on their international educational experiences in Kazakhstan with a special focus on their challenges, strategic learning efforts and identity development. It is guided by Norton’s conceptualisation of investment in identity, language learning, and social change. The qualitative data collected from a written narrative and two subsequent rounds of individual semi-structured interviews suggest that participants pursued their studies at an English-medium instruction university in Kazakhstan mainly because of the fully-funded scholarships. However, their expectations regarding the university and Kazakhstan were unclear, as they received no pre-departure orientation. Despite being satisfied with the high-quality education in the host institution, they faced challenges such as difficulty securing part-time work due to a lack of proficiency in local languages (Kazakh and Russian), enduring prolonged cold weather, and limited opportunities for socialising with other students. Most participants described Kazakhstan as ‘a peaceful and progressive country’; however, two participants experienced linguistic racism in the classroom. This study underlines the significance of addressing the issues of graduate employability and linguistic racism, along with implementing pedagogical interventions in all phases of study abroad and fostering a sense of intercultural citizenship among students.

Teaching English in the Philippine: Pre-Service Teachers’ Identity Development During the International Teaching Practicum

English pre-service teachers find teaching English abroad to be a memorable experience. It influences the type of teacher they will become in the future. Through the perspective of teacher identity, this study aims to describe how two Indonesian pre-service teachers in the English education department, during a teaching practicum in the Philippines, developed their teacher identity and how they overcome the challenges. This research focused on two fourth-year students from the English Education department of a private university in Yogyakarta who completed a one-month international teaching practicum in the Philippines. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and subsequently investigated thematically from the perspective of the teachers' identities, and then presneted narratively. It was discovered that the biographies of the pre-service teachers served as the starting point for their teachers' identity development. Throughout the international teaching practicum, the development of their teacher identity was influenced by their emotional reactions, their teaching methods, and their symbolic representation. In the international teaching setting, the student teacher received psychological and technical assistance to overcome the challenges of their practice. This support played a crucial role in the successful completion of the program and contributed to the development of their professional identity as teachers. The findings demonstrate the importance of international teaching experience, prompting universities to prioritize the teaching practicum. Additionally, the university should expand its international exchange programs, focusing on teaching practicum programs.

The Micropolitical Literacy of a Novice Principals to Promote International Education

<p>本研究探討初任校長在國際教育推動的學校變革行動中，如何運用微觀政治素養。研究者選取一所致力推動國際教育，且以其為學校願景的國民小學。研究結果發現，儘管推動國際教育有其挑戰與優勢，初任校長本著過去執行經驗，在學校變革行動中，涵育微觀政治素養：認知面秉著「國際教育」經驗，以之為學校願景，通盤了解工作分配的內容、行銷策略、教學內涵；技能面，初任校長正向尊重和負向控制的策略，無可避免學校內部勢力消長，教學管理策略創造親師生多贏局勢；情意面，關懷弱勢學生，增強教師使命感，強化家長歸屬感。</p> <p> </p><p>This study investigates the micropolitical literacy of a novice principal who lead the organizational change to promote International Education as a vision for the school. The researcher interviews the principal, the director of Teaching Affairs Division, a teacher with administrative duty, an English teacher, and a homeroom teacher. Despite of challenges and opportunities associated with a school’s readiness for change, novice principal mobilizes change for the first time. The main findings are as follows: from cognitive aspect, the novice principal with International Education experience is awareness of school aims, work loading, colleagues’ ability, internet marketing, and teaching knowledge. From skill aspect, he respects and controls with strength along with weakness of different parties. His teaching management creates win-win situation for students, teachers, and parents. From affective aspect, his concern to the disadvantaged students triggers positive emotions and fulfillment of teachers and students’ parents as well.</p> <p> </p>

THE ROLE OF APPLYING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The article highlights the role of innovative technologies in improving the quality of education, in which the reform of the education system and the transition to a new system create the need for the active implementation of pedagogical innovations. To form an innovative education system, it is necessary to introduce innovative information and technological capabilities into the educational system and study international educational experience. This article outlines thoughts and opinions on the prospects for using innovative technologies in education.

Leveraging international education to advance women’s leadership: reflections of Indonesian alumnae of their Australian education experiences

ABSTRACT The link between international education and the extent to which it enhances women’s leadership aspirations calls for a more situated and nuanced approach to internationalisation theory and practice. Although international education is a significant capacity-building investment and is typically assumed to advance individual and collective leadership, there is scant attention to modalities of leadership aspirations and experiences of women post-international study. The paper draws on our research exploring post-study experiences of a cohort of Indonesian women to highlight the complexities and challenges of navigating leadership post-study in Australia. The study design incorporated a mixed-method approach of individual semi-structured interviews, focused group discussions and an online survey of a diverse cohort of alumnae. The findings show that international education has the potential for advancing women’s leadership aspirations where culture and individual women’s characteristics and circumstances are considered. Indeed, alumnae report that consolidating and advancing leadership calls for successfully navigating between societal norms, family pressures and institutional contexts whilst also tapping into their international education experience.

“Voices on the ground”: Solomon Islands teachers’ perceptions of hosting an Australian pre-service teacher education program

There is scant representation of the outcomes of international teaching experiences from the perspective of host teachers despite a growing number of these sorts of programs. Addressing this gap, we conducted focus group interviews with 21 Solomon Islands teachers/school leaders regarding their experiences hosting Australian pre-service teachers in their schools. Findings revealed a range of program benefits, challenges, and some suggestions for improvement, and overall showed the value of these types of programs for host country teachers. However, given the popularity of international study programs as an internationalisation strategy in higher education in Global North countries, and the likelihood of these programs to involve previously colonised, developing countries, the study's findings are important from an ethical standpoint, to explore potential colonising influences and power relations that may arise. As such, this study has implications for how international immersion programs should be planned and enacted to ameliorate potential.

The Impact of International Education and Cultural Empowerment in the Global Job Market

Abstract This article challenges the idea that international education only has positive spillover effects on the students going through it, assessing students’ capacity to understand and, if possible, explore new working opportunities in the host country. It discusses to what extent an international education experience and regular exposure to an alternative educational, social, and working environment could provide opportunities for students to broaden and deepen their views and perceptions of the world, and to use cultural capital gained from international mobility to increase their employability in the global job market. Based on a study conducted among a small group of Chinese students based in France, this article highlights when, how, and under which circumstances students’ mobility capital is understood and explored as a new source of economic opportunities, discussing motivations and integration in the experiences of Chinese international students.

Fog formation, smog situations and air quality in high school physics education

Abstract. It has become a worldwide expectation that the physics curriculum includes everyday knowledge as well. One important field that can make the curriculum more colourful and exciting is the field of meteorology. In our paper, a three-lesson-long curriculum for high schools will be presented on how to teach the connection between fog formation and air quality. The international educational experience of this particular topic will be surveyed, mainly in the countries of the Carpathian Basin, moreover, the measurement processes and education methods used in the GLOBE Program will also be presented. The experimental curriculum consists of three parts. In the first part air humidity and the concepts of absolute and relative humidity are discussed. Through a few specific exercises, the students participating in the program learn to specify relative humidity and become acquainted with fog formation. It is shown via an experiment that air cooling at a saturated state is not enough to form fog because condensational nuclei are needed for the formation of tiny water drops. In the 2nd lesson, the concept of temperature inversion and its connection to fog and air pollution are discussed. Using Internet websites the students collect information about the formation of smog, its types, occurrence, and the conditions for declaring smog alerts. In the 3rd lesson, the methods of air pollution analysis and different air pollutants are discussed. Websites, where the students can follow the air pollution data of their area, are used. Based on these, problems related to the interpretation of the data will be solved. The information which is available on the website of the European Environment Agency is also touched on.

High-impact practices (HIPs) benefits from study abroad country agent: a multi-method multi-perspective approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to extend the Blevins et al. (2020) study by empirically examining the benefits of using a customized study abroad host-country provider (hereafter referred to as “SAA”) of logistical and other services that support non-native host country (hereafter referred to as non-indigenous) college of business study abroad educators. This study also makes a significant contribution by extending Strange and Gibson’s (2017) call by examining transformative learning experiences (TLEs), a high-impact practice, from educators’ and students’ perspectives of two types of study abroad experiences (i.e. one with and one without an SAA).Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods and multiple perspectives triangulation of the three studies (i.e. student survey, student-produced artifacts data and faculty interviews conducted in Canada, Spain and the UK) was used for this study to increase confidence in the findings by providing a comprehensive picture of the results. A mixed methodology provides rich, in-depth data for analysis as to how study abroad experience [hereafter referred to as experience(s) abroad] benefits from contracting with an SAA to work with a non-indigenous business course educator.FindingsThis study's findings demonstrate the positive impact of transformative learning from a short-term study abroad experience from contracting with an SAA.Practical implicationsBenefits of contracting with a host-country SAA are increased time and a reduction in the emotional toll on educators. Educators are free to provide memorable international business educational experiences abroad, resulting in student satisfaction and transformative learning.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is the mixed methods and multiple perspectives approach to the topic.

Securing work placements: strategies among international engineering students

ABSTRACT As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in their host country, which informed the current study. Data was gathered through 39 semi-structured interviews with 13 international engineering students and eight interviews with eight WIL staff. The study contributes to the literature by formulating the Perceiving–Planning–Performing Model (3-P Model), untangling students’ cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral engagement in securing placements. The Model informs stakeholder strategies in nurturing international students’ agency to secure placements and post-graduation work in their host country and globally.

On LHRT’s Seventy-Fifth Anniversary

On LHRT’s Seventy-Fifth Anniversary

China’s conservatories are the highest national level piano education: historiography of the issue

Background. The spread of piano music in China at the beginning of the century, the formation of the foundations of piano teaching methods, the creative international exchange of experience with representatives of performing schools of different countries – these are the stages at which Chinese pianism was formed. The article examines the process of formation of Chinese professional piano pedagogy on the example of the activities of the most significant higher educational institutions and the network of music schools in China. The performing, pedagogical, methodical and organizational activities of representatives of the Chinese piano school are analyzed. The peculiarities of various piano schools in the personalities of leading Chinese pianists are specified in terms of their education, concert-tour activities and participation in international competitions, performance manner and repertoire selection, pedagogical activities, and their contribution to the modern world piano school is determined. Objectives. The purpose of the article is a scientific generalization of the historical experience of the formation and dynamics of the development of the highest degree of the Chinese piano school – conservatory, which led to an unprecedented rise of piano art in the country. Methods. The main methods used in the article were: analytical, theoretical, historical, historical-typological comparative analysis. Results. The historical dynamics of Chinese piano art is related to the professionalization of performance and composer creativity. This process is provided by the largest higher music educational institutions in China – Sichuan, Harbin, Shenyang, and Xinhai Conservatories. Many Chinese pianists, who returned to China after studying abroad and gained performance experience, joined the teaching staff of higher music educational institutions in China. Some of the musicians, returning from abroad, started new musical educational institutions. Such enthusiasts opened the Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing conservatories, as well as music departments at several universities. The most significant contribution to the development of piano art in China belongs to the Beijing Piano School, represented by the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music (CCMP). Many pianists, having left China, continued their activities on concert stages and in educational institutions of other countries – the USA, Canada, England, France, Italy. Each of them, with their concert performance and pedagogical successes, confirmed the high professionalism and high-quality level of musical education obtained in international educational institutions, the talent, experience and pedagogical talent of their mentors. Conclusions. Thus, the rapid rate of growth of the level of piano performance in China was ensured by activities aimed at the country’s exit from a thousandyear isolation, and a strict consistent orientation towards the achievement of world piano culture. A decisive factor in the achievements of Chinese piano performance in the 21st century is the focus on high results in mastering mastery.

Characteristics of International Rotations for Undergraduate Medical Education at United States Medical Schools: A National Study.

Medical education is criticized that it does not prepare students to serve in an increasingly globalized society. Evidence that global educational experiences can alleviate these concerns have contributed to the rise in international medical education experiences. This study explores surrounding characteristics and institutional support for international rotations across medical schools in the US. The authors conducted a sequential mixed methods exploratory national survey of international rotation coordinators at 185 US medical schools and 15 semi-structured interviews in fall 2018. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitative data were coded and analyzed using interpretive description to identify themes across data. There were 57 responses to the survey for an overall response rate of 31%, with 77% percent of respondents (n = 44) indicating that their medical school offered international rotations. Fifteen individuals representing 13 medical schools were identified as interviewees for the second stage of the study. International rotation coordinators described components of international rotations, including partnerships with host communities, use of third-party organizations, and supporting administrative and academic structures. Although international rotations are common in medical education, they are not positioned as core academic programming within medical schools. This leads to challenges in planning, implementation, and evaluation, and immense variation in rotation components across medical programs. Future research should explore best practices for pre-departure preparation, post-travel debriefing, and evaluation of student activity as well as impact on the host site. Additional research should include exploration of unique benefits of international versus domestic sites, and aspects of sustainable partnerships between medical schools and host communities.

Sustainable Transition to Studying Abroad Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ecological Perspective

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, study abroad (SA) programs have undergone an urgent transfer to the online format. Although SA online has many merits toward sustainable international education in the post-COVID era, assuring the quality of these programs and sustaining students’ learning motivation have been key issues of concern. Moreover, there is still a lack of evidence derived from in-depth qualitative inquiries. To address these gaps, this study takes a close look at an individual’s story using a narrative approach to data analysis and employs an ecological perspective focusing on intentionality as the theoretical framework for exploring how the participant conquered the challenges when they transitioned to SA online. Successful plots identified include setting up the online learning environment, optimising the benefits of online learning, and sustaining students’ motivation to study. Several obstacles remained unsolved, such as the loss of interpersonal connection and empathy in online communication. This study concludes that the participant’s successful and unsuccessful encounters in enacting the affordances of online education were manifested by developed or undeveloped intentional actions as a result of individual-environment mutuality. Some implications are offered for constructing sustainable online SA environments that can diversify and innovate future international education experiences.