International Teaching Research Articles

Roles of International Teachers in the Internationalization of Chinese Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective

In the context of economic globalization, cultural exchanges are becoming more and more frequent, and more and more international teachers come to China to teach. Using qualitative data collected from a university in Beijing, this study explored the international teachers’ roles perceived by school administrators, students, and international teachers in the internationalization of Chinese higher education. Results indicate that international teachers play an important role in promoting higher education internationalization in China by serving as the backbones of the teaching process. They also act as walking billboards of internationalization and bridges facilitating communication with international students. However, the cognitive differences between international teachers and students regarding teaching, coupled with administrators’ lack of understanding of international teachers’ professional needs, hinder the teachers from fulfilling their roles and seeking continuing development. This study provides a new analytical perspective on the role of international teachers, exploring their role from the perspectives of students, school administrators and international teachers themselves, presenting practical recommendations to enhance international teachers’ roles and providing suggestions such as cooperation model between international teachers and domestic teachers for future research, which may help managers of high education institutions to find the reason why they should introduce many international teachers and what kind of kind of teachers they should introduce to develop education internationalization.

Professional Identity of Filipino English Teachers Teaching International Students in a Global City in the Philippines

Professional Identity of Filipino English Teachers Teaching International Students in a Global City in the Philippines

On the effects of Erasmus+ KA 1 mobilities for continuing professional development in teachers’ biographies: A qualitative research approach with teachers in Portugal

For several years, the European Commission has been investing in transnational mobility projects, namely Erasmus+, for the continuing professional development of teaching and non-teaching staff of schools for the sole purpose of improving the quality of education, as well as to establish networks of communications where teachers and schools can share their best practices and experiences. Although necessarily nestled in a proactive and positive school culture, these projects also have an impact on teachers professionally, but also on a personal level. This article therefore aims at studying how these international teacher professional development experiences change teachers’ biographies and their narrative expressions and possibly transform how they identify themselves personally, as European citizens, and professionally as European teachers. Empirical data collected through a multiple case study in Portugal appears to confirm that a considerable shift in professional and personal identity occurs through the participation of Erasmus+ KA1 projects for teacher professional development.

My most intense years: An autoethnographic analysis of language teacher identities and emotions of one dissertating (adjunct) language instructor

AbstractRevisiting his dissertation journal, the author undertook an autoethnographic study of that period in his life. As a full‐time student within a U.S. research university, he had funded his studies by teaching international teaching assistants and undergraduates learning French and Arabic. In this study, he used inductive analysis to explore his language teacher identity (De Costa & Norton, 2017) and language teacher emotion (Han et al., 2023). Three identities and two emotions emerged: a challenged time manager (1) and an aspiring professional instructor (2), and the related emotions of pride in observing his former students and efficacy in bridging his teaching undergraduates and grad students. Nonetheless, managing these roles sensitized him to (adjunct) coworkers' cynicism. He started to become a cynic (3), bringing emotion labor (Benesch & Prior, 2023). Findings confirmed language teacher emotion as relational and conjoined to language teacher identity. This study urges the field of Applied Linguistics to rectify its past omissions by acknowledging today's “invisible practitioners”: adjuncted language instructors.

A tabletop exercise approach to global disaster preparedness: insights from Nepal's first international conference on disaster preparedness and management.

Considering recent earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster preparedness has come to the forefront of the public health agenda in Nepal. To strengthen the developing health system, many initiatives are being implemented at different levels of society to build resiliency, one of which is through training and education. The first International Conference on Disaster Preparedness and Management convened in Dhulikhel, Nepal on December 1-3, 2023. It brought together international teaching faculty to help deliver didactic and simulation-based sessions on various topics pertaining to disaster preparedness and management for over 140 Nepali healthcare professionals. This paper focuses on the tabletop exercise-based longitudinal workshop portion of the conference on disaster leadership and communication, delivered by United States-based faculty. It delves into the educational program and curriculum, delivery method, Nepali organizer and US facilitator reflections, and provides recommendations for such future conferences, and adaptation to other settings.

The good teacher's Odyssey

The manifestation of the good teacher is a contested discourse within international teacher education. The construct of good teacher emerges from research into teacher education and focuses on teacher quality and effectiveness [42]. While there is significant policy work internationally about the performativity and effectiveness of teachers' practice, there is limited research into the formation of a good teacher using a reflexive methodology. This paper reports on case studies of three Australian schools that comprise qualitative semi-structured interviews with ten beginning teachers. This study uses the construct of “a good teacher” to assess the contextual and professional factors that create good teaching. These case studies have been textually analysed for themes that inform the transition to teaching and ongoing construction of professional identity. The barriers and enablers to the development of good teaching are explored in this paper using Mockler's [20] epistemological framework that recognizes socio-cultural, personal and professional factors in the construction of good teaching. The study reveals the complexity of factors that influence the creation of a good teacher.

Developing critical consciousness for culturally responsive teaching: an international teacher exchange program

ABSTRACT The increasing diversity of the student population in classrooms across the United States demands the adoption of pedagogical principles based on the concept of culturally responsive teaching. This study adopts the notion that culturally responsive teaching only becomes possible when teachers implement self-reflection and critical consciousness. Using a qualitative approach, the authors aimed at examining the effects of an international professional development experience on a group of elementary teachers from the United States and Costa Rica with a focus on their perceptions about linguistic and cultural diversity in schools. The analysis of the interviews and reflective journal entries revealed that participation in an international teacher exchange program prompted participants to examine their personal beliefs about education and question, not only their own instructional practices, but also broader school systems and policies related to language, culture, and ethnicity.

STRATEGIES FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH WORLD-CLASS PARTNERS TO ACHIEVE PIONEERS OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Introduction: Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has a vision of "World Reputable University and Pioneer of Educational Excellence with Conservation Insight". The field of Partnership has an important role in the strategy of realizing the vision and mission of Universitas Negeri Semarang in achieving its strategic goals. Partnership at UNNES in its implementation includes planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and control. Practical implementation of international Partnership by promoting innovative products and services owned by strategic partners through exposure visits to partners, websites, social media, and other media, forming a task force to initiate and promote, as well as assisting the implementation process of Partnership through a partnership implementation and commercialization assistance team to world-renowned partners. Method: This research employs a qualitative approach. A literature review of sources related to the collaborative efforts between universities and partners at the national and international levels serves as the primary data source for the researcher. Results: Internationalization strategies can be implemented by providing international experience and competence in collaborative research and learning. Development towards internationalization with various methods, namely providing international teaching certificates, curriculum, planning, implementation process, and learning assessment. Partnership with reputable partners connects students and alumni with international partners to get experience and work in their fields of education and expertise. Conclusion: Practical implementation of international Partnership by promoting innovative products and services owned by strategic partners through exposure visits to partners, websites, social media, and other media, forming a task force to initiate and promote, as well as assisting the implementation process of Partnership through a partnership implementation and commercialization assistance team to world-renowned partners.

A host community’s experiences of an international teaching practicum: “They taught … and they left”

ABSTRACT This collaborative international study centres the perspectives of a Kenyan host community on a recurring international teaching practicum from Canada. Although there was general community support for the international practicum, the visiting groups’ knowledge and decision-making were prioritized and preferentially benefitted some community members. Interculturality theory and the African philosophy of Ubuntu were used as complementary frameworks to challenge the dominance of Global-North practices that positioned the Kenyan community as recipients relying on the goodwill of their external benefactors – namely, the practicum group and the non-governmental organization that facilitated the placement. We propose a reciprocity framework to counter capitalist discourses that direct powerful psychic desires for education and development into alignment with post-colonial ideals. Engaging with the dreams and desires of local peoples, we posit that thinking in terms of reciprocity can provide a practical, interdependent, and mutually beneficial approach to the planning and implementation of international teaching practicums.

Exploring teacher identity development: Asian teaching assistants' experience at a U.S. university

AbstractThis study explored the teacher identity development of Asian teaching assistants (ATA) at a U.S. university. The researchers used a qualitative design with two semi‐structured interviews with each of the three participants. Findings suggest that ATAs were unprepared for racial diversity and experienced anti‐Asian sentiment in the classroom during the COVID‐19 pandemic. They struggled to make sense of the content of the courses they were teaching due to a lack of systematic training. Some constructed teacher identity through a challenging process: moving from being self‐doubting, nervous, and frustrated to being comfortable, confident, and even creative. The findings suggest that universities should pay attention to the preparation of international teaching assistants (ITA) for teaching in a multicultural U.S. context with unfamiliar student expectations for teaching and learning.

Connecting collaborative practicums to beliefs: The development of nonnative student teachers’ self-efficacy in native-nonnative trainee collaboration

This qualitative study aimed to fill a research gap by examining the development of self-efficacy beliefs among nonnative-speaking student teachers (NNSTs) in teaching languages other than English. Situated in an international teacher education program for Chinese as a second/foreign language, this study explored the impacts of collaborative practicums on the self-efficacy beliefs of 17 NNSTs while they worked with 28 native-speaking student teachers (NSTs). The collaborative tasks included peer discussions, microteaching, peer observations, and peer feedback. The NNSTs' reflective essays were collected as primary data, supplemented by peer discussion and microteaching videos and peer feedback questionnaires. Using a qualitative methodology that integrated emotion coding and thematic analysis, the study revealed that all four tasks positively influenced NNSTs' self-efficacy beliefs by satisfying their professional engagement intentions. However, tasks involving verbal interactions between NNSTs and NSTs had adverse effects on NNSTs' self-efficacy beliefs, attributed to the limited academic language proficiency of NNSTs and the unsympathetic reactions and linguistic superiority displayed by NSTs. Finally, a three-phase collaborative practicum framework was proposed for language teacher education programs involving mixed native and nonnative trainee groups. This framework highlights the importance of developing inclusive interventions to foster the mutual recognition of nonnative-speaking teachers' values.

Motivational drivers and Sense of Belonging: unpacking the persistence in Chinese Martial Arts practice among international practitioners.

Chinese Martial Arts (CMAs) have garnered a global following, with their rich historical and cultural heritage transcending geographical and cultural differences, sparking profound interest among an international community. As an increasing number of non-Chinese individuals persist in practicing CMAs, investigating the motivations behind their continued participation has emerged as a compelling question. This study aims to delve deeper into the factors driving international practitioners to sustain their practice of CMAs, thereby broadening our understanding of the global resonance of CMAs. Employing Self-Determination Theory, 226 international CMAs practitioners completed the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale, Perceived Belonging Scale, and Persistence in Practicing CMAs Scale. SPSS 20.0 was utilized for conducting descriptive statistics, common method bias tests, and correlation analyses. Structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 26.0. Motivation for Practicing CMAs, comprised of enjoyment, mastery, physical condition, psychological condition, and appearance, has a positive impact on Persistence in Practicing CMAs (β = 0.297, p < 0.01). Sense of Belonging also positively affects Persistence in Practicing CMAs (β = 0.268, p < 0.01). The aforementioned variables account for 22.1% of the variance in Persistence in Practicing CMAs. Furthermore, Affiliation, Competition/Ego, and Others' Expectations were found to have no significant correlation with Persistence in Practicing CMAs. The formation of persistence in the practice of CMAs among international practitioners is propelled by their ongoing desire for skill mastery, enjoyment, enhanced physical and mental health, body shape improvement, and a Sense of Belonging. The study reveals that a stronger motivation and Sense of Belonging significantly enhance their commitment to CMAs. Recommendations include that international instructors should center their teaching strategies around the practitioners, helping them to find joy in their practice, achieve skill mastery, and foster the development of physical, mental, and aesthetic qualities, alongside virtues and etiquette. Additionally, building a supportive CMAs community and cultivating a sense of ritual are essential. Such strategies are intended to reinforce practitioners' self-affirmation and group identity, thus boosting their Sense of Belonging and encouraging their continued engagement in CMAs.

Factors influencing perseverance in teaching Chinese martial arts abroad: a self-determination theory perspective among international instructors.

The global dissemination of Chinese martial arts (CMAs), transcends mere physical activity; it represents a cultural and philosophical journey that contributes to enhanced psychological well-being. Capturing international attention, CMAs have engendered a network of global instructors committed to their cross-cultural teaching. However, the narrative of CMAs across the globe is incomplete without understanding the psychological factors that fuel the perseverance of these international instructors. Their relentless commitment, motivated by factors beyond the cultural and geographical barriers, poses a unique question: What motivates these instructors to persist in teaching CMAs in the face of such challenges? The study aims to uncover the key motivational mechanisms that influence the perseverance of international CMAs instructors in their teaching endeavors. Employing Self-Determination Theory, 147 international CMAs instructors completed the Motivation for Teaching CMAs Scale, Perceived Belonging Scale, and Perseverance in Teaching CMAs Scale. SPSS 20.0 was utilized for conducting descriptive statistics, common method bias tests, and correlation analyses. Structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 26.0. Autonomous Motivation positively affected perseverance in teaching CMAs (β = 0.369, b = 0.465, t = 4.232, p < 0.001). In contrast, Amotivation negatively affected perseverance (β = -0.323, b = -0.382, t = -3.561, p < 0.001). Neither Controlled Motivation nor Sense of Belonging significantly affected perseverance. The model explained 27.9% of the variance in perseverance, offering insights into the motivational mechanisms influencing international CMAs instructors. This study concludes that the perseverance of international instructors in teaching CMAs is primarily driven by overcoming amotivation and fostering autonomous motivation, rather than short-term internal or external incentives, which appear ineffective. Additionally, sense of belonging to their CMA school does not significantly influence their perseverance, potentially due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of the instructors surveyed. The findings suggest that by enhancing the recognition and acceptance of CMAs' core philosophies and values, aligning teaching practices with personal and cultural values, and fostering a profound passion for CMAs, international instructors could boost their autonomous motivation, which is crucial for their sustained commitment in promoting CMAs globally.

One Course, Two Approaches:

International Teaching Assistants (ITA’s) are critical to North American campuses. While studies have explored their experiences in through ITA training courses, research has overlooked the experiences of ITA educators. A multiple case study examined three ITA educators’ ideologies, gathering data from two interviews -one stimulated recall using classroom observations fieldnotes, syllabi, assignments, and feedback. Two incompatible sets of ideologies were found being implemented: one oriented learners to undergraduate classrooms, and one towards required language testing. Employment frustrations and cynicism impacted each instructor. Findings highlight the ethical complexities of language teaching. Programs must scrutinize the role of language testing within ITA training and examination support available to ITA educators. This novel study, focusing on the often-overlooked ITA educator, situated their ideologies adjacent to their identities, and using methodological innovations. Future work is needed to elucidate how ITA educators’ identities and ideologies impact ITA’s learning experience and academic or professional trajectories.

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.

Internationalisation of teaching, learning, and the curriculum in context: Emerging perspectives and new possibilities

The conceptualisation of internationalisation of the curriculum has evolved over the last 30 years. Simultaneously, its contextual foundation has also gradually shifted from being Euro-centric to encompass a broader landscape beyond the Western domain. Therefore, understanding of Internationalisation of the curriculum needs to include practices in these contexts. This special issue hence has invited researchers and practitioners in the field of higher education internationalisation to participate in this conversation. The focus of the discussion is on emerging and alternative understanding and practices of internationalising the curriculum which include incorporating local cultural values and perspectives in the curriculum. This Special Issue features articles that firmly situate the Internationalisation of teaching, learning, and the curriculum in their specific contexts and acknowledge the influence of important contextual factors on the motivations, processes, and outcomes of internationalisation. Closely associated with taking an inclusive lens in understanding internationalisation of the curriculum, we also discuss the inclusivity of communicating research in this field. Specifically, we discuss the challenges encountered by scholars working outside the English-speaking domain to communicate their research with English-speaking research communities. We hence call for support for international academics from the publication outlets. We hope that this Special Issue constitutes a step towards a more diverse and inclusive scholarship in the field of internationalisation in higher education.

Comparison and Analysis of Chinese Language Teachers and International Chinese Teachers: A Case Study

In recent years, with the increasing influence of international Chinese education, some Chinese language teachers have also begun to engage in the work of international Chinese teachers. To address the various issues that may arise when Chinese language teachers transition to international Chinese teachers, this study adopts a case-comparison method. It involves interviewing both Chinese language teachers and international Chinese teachers, observing and evaluating their teaching, and then processing and analyzing the data. Based on the findings, the study provides insights and suggestions for teachers before and after taking up their international teaching positions, which are of positive significance for the construction of the team of international Chinese teachers.

INTERNSHIP FOR MASTER STUDENTS OF ALTAI STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY AS ONE OF THE WAYS FOR DEVELOPING CULTURE-LANGUAGE COMPETENCE

The article presents the experience of the Altai State Pedagogical University in organizing and conducting internships for magistrates studying in the direction of “Pedagogical education: Russian philology with the study of the language and literature of the host country”. Language and culture competence in the development of the competency model of an international teacher is identified as one of the key competences; its development takes place both during the period of theoretical preparation, educational practice preceding the internship, and during the internship in the Republic of Tajikistan, during Russian language and literature lessons and extracurricular activities.

Participants’ perceptions of video-enhanced dialogic assessment as reflective practice in international teacher education

ABSTRACT Initial teacher education in England is characterised by lesson observation and assessment of teaching evidence against criterion-referenced teachers’ standards. In UK-based international teacher training, these situated practices are more challenging because of staff and trainees working in different time zones. In 2020, COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented assessors visiting trainees in international schools. Assessment therefore moved to a video-enhanced dialogic assessment process (VEDA), incorporating video-enhanced lesson observation and feedback, along with a dialogic online interview and evaluation of a digital portfolio of evidence. A first cycle of action research carried out in parallel to the change in provision gathered participants’ perceptions from recordings. These are themed around the way that technology supported reflection during assessment, and the holistic nature of this approach. Findings suggest that video-enhanced dialogic assessment allows for a deep and authentic assessment experience, and is a better fit as a reflective pedagogy for assessing teachers than the pre-pandemic approach.

Internationalization of higher education research in the Greater Bay Area of China: Building capacities, alleviating asymmetries

AbstractInternationalization is known to enhance university capacities in cross‐border learning and encourage institutional transformations for improved quality of scholarship and education. Studies on internationalization of research and teaching are, however, under‐problematized with regard to asymmetries that pervade different collaborating systems and cultures. This paper addresses this gap by elucidating asymmetries in the Greater Bay Area of China (GBA), which is dealing with differences in legacies and experiences of internationalization in university research and teaching. At a time when the governments in the three constituent jurisdictions of GBA—Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and Macao SAR—encourage universities to collaborate across jurisdictional borders, this study applies a bibliographic analysis to shed light on asymmetries and mitigation strategies in internationalization of research and teaching.