International Faculty Research Articles

Teaching Teamwork: Online Technical Writing Courses with Engineering Students

Using a pragmatic approach, this case study aims to incorporate communication skills in team teaching in light of the literature, describes how communication and teamwork principles play out in online third-year technical writing courses with ethnically diverse international students and faculty from engineering and other STEM majors at an institute of technology in the USA (n = 48). The data were collected using weekly assignments for the semester-long course; and student evaluations of course outcomes. The findings showed that because students wrote weekly short analyses and received weekly feedback, they most often improved their writing skills, such as editing their writings according to American English rules, and transferred learning of rhetorical principles from one setting (analyzing other people’s writing) into another setting as they learnt to work as a team of productive writers.

Uluslararası Eğitim İşbirliklerinin Sürdürebilirliği

The international institutional linkage is one component of the internationalized campus. The success or failure of a linkage, however, may reverberate through all internationalization efforts across the campus. Therefore, it is essential that educational leaders on campus who are involved in international initiatives, such as international programs officers, university administrators, and faculty, not only possess knowledge of the factors that lead to successful linkages, but the tools necessary to navigate the complex interplay of those factors throughout the institution. There are certainly many questions underlying the issue of success and sustainability, including: What is the definition of a successful linkage? What factors play a role in the success of a linkage? What are tools that international education practitioners can utilize to increase chances of success in regards to linkages? This study explores these issues in a qualitative study of three specific cases of linkages at one university. The resulting in-case, and cross-case analyses explore the notion that three separate environments can be nurtured at institutions of higher education through distributed leadership in order for international institutional linkages to take root, develop, and ultimately to be sustained. The study concludes that are a number of contributors to the success of a linkage, and that in order to achieve sustainability of a linkage, the institution should endeavor to strike a healthy balance between independence and support, or rather, between a loosely coupled and a tightly coupled structure.

Binary Practical Lessons as an Innovative Approach to Increase Motivation and Develop Students Professional Competencies

Article presents the use and effectiveness of an interactive form of training, using the example of binary classes as an innovative pedagogical approach to conducting practical classes, which enable students to see the prospects for using the acquired theoretical knowledge in real life and increasing motivation among students, which helps to improve knowledge acquisition. A binary practical lesson allows generating interest in understanding the profession and implementing new educational standards, as it contributes to achieving positive results in the educational process and improving professional competencies among students. During binary practical classes, two specialists, a theorist and a practitioner consider the analysis of clinical situations using practical skills on a specific case. This paper presents the experience of conducting binary practical classes in clinical disciplines, by teachers of the Clinical Disciplines 3 Department at international medical faculty in Osh State University, M.D., associate professor B. O. Abdurakhmanov, M.D., G. K Kenzhebaeva, graduate students of the department, senior teacher A. E. Omurzakova and Zh. U. Kadyrkulova for the periods from 2021-2023 academic years. This work aimed at studying the effectiveness of binary practical classes on the formation and development of practical skills, as well as improving the quality of knowledge acquisition. The results of this study showed that the use of binary practical exercises has a positive effect on the formation and development of practical skills and helps improve the quality of the educational process. This teaching method contributes to a deeper and better mastery of the material compared to traditional methods and helps students take a fresh look at theoretical training and realize that their study is necessary for better mastery of the profession, since it provides the opportunity to see how theoretical knowledge is applied in practice.

From good to great: International faculty's efficacy in teaching and language and teaching philosophy evolution in the United States

The diversity and internationalization of academia enable U.S. higher education to acquire professionals from a global pool. However, few have researched whether levels of self-perceived efficacy in teaching, language, and technology differ in academic and personal identities. Moreover, less is known about their acquisition and improvement of pedagogical strategies. The current research used a mixed methods study to explore the complexity of instruction-related efficacy and experiences. A total of 113 international faculty (IF) completed an anonymous online Qualtrics survey between 2021 and 2022. The survey measured teaching, English, and technology efficacy. Five semi–structured interviews and classroom observations were also conducted. Results showed that: (1) Cultural and policy English efficacy, not course-related English or technology efficacy, significantly influenced their teaching efficacy. (2) Novice and non-tenure groups showed disadvantages in teaching and language. (3) IF exhibit a dynamic pedagogical approach, iteratively refining teaching beliefs and strategies based on feedback. The growth pattern of IF shows consistent themes across individual trajectories. This evolution can be categorized into three layers, beginning with a foundational layer, striving to convey course content effectively. In the relationship layer, they focus on fostering connections with students. Finally, in the desirable layer, IF are geared towards guiding students to derive maximum benefit from the classroom experience and enhance their future career prospects. Ensuring a better cultural and policy understanding in the U.S. is crucial to IF's early career success. The current research suggests that universities in the U.S. offer training programs to help IF, especially novice and non-tenure track IF, prepare to adapt to departmental and institutional cultures, policies, and standards.

Creative Expressions: A Consideration for Multilingual International Faculty in Counselor Education

ABSTRACT While the topic of international students and faculty has gained much interest in research scholarship, it is important to reorganize the existing literature which continues to share narratives from a deficit model The authors aim to explore the strengthening of the multilingual abilities of international counselor educators by including creative member-checking procedures in a qualitative grounded theory study. Six participants engaged in this study, showcasing their experiences in a creative manner as they developed their professional identity as counselor educators in the U.S. Additionally, this article recommends creative member-checking processes as a strategy to address racist nativism and microaggressions toward multilingual counselor educators, whose first language is not English.

Supporting international women faculty in US institutions: Practice of the “We Hear, We Speak” learning community

AbstractThis paper explores, from a practical perspective, the role, and potential outcomes of the We Hear, We Speak (WHWS) learning community in supporting international women faculty and promoting their personal and professional growth. Grounded in the principles of relational cultural theory (RCT), the WHWS community embodies the core practices of the learning community framework. Through its commitment to promoting success in academia, fostering mentoring relationships, and cultivating collaboration and productivity, the community is expected to empower international women faculty to thrive in the US academic realm. By providing a supportive and growth‐oriented space, the WHWS community is anticipated to encourage its members to excel in their academic pursuits. Furthermore, it is expected to not only facilitate the development of mentoring relationships but also promote collaboration and productivity, enabling its members to engage in meaningful partnerships and contribute to the organization's success. In sum, by integrating the principles of RCT and embracing the core practices of the learning community framework, this paper discusses the potential of implementing the WHWS community to foster personal and professional growth, benefiting both individuals and the organization as a whole.

УЧЕТ НАЦИОНАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ОСОБЕННОСТЕЙ ЛАТИНОАМЕРИКАНСКИХ СТУДЕНТОВ НА НАЧАЛЬНОМ ЭТАПЕ ОБУЧЕНИЯ В РОССИЙСКОМ ВУЗЕ

The object of study of this article is the national psychological characteristics of students from Latin America, whose percentage in the total number of foreigners in Russian universities does not exceed 2-3%. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Rossotrudnichestvo set universities the task of actively attracting students from this region to Russian universities. Thus, teachers’ familiarity with the characteristics of the psychological makeup of the people of Latin America is dictated by the practical need to communicate productively with this insufficiently studied contingent. The novelty of the work lies in the study of both the national psychological characteristics of students representing different countries of Latin America, and in the generalization of the main features of the unified national character of Latin Americans. The result of the study was practical recommendations for teachers on taking into account the national psychological characteristics of students from different countries of Latin America for organizing educational and extracurricular work at the initial stage of education. These recommendations help teachers in modeling pedagogical situations, allow them to build pedagogical intercultural communication based on dialogue, develop their intercultural competence, which contributes to the successful adaptation of Latin American students in the multicultural space of the international faculty.

Cervical cancer prevention program in Nepal: a ‘training of trainers’ approach

Background Cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among Nepalese women. To this effect, Cancer Care Nepal established an international collaboration to implement a ‘training of trainers’ (TOT) program to expand the reach of cervical cancer prevention techniques. Methods The Nepal cervical cancer prevention program began with an in-person TOT session in Kathmandu in November 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two additional TOT courses were held in October and November 2021 with virtual support, didactic lectures from international faculty, and a hands-on component by Nepalese faculty. The Nepalese providers underwent training in these courses and then held further training in five collaborating centers across Nepal. Participants completed pre- and post-course knowledge assessments. The trainings were supplemented by the creation of a new Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) telementoring hub at Cancer Care Nepal. A capstone refresher course was held in November 2022. Results 42 participants attended the initial TOT course in 2019. The two follow-up TOT courses held in October/November 2021 were two days long and included providers from five participating regions in Nepal. The courses included virtual didactic sessions followed by hands-on stations led by the Nepalese faculty who had participated in the 2019 TOT course. The stations included: visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), colposcopy, thermal ablation, and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). There were 41 participants in the October/November TOT courses. The trainers who received the TOT education then conducted local courses of similar content in each of the five regions for 152 local providers. Participants had improved mean knowledge scores after the training (0.70, 95% CI=0.67-0.72) in comparison to prior to training (0.50, 95% CI=0.47-0.53), p<0.001. The program concluded with a capstone course in November 2022 attended by 26 participants. To date, 11 Project ECHO sessions have been held, with an average of 20 participants per session. Conclusions Nepal’s cervical cancer prevention program has increased the number of providers trained in cervical cancer prevention techniques. By increasing provider capacity, individuals will have increased access to cervical cancer screening and treatment of pre-invasive disease, hopefully decreasing the burden of cervical cancer in Nepal.

Content validation of needs assessment survey for remote education initiative in Tanzania

BackgroundHistorically, educational initiatives in global health have involved expert lectures by visitors. However, incomplete understanding of the target population and resources can limit the efficacy of lectures by international faculty. Little data exists on the magnitude of this problem. The goal of this study was to create and validate a needs assessment tool to guide lecture development as part of a larger study to implement virtual lectures for a residency program in Tanzania by members of an American faculty. MethodsTwo study authors familiar with the Tanzanian hospital and residency program derived surveys for local residents and faculty. An expert panel consisting of two faculty members and one resident from each institution evaluated the questions. Each item was rated from 1 to 4 for clarity and relevance respectively. A content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each item using the proportion of experts who rated it as valid. Items with a CVI < 0.8 were revised and resubmitted. A CVI was then calculated for each instrument. ResultsOn the initial resident survey, 20 of 26 items were clear and 25 of 26 items were relevant with a CVI > 0.8. One item was deemed irrelevant and deleted. For the faculty survey, 10 of 12 items were clear and all items were relevant with CVI > 0.8. Five questions from the resident survey and two from the faculty survey deemed relevant but unclear were rewritten and resubmitted to experts. They all achieved CVI>0.8. Each survey obtained a CVI of 1. ConclusionsUsing this approach, we validated a needs assessment tool to guide the creation of didactics for audiences that practice in a different setting from the lecturer. This validated tool is an important step in the creation of a process to develop appropriate content and could be replicated by other groups planning similar initiatives.

Neoliberalism, internationalization, Japanese exclusionism: the integration experiences of international academics at Japanese universities

ABSTRACT The study examines the role of neoliberalism, institutional internationalization, and Japanese exclusionism in shaping the academic environment of Japanese higher education institutions by exploring international academics’ integration experiences at Japanese universities. Specifically international academics’ perceptions of the academic environment, and their practical behaviors while integrating into Japanese universities were investigated via semi-structured interviews with 40 international faculty with various backgrounds. Employing Nvivo12, the interview data was managed based on a six-step thematic analysis procedure. Drawing on the integration experiences of international academics, the data analysis indicates that international academics perceived various subtle and overt constraints while integrating into Japanese universities, and they tend to seek private solutions to navigate their professional and social lives at Japanese universities. Moreover, although no differences in their practical behaviors were found, the study acknowledges the perceptual differences of the participants by suggesting that international academics, particularly those in the Humanities, those without previous experience in Japan, those who possess propaganda value due to their international appearance, and those who are not from countries that use Chinese characters, were more likely to perceive an integration deficit at Japanese universities. The research findings are indicative of the complex academic environment of Japanese HEIs caused by neoliberalism, institutional internationalization, and Japanese exclusionism, which is competitive, exclusionary, and pragmatic. Both theoretical and practical implications for policymakers, researchers, and university administrators are provided.

International faculty: exploring the relationship between on-campus support and off-campus integration

International faculty: exploring the relationship between on-campus support and off-campus integration

Exploring Compatibility Issues Between International Faculty and Their Host Environment: A Case of a Local National University in Japan

Purpose The number of international faculty members in universities is increasing worldwide, and Japan is no exception. However, despite this quantitative expansion, these faculty remain peripheral. Though recent studies have identified various challenges faced by international faculty, they have focused on international faculty's individual experiences and have lacked perspectives from the host institution. To more accurately understand the challenges facing international faculty, this study aims to uncover compatibility issues between these faculty and their host environment. Design/Approach/Methods In this study, I adopted a qualitative case study approach targeting a local national university in Japan. Seven international and six Japanese faculty members were interviewed. Findings The analysis revealed various issues underlying the problems faced by international faculty, including new challenges arising from recent national university reforms. The compatibility issues they experienced can be categorized into the following six areas: organizational goals, systems and practices for hiring and evaluating faculty, division of roles between international and Japanese faculty, organizational support for international faculty, organizational culture and atmosphere, and Japanese society's overall system and values. Originality/Value This study responds to a crucial academic need to understand the host institution's perspective on international faculty recruitment by providing new evidence of the challenges facing international faculty and their host institution in a low-resource environment in the midst of reforms.

Compliment Response Strategies in Institutional Discourse within an Emirati Context: Focus on Power and Gender Differences in University Student-Professor Exchanges in English

Background: Context plays a significant role in effective communication. Among various aspects of context, culture is particularly important since it necessitates that language be used effectively so that a specific purpose can be achieved successfully. One key element of such communication is the effective use of speech acts including compliment and compliment responses (CR).&#x0D; Aim: This research aimed to identify the CR strategies produced by Emirati users of English in a university setting, as a response to a compliment received from an international professor on their academic performance and the psychological effect such a compliment is likely to have on them. It also investigated the influence of gender on CR strategies.&#x0D; Methodology: The data were collected using a discourse completion task. Fifty-eight students (33 male and 25 female) participated in the study. The CR strategies were analyzed using Holmes' (1988) classification scheme.&#x0D; Results: The results showed that a compliment from a professor, irrespective of his/her gender, would make the students happy, with positive effects on their motivation, self-confidence, and feeling of closeness to the professor. The students also thought a CR was necessary for politeness purposes. The most commonly used CR strategy was that of acceptance. The male and the female students produced similar CR strategies in responding to the professor, irrespective of his/her gender. Yet they were more likely to use micro-level strategies (e.g., appreciation token, comment, and promise) with the male professor. The students also used downgrading and disagreeing but only while responding to the male professor. In their conversation with the female professor, they used the strategies of shifting credit and requesting reassurance.&#x0D; Significance: These results provide evidence for the face-enhancing nature of CR strategies as utilized by Emirati users of English with international faculty in a university setting.

Использование элементов традиционной культуры в работе с конфликтностью в поликультурной студенческой группе

The current political situation emphasizes the necessity to maintain the image of the country, Russian culture and language, Russian-language education in the world. In the conditions of the educational process of the university, the problem of maintaining motivation to study among students of the international faculty, which directly depends on the atmosphere in the student group, is topical. The article reflects the results of the research aimed at approbation of the program of work with students of international faculty based on the application of elements of traditional cultures (traditional and folk games, communicative norms and traditions, elements of folk folklore, etc.) as a tool to overcome tension and conflict in student groups studying Russian as a foreign language. The method of questionnaire survey, psychological testing, and expert evaluations were used to assess conflict and distance. Conclusions: the organization of work with students of the international faculty within the framework of the psychological service of the university has its own specificity, different from the work with Russian-speaking students; the use of elements of traditional culture (traditional and folk games, communicative norms and traditions, elements of folk folklore, etc.) is appropriate for solving the problems of psychological support of foreign students during the period of study.

Neurosurgical Education in Tanzania: The Dar es Salaam Global Neurosurgery Course

Postgraduate neurosurgical training is essential to develop a neurosurgical workforce with the skills and knowledge to address patient needs for neurosurgical care. In Tanzania, the number of neurosurgeons and neurosurgical services offered have expanded in the past 40 years. Training opportunities within the country, however, are not sufficient to meet the needs of residents, specialists, and nurses in neurosurgery, forcing many to train outside the country incurring associated costs and burdens. We report on the Dar es Salaam Global Neurosurgery Course, which aims to provide local training to neurosurgical health care providers in Tanzania and surrounding countries. We report the experience of the Global Neurosurgery Course held in March 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We describe the funding, planning, organization, and teaching methods along with participant and faculty feedback. The course trained 121 participants with 63 faculty-42 from Tanzania and 21 international faculty. Training methods included lectures, hands-on surgical teaching, webinars, case discussions, surgical simulation, virtual reality, and bedside teaching. Although there were challenges with equipment and Internet connectivity, participant feedback was positive, with overall improvement in knowledge reported in all topics taught during the course. International collaboration can be successful in delivering topic-specific training that aims to address the everyday needs of surgeons in their local setting. Suggestions for future courses include increasing training on allied topics to neurosurgery and neurosurgical subspecialty topics, reflecting the growth in neurosurgical capacity and services offered in Tanzania.

When educators are locked down: transitioning an international faculty development program from in-person to online during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced international faculty development programs in medical education to forgo in-person activities and transition to online learning. We sought to examine changes in international medical educators' evaluations of our faculty development program as it transitioned due to the pandemic. Methods: We compared survey responses from participants in our International Medical Educators Program between 2019 (in-person) and 2020 (online). The 43-item survey addressed aspects such as program evaluation and self-assessment of curriculum development and teaching skills. We analyzed data using t-tests to compare means and chi-square test for categorical variables, and performed thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Results: We found that trainees in both cohorts rated the program highly with regard to overall program quality and self-assessed learning outcomes, but the 2019 group reported stronger relationships with peers and instructors. Some scores for self-assessed outcomes were lower for the 2020 class, but no statistically significant differences were found in pre- and post- training scores between the two cohorts. Four themes emerged from the feedback: positive program utility, IMEP as an example of good curriculum design, timing issues, and online learning environment challenges. Conclusions: Despite pandemic challenges, the transition to online faculty development was favorably evaluated, with high confidence in the applicability of learned skills. Future efforts should focus on fostering community and optimizing interaction times to enhance learning experiences. The study contributes insights for global medical education communities in pandemic circumstances.

Advocacy at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) will be held in Washington DC, USA, from Saturday, 26 August, 2023 to Friday, 1 September, 2023, inclusive. The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be the largest and most comprehensive scientific meeting dedicated to paediatric and congenital cardiac care ever held. At the time of the writing of this manuscript, The Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery has 5,037 registered attendees (and rising) from 117 countries, a truly diverse and international faculty of over 925 individuals from 89 countries, over 2,000 individual abstracts and poster presenters from 101 countries, and a Best Abstract Competition featuring 153 oral abstracts from 34 countries. For information about the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, please visit the following website: [www.WCPCCS2023.org]. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the activities related to global health and advocacy that will occur at the Eighth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.Acknowledging the need for urgent change, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring a common voice to the global community and issue the Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action on Addressing the Global Burden of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Diseases. A copy of this Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is provided in the Appendix of this manuscript. This Washington DC WCPCCS Call to Action is an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the global burden, promoting the development of sustainable care systems, and improving access to high quality and equitable healthcare for children with heart disease as well as adults with congenital heart disease worldwide.

Local Bilingual Teachers and International Teachers in China: Disparities in Employability and Work Experience

“Despite the division of work in subjects, wages vary dramatically for local and foreign teachers. Foreign teachers are generally paid more than double the amount of the local bilingual teacher’s wage” (School Headmaster, personal communication, August 10, 2020). With practical evidence of disparities and unequal treatment between international and local bilingual teachers, there is urgent need to address this issue because discrimination against local bilingual teachers and other unfair treatment violates teachers’ rights, since any inequalities based on race, ethnicity, or opportunities tend to challenge people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth (The United Nations, 2017). Additionally, Kohli’s (2014) study provides evidence that learners existing in an environment where disparities are in place might observe them and become negatively impacted in the future. If these students go on to become teachers, internalized inequalities could influence their teaching, and thus inequalities are reproduced and inherited in educational settings, jeopardizing social progress and justice. With the prevalence of international schools and Chinese-English bilingual programs over the last two decades, a huge body of bilingual teachers across China are victimized, demanding for a scrutiny of the status quo (Gao &amp; Wang, 2017). Unfortunately, current academic discourse is paying insufficient attention to the issue, focusing mainly on bilingual education typologies, the development of Chinese-English bilingual education, and teacher collaboration between Chinese and international faculty, albeit the issue’s importance and urgency. The purposes of this study lie greatly in the absence of relevant discussion of the problem. I aim to strengthen the knowledge base in the academic literature about Chinese-English bilingual education and to arise people’s awareness of racial and linguistic equities by revealing possible disparities between teachers and promoting justice for employees in Chinese-English high school level bilingual programs. To serve the above purposes, this study investigates the differences in recruitment processes and daily work experience between international and local bilingual teachers based on Phillipson’s (1992) concept of linguistic imperialism.

Exploring Teaching and Research Practices During Cross-Cultural Collaboration: A Self-Study of Two Facilitator’s Involvement in an International Faculty Development Program

ABSTRACT This self-study focuses on two teacher educators’ (from the United States) exploration and examination – with the help of two critical friends (faculty from China) – of the benefits and challenges associated with cross-cultural collaboration. The teacher educators designed and implemented a virtual collaborative cross-cultural, fifteen-week faculty development experience for thirty-two faculty members from six private universities located in China. The virtual experience assisted the faculty participants in being better equipped to implement hybrid teaching and learning. Our overarching goal with this self-study was to better understand ourselves as teacher educators who provide faculty development and conduct research. We share our self-study findings that we categorized into three main areas: a) improving the understanding of one’s teaching practices b) navigating the tensions associated with delivering virtual professional development across different cultures, and c) realizations about collaborative research among higher education faculty from different cultures.

Critical race pedagogy at a crossroads: accusations of reverse discrimination against international non-White faculty in the Trump era and beyond

ABSTRACT The authors aim to illustrate the vernacular notion of reverse discrimination in higher education in the Trump era and beyond. While mapping out how a Whiteness affect morphs from White fragility to victimhood, the study uses Critical Race Theory to examine the discourse of reverse discrimination in a predominately White institution. The authors interrogate accusations of reverse discrimination against international non-White faculty, examining them as attempts to sustain White supremacy. Deploying an autoethnographic approach to critically untangling our racially charged experiences, the study engages in dialogue with critical race educators in support of a liberatory potential in education.