Showing papers in "Journal of Studies in International Education in 2014"
TL;DR: The authors see higher education as a process of self-formation within conditions of disequilibrium in which student subjects manage their lives reflexively, fashioning their own changing identities, albeit under social circumstances largely beyond their control.
Abstract: In research in cross-cultural psychology, international education is largely understood as an “adjustment” to host country norms and institutions, a notion that prioritizes social order and stability. The student is seen as in deficit in relation to these norms. The student’s home country identity becomes seen as a barrier to be broken down. In contrast, this article sees higher education, and within that international education, as a process of self-formation within conditions of disequilibrium in which student subjects manage their lives reflexively, fashioning their own changing identities, albeit under social circumstances largely beyond their control. International students form their self-trajectories somewhere between home country identity (which continues to evolve in the country of education), host country identity, and a larger set of cosmopolitan options. In piloting their pathways they draw on multiple identities and fashion new forms of hybrid identity. The article highlights the need for int...
309 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined undergraduate students' participation in study abroad and on-campus global/international activities within nine large public research universities in the United States and found that participation in activities related to internationalization at home may yield greater perceived benefits than study abroad for students' development of global, international, and intercultural competencies.
Abstract: Colleges and universities are increasingly internationalizing their curricular and cocurricular efforts on campuses; subsequently, it is important to compare whether internationalization at home activities may be associated with students' self-reported development of global, international, and intercultural (GII) competencies. This study examined undergraduate students' participation in study abroad and on-campus global/ international activities within nine large public research universities in the United States. Framed within several intercultural development theories, the results of this study suggest that students' participation in activities related to internationalization at home—participation in on-campus global/international activities such as enrollment in global/international coursework, interactions with international students, and participation in global/international cocurricular activities—may yield greater perceived benefits than study abroad for students' development of GII competencies.
280 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employed experimental designs adequate for documenting the value added of studying abroad; that is, learning outcomes above and beyond that which may be achieved in domestic or trai...
Abstract: Few studies have employed experimental designs adequate for documenting the value added of studying abroad; that is, learning outcomes above and beyond that which may be achieved in domestic or tra...
184 citations
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that international students are not actively engaged as cultural resources although they would like to do more to help others learn about their countries and cultures, and that the level of desired engagement as a cultural resource was the highest among South and Central American students, and the lowest among European students.
Abstract: This study used a cross-sectional survey to examine the perceptions of undergraduate and graduate international students enrolled at a public university in the Midwest, regarding international students’ perspectives on how their university engages them as cultural resources, and how such engagement might impact students’ perceptions of the value they receive from U.S. higher education. The data suggest that international students are not actively engaged as cultural resources although they would like to do more to help others learn about their countries and cultures. The level of desired engagement as a cultural resource was the highest among South and Central American students, and the lowest among European students. The study identifies multiple areas of opportunities for higher education to facilitate international students’ active contributions to the university’s strategic goal of global engagement and internationalization while also positively impacting the manner in which international students per...
109 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a push-pull model is developed to identify the factors relating to the three-phase model of study abroad decision-making process, while the analytic hierarchy process method is used to examine the relative importance of these factors.
Abstract: Previous studies on the field of education abroad have mainly focused on the factors influencing the mobility of international students from developing to developed countries and very few have been conducted to investigate the factors influencing the flow of international students to the Asia Pacific region. As a piece of country-specific research, this study, with an attempt to explore why and how international students travel to Taiwan for the purpose of study and to describe possible implications for the authorities and institutions offering higher education, is timely and worthwhile. A push–pull model is developed to identify the factors relating to the three-phase model of study abroad decision-making process, while the analytic hierarchy process method is used to examine the relative importance of these factors. The findings of this study suggest that policy makers and institutional administrators should focus on offering various kinds of scholarships for international students, designing multilingu...
86 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the underlying reasons that motivate mainland Chinese students to pursue postgraduation abroad and why these motivations motivate them to move across national borders has become common worldwide; however, the underlying motivation that motivates these students to seek post-graduation in foreign countries is not discussed.
Abstract: Mobility of mainland Chinese students across national borders has become common worldwide; however, the underlying reasons that motivate these students to pursue postgraduation abroad and why these...
81 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the crucial role of place in the study destination choices of a group of international postgraduate students currently enrolled at a Malaysian university has been explored in a semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 33 students.
Abstract: The scholarly bias toward Western and English-speaking settings in the study of international education overlooks the experiences of international students in emerging education hubs in Asia. To redress this imbalance, this article offers insights into the crucial role of place in the study destination choices of a group of international postgraduate students currently enrolled at a Malaysian university. Findings from semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 33 students indicated that place—and specifically the pull factors of the country of Malaysia—had a primary role in their choice of overseas university. More significant than the individual attributes of any one higher education institution, key social and cultural pull factors included the sense of Malaysia as a safe environment, shared cultural values with the students’ own background, the financial benefits derived from low tuition fees and low cost of living, proximity to the students’ home country as well as access to culturally impo...
78 citations
TL;DR: This paper conducted an intensive longitudinal multiple case study that explores eight American students' intercultural experiences and the impacts of such experiences on individual identity during their study in a Chinese university in 2010.
Abstract: The number of international students in China is increasing rapidly, but their experiences in China remain largely unknown. This article reports an intensive longitudinal multiple case study that explores eight American students’ intercultural experiences and the impacts of such experiences on individual identity during their study in a Chinese university in 2010. Data come from monthly interviews and diaries that the students kept. Findings support Kim’s depiction of the processes by which intercultural identity emerges, notably the stress–adaptation–growth cycle and the concurrent processes of acculturation and deculturation. These findings reveal the journey of participants from cultural naivety to an emergent intercultural awareness and cultural critical capacity. Despite considerable ignorance and misunderstanding about China as an exotic “other” at the beginning of the program, all participants underwent some degree of cultural identity shift toward the more “open-ended . . . self–other orientation”...
66 citations
TL;DR: This paper studied Chinese students' choice of transnational higher education in the context of higher education market, through a case study of the students in the transnational high education market and found that Chinese students preferred transnational education over domestic higher education.
Abstract: This research studies Chinese students’ choice of transnational higher education in the context of the higher education market. Through a case study of the students in the transnational higher educ...
64 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight a number of ways in which policies designed to control international student numbers has had the effect of creating conditions in which the domestic students have in turn been privileged and disadvantaged.
Abstract: The internationalization of tertiary education has given rise to student mobility of industrial proportions and affects and is affected by, national economies. Currently British universities are host to the second highest number of international students in the world; the proportionality of international students in the student body in UK higher education (HE) is also the second highest globally.Over the decades the British government has declined to link policy and practice on international student issues, rather, has taken a stance which presented a view of the country’s role in overseas student affairs that reflected imperialist, postcolonial, international, and global perspectives, invariably mirroring the political complexion of the day. The article highlights a number of ways in which policies designed to control international student numbers has had the effect of creating conditions in which the domestic students have in turn been privileged and disadvantaged. Using a historical perspective to inte...
58 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the impact of two group selection methods on how students from diverse cultural backgrounds build learning and work relations, using an innovative quantitative method of Social Network Analysis in a pre-post test manner.
Abstract: When students can self-select their group members, a common assumption is that students prefer to select friends from similar cultural backgrounds. However, when teachers randomize students in groups from different cultural backgrounds, students are “forced” to work together. The prime goal of this study is to understand the impact of two group selection methods on how students from diverse cultural backgrounds build learning and work relations, using an innovative quantitative method of Social Network Analysis in a pre–post test manner. In a quasi-experimental study of 2 × 69 students, in one condition the students were randomly allocated to groups by staff and in the other, students were allowed to self-select their group members. The results indicate that students in the self-selected condition primarily selected their friends from a similar cultural background. The learning networks after 14 weeks were primarily predicted by the group allocation and initial friendships. However, students in the random...
TL;DR: Knowledge of how students perceive their development of intercultural competence (IC), one of several study abroad learning outcomes, is important for better understanding how learning occurs in st... as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Knowledge of how students perceive their development of intercultural competence (IC), one of several study abroad learning outcomes, is important for better understanding how learning occurs in st...
TL;DR: In this paper, an empirical study explores the current features of English-medium instructed master's degree programs for international students (EMIMDPs-ISs) in Chinese higher education.
Abstract: This empirical study explores the current features of English-medium instructed master’s degree programs for international students (EMIMDPs-ISs) in Chinese higher education. Since the mid-2000s, a significant number of Chinese universities have proactively engaged in establishing English-medium instructed degree programs for international students. Despite this growing phenomenon, little attention has been paid to this unique knowledge model. This study first examines relevant Chinese government policies and practices, exploring the rationale for the enhancement of EMIMDPs-ISs in current Chinese higher education. It then addresses the findings offered by four leading comprehensive Chinese universities on the case studies of the eight EMIMDPs-ISs in Chinese higher education. The Chinese government and leading Chinese universities have been making an extensive effort to boost China’s soft power through the enhancement of international student education objectives. Through an investigation on eight EMIMDPs-...
TL;DR: The authors analyze the U.S. media discourse on Chinese international undergraduate students, the largest international student group since 2009, and argue that this media reporting builds on long-standing seemingly contradictory images of an alluring China market and a threatening "Yellow Peril".
Abstract: In this article, we analyze the U.S. media discourse on Chinese international undergraduate students, the largest international student group since 2009. The discourse describes a market exchange, but reveals a struggle between: on the one hand, “a fair exchange”—between excellent Chinese students and world-class American liberal education; and, on the other hand, a “faltering exchange”—between ethically suspect and inassimilable Chinese students and a mercenary and possibly mediocre American university. We argue that this media reporting builds on long-standing seemingly contradictory images of an alluring China market and a threatening “Yellow Peril.” We suggest that this media contest indexes the challenges of campus internationalization; just as the media questions real value on both sides of the exchange, so too is the campus encounter fragile and fraught.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the motives of universities for establishing campuses abroad that deliver degree programs in languages other than English and examine the problems and issues experienced by these institutions and their future prospects.
Abstract: Although there seems to be a wide held assumption that transnational higher education programs have to be taught in English to be legitimate “international” programs, there are a few examples globally of international branch campuses that teach in languages other than English. Using seven institutional case studies from around the world, the research seeks to identify the motives of universities for establishing campuses abroad that deliver degree programs in languages other than English. The problems and issues experienced by these institutions are examined and their future prospects are considered. The main motives of the seven featured institutions for establishing campuses abroad were found to be altruistic rather than financial, but teaching in languages other than English presents advantages and disadvantages to institutions. In 2012, none of the seven institutions had more than 800 students although two institutions had been in existence for more than 16 years, indicating success at some level.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a model large-scale feasibility test for internationalization assessment through institutions' websites and assess internationalization using the proposed methodology in teachers' colleges in Israel.
Abstract: The international activities of academic institutions dramatically expanded in volume, scope, and complexity during the past three decades. This expansion raised the need to monitor and assess the process at various levels and ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of internationalization. This study has two main aims: first, to present a model large-scale feasibility test for internationalization assessment through institutions’ websites; and second, to assess internationalization using the proposed methodology in teachers’ colleges in Israel. A website-based analysis was combined with in-depth interviews with colleges’ leadership. The use of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through systematic assessment of 21 teachers’ colleges in Israel. The effect of contextual variables such as colleges’ size, location (national periphery vs. center), and educational stream (Jewish-Secular, Palestinian-Arab, and Jewish-Religious) on internationalization expression and intensity are presented and discussed in...
TL;DR: The authors suggests that as their internal labor markets become more multinational in scope, UK universities may acquire similar staffing characteristics to commercial multinational enterprises (MNEs) and concludes that although there are broad similarities in the challenges posed by international operations, there are also several key differences: universities lack the infrastructure to manage overseas staff requirements; have different approaches to career development; view the role of secondments differently; and have a different attitude to dealing with contingency.
Abstract: This article suggests that as their internal labor markets become more multinational in scope, UK universities may acquire similar staffing characteristics to commercial multinational enterprises (MNEs). Comparing evidence from four UK universities with several surveys of MNEs it concludes that, although there are broad similarities in the challenges posed by international operations, there are also several key differences: universities lack the infrastructure to manage overseas staff requirements; have different approaches to career development; view the role of secondments differently; and have a different attitude to dealing with contingency. It argues that, as the size and variety of overseas campuses expand, the staffing models applied in the early days of establishment will not work. If overseas developments are to become core functions of UK universities, mobility portfolios based simply on ad hoc secondments and business travel, international staff recruitment, and electronic communications will n...
TL;DR: This article conducted a longitudinal ethnographic research study on the intercultural transition experiences of 50 engineering students in a China-U.K. articulation program and reported some of the findings.
Abstract: This article reports some of the findings of a longitudinal ethnographic research study on the intercultural transition experiences of 50 engineering students in a China–U.K. articulation program. ...
TL;DR: The authors argue the renaming phenomenon reveals more about those attributing the labels than that which they name, and draw on positioning theory to argue renaming can be equated to reflexive positioning in the context of uneven distributions of power across contested storylines.
Abstract: Across the higher education sector international education has been described as experiencing a “crisis of identity.” The recent proliferation of new terms advanced to label “internationalization,” it has been suggested, represents little more than “tautology.” Here, we address questions posed by de Wit regarding this phenomenon: “Why is it new labels are emerging?” “What do they mean?” “How are they used?” And, “will they advance the debate on the future of internationalisation?” We argue the phenomenon of renaming highlights a deep unease among scholars and points to the need for further theoretical consideration of the subject/agent nexus in the context of internationalization. First, with Strauss (1997), we argue the renaming phenomenon reveals more about those attributing the labels than that which they name. Second, drawing on positioning theory we argue renaming “internationalization” can be equated to reflexive positioning in the context of uneven distributions of power across contested storylines. As such, current efforts to rename “internationalization” are not necessarily tautological; rather, they could be integral to systematic changes in understandings, activities, dispositions, and rationales across the higher education sector.
TL;DR: The authors examined the dynamics of brain circulation through a historical review of the debates over international migration of human capital and a case study on Chinese-Canadian academics, and found that Chinese-Canadians were more likely to migrate to Canada than other countries.
Abstract: This article examines the dynamics of brain circulation through a historical review of the debates over international migration of human capital and a case study on Chinese-Canadian academics. Inte...
TL;DR: The concept of internationalization has been seen as a buzz word and container concept The meaning of internationalisation includes everything that relates to international, meanwhile internationalization is losing its meaning as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The concept of internationalization has been seen as a buzz word and container concept The meaning of internationalization includes everything that relates to international, meanwhile internationalization is losing its meaning This study takes a practical approach to searching for some clarification of this concept During the period 2009-2011, 73 key actors in the field of internationalization at 16 Dutch higher education institutions (HEIs) were interviewed Among the 14 elements identified by this study as constituting the concept of internationalization, many may be commonly known However, the value of this study is that it ranks their significance and provides a sound base for further comparative studies in other countries Moreover, this study compares and contrasts the differing interpretations of what the pursuit of internationalization means in research universities and universities of applied sciences and concludes that internationalization is pursued differently in the two sectors and clarif
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the implications of organizational structure for academic freedom in teaching and research at the International Branch Campus (IBC) and found that over time as the IBC establishes its reputation locally, there is pressure for an increase in the academic freedom of academic staff.
Abstract: One significant form of transnational higher education is the International Branch Campus (IBC), in effect an “outpost” of the parent institution located in another country. Its organizational structure is alignable with offshore subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs). The implications of organizational structure for academic freedom in teaching and research are discussed in this article. Drawing on examples from the literature, the investigation shows that over time as the IBC establishes its reputation locally, there is pressure for an increase in the academic freedom of academic staff. Our study suggests that over time and depending on the strategic choice of the parent university, the maturity of the offshore institution can be reflected in the increased academic freedom afforded to academic staff. In the interim, the limits to academic freedom and organizational constraints to intercampus collegiality can often lead to conflict.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the development of Taiwan's international education hubs and highlighted the need to increase their global prominence as education hubs as well as the importance of Taiwan as an education hub.
Abstract: In recent decades many East Asian countries have initiated ambitious policies to increase their global prominence as education hubs. This article examines the development of Taiwan’s international ...
TL;DR: The study in one country to support the development of education in another is a regular event in the field of contemporary tertiary education, and it is likely to grow as developing countries acce... as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The study in one country to support the development of education in another is a regular event in the field of contemporary tertiary education, and it is likely to grow as developing countries acce...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined improved marriage opportunities as an unexplored motivator for pursuing international education via U.S. graduate engineering degrees and stressed the need to centralize gender equality.
Abstract: The article examines improved marriage opportunities as an unexplored motivator for pursuing international education via U.S. graduate engineering degrees and stresses the need to centralize gender...