Context Of International Education Research Articles

Framing headship: a demand-side analysis of how the headteacher role is articulated in job descriptions

ABSTRACT The majority of studies into recruitment to the headship role have focused on supply-side dynamics and teachers’ own accounts of the factors that (dis)incentivize them from aspiring or progressing to headship. Significantly less work has been done in analyzing demand-side factors. This paper addresses the gap by presenting findings from a mixed-methods analysis of headteacher job descriptions (n = 67) published in a complete school year within Wales – one of the UK’s devolved education systems. A discourse analysis was conducted, based on organizational and occupational conceptions of professional work, which informed a subsequent content analysis of the job descriptions. Our findings identified a dominance of articulations that privileged organizationally-orientated understandings of headship and evidence of a lack of contextualization and agency by stakeholders responsible for recruitment. Such ‘demand-side’ analysis offers scope for examining and understanding the way in which headship is framed and aligns with policy within a variety of international educational contexts and jurisdictions.

“We need to become ‘educational chameleons’”: from unified to multiple norms in a multilingual and international higher education context

AbstractIn recent decades, scholars have documented how globalisation and mobility have changed our relationship with linguistic, social and cultural norms. Yet in most educational contexts, evaluation systems still tend to support the teaching of homogeneous knowledge mastered by all, and to portray linguistic standards as key for social mobility. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted with students on an international and multilingual higher education programme, this paper examines what the students claim they learn from a programme premised instead on the circulation of a multiplicity of norms, standards and practices. The interviews, conducted on the basis of a co-inquiry approach, suggest that the students learn to 1) deal productively and agentively with tensions, 2) rethink their positions and 3) open up to unexpected experiences when teachers support them in navigating multiple norms. In conclusion, the paper highlights how the research elucidates two kinds of norms at play in the programme, institutional and lived norms, and the relationship between them. It also reflects on the utility of discussing multilayered norms (Canagarajah 2006) openly in a globalised higher education context.

Reconfiguração da formação de professores em tempos excecionais - COVID19

Em tempos extraordinários e excecionais – COVID19 – os professores são convidados a lecionar em ambientes de aprendizagem e ensino totalmente novos e com contornos totalmente digitais, a partir de meios, que desafiam o seu exer-cício profissional docente em todas as etapas da intervenção educativa. Emerge um novo desafio - concretizar uma ação educativa estruturada a partir de algo completamente novo – resultante da impossibilidade de mobilização dos meios edas estruturas mentais do ensino presencial. A partir de 16 de março de 2020, as instituições de ensino portuguesas foram obrigadas a substituir todas as atividades presenciais por atividades àdistância, interrompendo-se as aulas presenciais regulares e os estágios em contexto de trabalho.
 Neste texto, apresentaremos a forma como, neste atual e ímpar contexto educativo internacional, uma instituição de ensino superior portuguesa procedeu à reconfiguração das atividades de Iniciação à Prática Profissional num curso de formação de professores.

Toward a Start-to-Finish Cross-Disciplinary Instructional Model for National and International Higher Education

Using their cross-disciplinary review of Ideas that Work in College Teaching, the authors explore the pedagogical commonalities of fifteen higher education instructors from SUNY Potsdam (State University of New York at Potsdam) in an attempt to reveal the secrets of teaching success across thirteen academic disciplines—math, computer science, geology, modern languages, political science, philosophy, history, biology, psychology, sociology, physics, and art. While the specific instructional disciplines varied considerably in the content that was both studied and presented, the authors found that the principles of effective teaching were quite similar across each of these disciplines. The insights shared by these fifteen accomplished instructors provide pedagogical wisdom that all teachers can learn from regardless of context or developmental age and stage of student capability and competence. Common goals and principles associated with effective teaching in higher education are highlighted using specific examples from individual authors where appropriate. A new model of instruction is then introduced: Attention, Interact, Apply, Invite – Fact, Think, Feel, Do (AIAI-FTFD), as a potential start-to-finish approach to effective teaching in higher education. Implications for use of the model in both national and international higher education contexts are discussed.

Independent assessment of educational conditions quality in Russia: issues and regulatory support

The article presents the results of the study on developing independent system for assessing the quality of the conditions for the implementation of educational activities in educational institutions based on the analysis of the dependence of its functioning on changes in international and Russian educational and social contexts.

Teacher feedback in UK higher education: Affective and cognitive perceptions of Chinese postgraduate students

This article reports on a case study of five Chinese postgraduate students’ experiences and perceptions of teacher feedback in UK higher education. Situated within an international higher education context, the study focuses on the affective and cognitive aspects of teacher feedback. Employing qualitative methods, the study involved five participants in two phases of their education - the pre-sessional English for Academic Purpose (EAP) programme and the MA TESOL programme. Data were collected through background interviews, stimulated recall and retrospective interviews. The findings show that a recursive process was taking place in students’ affective and cognitive engagement with feedback, and their affective reactions were moderated by their cognitive understanding of the feedback. The study has important implications for internationalisation of higher education through students’ academic experiences in different higher education contexts.

The implementation of photovoice as a tool for documenting the learning experiences of social work students on international field placement

Illustrating the adaptation of new and creative methods in international social work education, this article will present a working model for the use of photovoice methodology as part of a daily training seminar during an international field placement for Israeli students. The article will present a protocol for the use of a photovoice-based work model, with 3 applied examples from seminars held during 3 weeks of field placement in India and Ethiopia. We will discuss the educational and pedagogic contribution of photovoice as critical reflective tool within the context of international social work education.

Enhancing Iranian EFL Learners’ Descriptive Writing Through a Genre-based Pedagogy

The present study is an investigation to study the influence of genre-based instruction on Iranian EFL learners’ descriptive writing. After applying an OPT, 60 out of 80 Iranian EFL M.A. male and female students from two Azad universities in Tehran, Iran, were selected as the main participants of the current study. The qualified participants were randomly divided into one experimental group and one control group each with 30 learners. The experimental group had the genres based instruction on descriptive writing. The treatment was given in 16 sequential sessions about 30 minutes at the beginning of each session. The control group received no special treatment and it was taught based on traditional methodology of writing instruction. At the initial stage of the experiment, to estimate participants’ knowledge at the beginning of the study, a pretest on writing performance was run to all participants. In this test, the two groups must write two compositions about the same topics. At the end of the study, a posttest was applied to check the participants’ descriptive writing after having instruction. The participants’ scores on the pretest and posttest were compared to estimate the degree of participants’ progress within the group, and also the scores of the two groups were compared with each other to measure the function of instruction. The analysis of the results presented that learners in both groups had the same ability but learners in experimental group outperformed than learners in control group and it was concluded that genres based instruction as treatment worked well. The findings of this study are useful for learners to improve their writing skills. Another significance of this study is to build learners’ confidence to echo their voice in the international educational contexts and to publish their articles in famous worldwide journals.

Educational Experiences of the International Students in Graduate Programs in Turkey

Educational quality determined by factors such as academic climate, physical environment and academic quality of universities are considered essential for growing numbers of international students. This study aims to reveal and analyze the experiences of international students studying at graduate education step in Turkey. To this end, it is intended to describe and analyze the language proficiency, course period and thesis period experiences of international students studying in different fields of graduate programs and their perception on how their expectations were met or their apprehension. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, is used in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the study to flexibly gather data regarding the views of the participants and the differences between their experiences. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods were used together in forming a phase of the participant group. Interviews were conducted with 23 students from 18 different countries who are currently in Istanbul and studying in various departments. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data gathered from these interviews to examine the graduate education experience of the international students in Turkey. The educational experience of the students is primarily positive, and the students believe that they have received a high-quality education and they were provided with excellent opportunities. However, not being able to acquire academic writing skills or communicate with the professors sufficiently and the unconformity of the graduate education programs with the international educational context are some of the significant problems that were mentioned.

Evaluation and Teaching Issue on Traditional and Simplified Chinese Characters in Chinese International Education Context

Evaluation and Teaching Issue on Traditional and Simplified Chinese Characters in Chinese International Education Context

The Promotion of the 21st Century Learning Skills Through the Development of Games Using Scratch

The work described in this paper addresses the development of a game focused on a teaching strategy based on an action-research study. The strategy established aims to test the impact of the student’s participation in a collaborative project. The project aimed to motivate students to use and learn foreign languages and also to develop their intercultural communicative competence. The team consisted of 14 teachers from 11 different countries and 167 students in an international educational context. Regarding the Portuguese participation, we have introduced the Area of Study namely Discovery in a class from the 7th grade students (23 students). All the work was based in three premises: use Scratch online, web 2.0 and ETwinning platform. Students from different countries have worked together to develop their own games using programming Scratch. During the project, partners collaborated using web 2.0 tools and at the end, they have share their games and get feedback. This work identified the benefits and challenges of global education and intercultural interaction among students. Fourteen schools from 11 European countries have participated in this eTwinning project. Six schools had won the European quality eTwinning label. The methodology applied in this learning environment motivated the students and improved their learning process. It also contributed to a higher level of concentration and promoted collaborative learning. Additionally, it facilitates creativity, dialogue and the overall relationship among students. The results demonstrate that teachers perceive eTwinning as contributing towards the enhancement and development of global education through intercultural interaction. The pedagogic model based on the collaborative construction of knowledge was easily understood by the teachers.

Conversation with presence: A narrative inquiry into the learning experience of Chinese students studying nursing at Australian universities

Abstract Aim the aim of this methodological article is to reflect on and extend current understandings of the possibilities of narrative inquiry research giving voice to students, and to expand the power of story by sharing the philosophical, theoretical, and methodological considerations of narrative inquiry in an international education context. Background there has been much discussion about the need in providing a ‘voice’ to people across the society, who feel marginalised in many contexts, including international students. There is limited research about Chinese students studying in Australia. In particular, the learning experience of Chinese nursing students has not been fully explored nor understood. Discussion to enhance teaching and learning in international education contexts, and to cater better to international students, it is important to understand their experiences and perspectives. There is no better way to achieve this level of understanding than to let students' voices be heard, to let them speak for and about themselves because reality exists within these students' perceptions. Conclusions in the context of international education, narrative inquiry as a research methodology, when used with sensitivity and reflexivity, through the power of stories, offers a new dimension in the international education research.

Editorial: Charting flexible pathways in open, mobile and distance education

This editorial offers an overview of extended papers presented at the biennial DEANZ2016 conference held at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, from 17–20th April, 2016. In tandem with the conference theme, There and back: Charting flexible pathways in open, mobile and distance education, this special issue highlights think pieces from the three keynote speakers and five papers that offer insights into developments and practices in open, flexible, and distance learning contexts. As such, the collection is a rich repository of ideas and research that contribute to our interrogation of how digital technologies influence teaching and learning and work in a range of New Zealand and international educational contexts.

Mapping Trends in Pedagogical Approaches and Learning Technologies: Perspectives from the Canadian, International, and Military Education Contexts

Increased technological advances, coupled with new learners’ needs, have created new realities for higher education contexts. This study explored and mapped trends in pedagogical approaches and learning technologies in postsecondary education and identified how these innovations are affecting teaching and learning practices in higher education settings, particularly for the Canadian Armed Forces education system. A qualitative research methodology was employed including a comprehensive review of Canadian and international literature, an environmental scan of Canadian Armed Forces educational institutions, and consultations with experts and practitioners in the field of military education. The research findings shed light on trends in pedagogies and learning technologies in higher education as well as on the presence of these trends in the military educational system. In addition, the findings consider the necessity for a corresponding level of preparedness to meet the needs of diverse learners in the future. This study informs both the field of higher education and the field of military education. 

Becoming aware of the grand social challenges: how an international and interdisciplinary educational context may broaden students’ perspectives on human rights and public health

ABSTRACTThe understanding of contemporary social problems and challenges in an international and national perspective is a significant issue for social work because of globalisation and social problems are too complex to handle by single actors themselves. The need for interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration is important. This paper focuses on experiences from an Erasmus Intensive Programme with the title Human Rights, Public Health and Social Service Challenges on Local Government in the Nordic-Baltic Sea Area. Social work students from different countries interacted with students from other disciplines such as political science, psychology and economy to discuss common challenges and solutions in this field. The analysis of the findings shows students reflect upon human rights issues as universal rights and how challenges presented by contextual differences in preconditions for everyday life between the countries, are reflected from different disciplines/professional perspectives. The paper argues that international and interdisciplinary programmes, where students get the opportunity to meet and to work with overarching and transnational issues, have a great potential for engaging students in global development in a rapidly changing world.

Nonlinear Factors Analysis of Chinese Cross-Cultural Context

The context of Chinese internationaleducation is a kind of cross-cultural context,and its particularity reflects the structurediversification and multiplicity. This contextcontains diversity and dynamics in the aspectsof the time, place, object, task, psychology,culture and the like. These factors are notarranged and operated in an ordered way, butare endowed with the nonlinear characteristicsof uniqueness, openness and polytrope. Languagesystem is often interfered by the internal subtleuncertainty or some minor factors from externalinterference, can lead to a lot of, unpredictablefluctuations. In Chinese language and Chineselanguage teaching, there are a lot of nonlinearproblems, which cannot be solved by linearanalysis. Therefore, the analysis of non-linearfactor in Chinese language study is very essentialfor promoting the development of Chineselanguage teaching.

Intercultural peer tutoring competences as a part of learning development in an international higher education context

In the framework of the internationalisation of Higher Education (HE), this case study exposes the innovative concept of training intercultural peer tutors, and its implications. We will argue which skills are considered as specific intercultural peer tutoring competences and why these are important for the learning development in internationalised learning contexts. After a short description of the intercultural peer tutoring training at the European University Viadrina (EUV) and its theoretical basis, we will present the findings of a study accompanying the beginning phase of the training, which will demonstrate what kind of competences intercultural peer tutors develop in addition to those associated to classical peer tutoring. The paper will show that this specific training, focusing on intercultural peer tutoring, has a considerable impact on students’ own intercultural learning progress and also substantially prepares them to support the learning development of fellow international students.

Book review: Global identity in multicultural and international educational contexts: Student identity formation in international schools

Book review: Global identity in multicultural and international educational contexts: Student identity formation in international schools

Book Review: Global Identity in Multicultural and International Educational Contexts: Student Identity Formation in International Schools

Book Review: Global Identity in Multicultural and International Educational Contexts: Student Identity Formation in International Schools

Investigating teaching and learning methods in Italian universities and beyond. The quest to improve and share practices and strategies in the international higher education context

The present paper aims to describe the first phase (12 months) of an Italian research unit, which is part of a more extensive three year project that endeavored to: design innovative programs for higher education, to promote personalized learning, to build on job competencies, to value talents, to create new work opportunities, and to provide positive strategies in higher education to support young adults during their employment emergency as a response to the socio-economic crisis and as a citizenship action. In response, a consortium of universities and researchers, called Emp&Co (Employability and Competences) was created. The project involves six Italian Universities (Padova, Firenze, Siena, Napoli, Molise, Roma Sapienza), and Dr. Monica Fedeli from the University of Padova is the Principal Investigator. Dr. Fedeli’s research group is focusing on the innovation of teaching and learning methods and promotion of personalized programs in order to modernize university didactics, to encourage the university-business dialogue, and to promote employability. In the first phase of the project, a literature review was conducted and an analysis of student evaluation questionnaires on didactics, from 8 Italian, 3 American, 5 European, 1 Canadian, and 1 African University was completed to compare and learn from the different ways in which courses are evaluated by students in the different academic contexts. The goal at the end of the first year is the creation of a questionnaire template focused on teaching and learning methods, in order to gain a better understanding of student perspectives in our country. Additionally, we hope to implement strategies that will improve university didactics as requested by all European Union declarations. This paper introduces the overall study and the foregrounding work done with Dr. Joellen Coryell from Texas State University in the United States, who is a consultant to the University of Padova in the areas of adult and higher education teaching and learning.