Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Internationalisation of curriculum'

Internationalisation of the curriculum is a major issue for academics, administrators and policy makers in an era of market-driven changes affecting the higher education sector. It is a key program strategy within the wider activity of internationalisation of higher education. The latter is increasingly seen by policy makers and university administrators as driven by international student mobility and the need for revenue from international student fees. These are critical issues for universities in the globally competitive market environment.Despite its importance as a concept, it is not yet clear just what internationalisation of the curriculum means, or how it should be implemented. Thus it attracts a variety of perspectives and understandings. For example, it could be described simultaneously as a systemic reaction to the neo-liberal economic imperatives of marketisation and as an educational response to globalisation. One important outcome of the work described herein is the development of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum to assist and empower academics in providing international learning outcomes for their students.The literature review carried out as part of this study revealed that only a relatively small amount of research, evaluation and guidance on internationalisation of the curriculum has been published. It was also clear that very little is known about the ways in which academics and students experience internationalisation of the curriculum.The research reported herein was designed to fill this gap by documenting and analysing the staff and student experience. The research is therefore grounded in the interpretive paradigm and utilises case study method. Using the curricular areas of the Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalising the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997) as a framework, two summer study abroad programs and one global learning course at Australian and Singaporean universities were chosen for study. These programs were offered within science faculties however the curriculum for the study abroad programs included languages and commerce subjects. After data gathering the Presage, Process and Product structure of the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs, 2003) was used as an interpretive tool.The cross-case analysis surfaces common themes and highlights contradictions and tensions that were seen to lead to problems in practice. In particular, the two study abroad programs were found to be top-down and failed to offer students an authentic international learning opportunity. In contrast, the third case, a global learning course, was found to be both top-down and education-led and afforded a level of international engagement for students.Academic goodwill was found to be the most critical factor for success of internationalisation of the curriculum initiatives. Other factors that were found to have negative impacts include: the absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning internationalisation of the curriculum and curriculum planning; the non-alignment of assessment policy and practice across partner institutions; and the failure to develop student learning communities.From the themes identified in the cross case analysis a set of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum is offered by the author to help academics and administrators develop policy and a disciplinary vision for courses and programs that lead to international outcomes for students. These recommendations refer to the need for: theory-based, education-led models and disciplinary visions for internationalising the curriculum; equity of student access; student engagement within and across institutions; local and transnational student learning communities; policy-based procedures and professional development and support for academics.

This study explored curriculum developers’ experiences of developing and internationalising the nursing and midwifery curriculum in Brunei Darussalam (henceforth: ‘Brunei’), and students’ and graduates’ views of learning from the curriculum. The internationalisation of the curriculum, in education generally and health care and nursing in particular, has featured as a phenomenon in much global literature, describing attempts to ensure that curricula are fit for purpose, both to meet globally acceptable standards and accommodate an increasingly mobile workforce. A qualitative case study approach was used for the research. Data were collected from 34 participants (curriculum developers [n=17], students [n=8], graduates [n=9]) through semi-structured in-depth individual interviews. Qualitative data analysis used grounded theory principles and thematic analytic methods. Literature indicated that the evolution of the internationalisation of the nursing and midwifery curriculum in Brunei initially occurred due to the influence of the British over Brunei, from 1888 until 1983. The findings in this study showed that, in contemporary times, the integration of international perspectives into the curriculum has been culturally influenced whereby only perspectives considered as usable, culturally acceptable and applicable in Brunei would be selected for the curriculum. These international perspectives were further adapted to ensure relevancy to the Brunei context, in order to preserve its local identity. Data also indicated that curriculum users have contrasting perceptions on what constitutes relevance. Importantly students and graduates have particular views which characteristically were ignored in curriculum development. This study has implications for the development of an internationally oriented curriculum in nursing and midwifery which takes into account the cultural context of a specific country. Since there existed different perceptions of curriculum developers and those engaging with and learning through the curriculum, the study also points to a need to involve students in the curriculum design, an inclusion that is not apparently commonplace.

Curriculum internationalisation has been long associated with higher educational institutions (e.g. Knight, 2012, 2003; De Haan, 2013; Deardorff, de Wit & Heyl, 2012; Brewer, E. & Teekens, H., 2007; James, 2005; Wilkinson, 1998; Starr, 1979). However, globalisation and the growing interconnectedness of the world have led to the urgent need for internationalising the curriculum of national secondary education. Therefore, the importance of research in secondary education curriculum internationalisation has been recognised (Yemini, 2014). This thesis aims at exploring the perception of school curriculum internationalisation within one secondary school in Kazakhstan. In order to achieve that aim this research employed interpretative case study methodology to explore the phenomenon under examination. Thematic analysis of the interviews with the school stakeholders and the school policies was applied. The sampling was purposeful and included school stakeholders at different levels: senior management, local and international teachers, students and parents. The school policies and documents were selected on the basis of the interviews. The selected school is notable for being an experimental platform for educational reforms of secondary education in Kazakhstan. The research revealed that the perceptions can be divided into two converging definitions of school curriculum internationalisation in terms of the outcome: educating a global citizen and educating a competitive graduate. Those definitions were supplemented with the perceived strategies or aspects that can help achieve the aim of curriculum internationalisation. Furthermore, the participants identified the challenges associated with curriculum internationalisation. Those challenges included tension between national identity and global citizenship education, the challenge of innovating a teaching and learning approach, and the difficulty in diversifying the staff and student body.

L’internazionalizzazione di un curriculum accademico è un processo globale volto al miglioramento complessivo della qualità dei curricula attraverso l’aggiunta di una dimensione interculturale e internazionale. L’internazionalizzazione del curriculum è riconosciuta come un processo altamente contestualizzato che viene accolto e interpretato in modo diverso a seconda delle discipline accademiche o dagli ambiti territoriali. Precedenti ricerche comunicano che si tratta di un processo in cui il personale accademico svolge un ruolo critico e il loro continuo impegno è necessario alla sua riuscita. Sono state individuate molte sfide nel reclutamento del personale addetto all’internazionalizzazione dei programmi di studio. Negli ultimi anni, l’internazionalizzazione dell’educazione superiore è divenuta una priorità strategica per i politici e la leadership istituzionale in Israele. Le risorse sono state dirette allo sviluppo di strategie istituzionali per l’internazionalizzazione, con l’obiettivo di aumentare la mobilità degli studenti e del personale, e migliorare la qualità dell’insegnamento e della ricerca. L’internazionalizzazione del curriculum è vista come parte integrante di questa tendenza. Sebbene in Israele vi siano ricerche sul processo di istituzionalizzazione dell’istruzione superiore, in questo campo esistono pochi studi sul processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum. L’obiettivo di questo studio è quello di esplorare il processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum in tre dipartimenti accademici in un’università israeliana e registrare l’impegno del personale accademico in questo processo, prestando particolare attenzione alle loro risposte, motivazioni, interpretazioni e attuazioni. Lo studio utilizza, come lente teorica, il quadro concettuale di Leask (2015) per l’internazionalizzazione del curriculum, in cui il processo di internazionalizzazione è posizionato all’interno di un ambiente estremamente complesso e influenzato da molteplici strati di contesto. La ricerca adotta un approccio partecipativo con un disegno di ricerca qualitativa, costruito intorno a tre casi di studio. Quest’ultimi sono triangolati utilizzando tre canali di dati: interviste approfondite, analisi di programmi dei corsi, canali informali. Un totale di 17 partecipanti provenienti da tre dipartimenti accademici sono stati intervistati e le trascrizioni delle interviste sono state analizzate tematicamente. Inoltre, 15 programmi dei corsi sono stati sottoposti ad analisi documentale, utilizzando gli Indicatori dell’Internazionalizzazione del Curriculum, strumento sviluppato come parte dello studio. I risultati della ricerca dimostrano che l’internazionalizzazione del curriculum funge da catalizzatore per la progettazione di programmi di studio per individui e team accademici in un istituto di istruzione superiore in Israele. Lo studio segnala che gli accademici sono motivati ad avviare il processo anche nel caso in cui non vi sia una necessità evidente, come la presenza di studenti internazionali nel campus. Inoltre, questo lavoro mostra modalità contestualizzate di coinvolgimento nell’internazionalizzazione del curriculum in tutte le discipline, sostenendo ed estendendo le ricerche precedenti in questo settore. Nella fattispecie, lo studio offre importanti spunti di riflessione sul processo di internazionalizzazione del curriculum, suggerisce miglioramenti al quadro di Leask (2015), e formula diverse raccomandazioni pratiche che sono rilevanti per il singolo ambito dell’istruzione superiore in Israele, ma che potrebbero estendersi anche oltre.
Internationalising an academic curriculum is a comprehensive process directed towards the overall improvement of curricula quality through the addition of intercultural and international dimensions. Internationalisation of the curriculum is recognised as a highly contextualised process which is received and interpreted in many different ways across academic disciplines and regional settings. Previous research also reports that it is a process where academic staff play a critical role and their continuous engagement with it is necessary. Many challenges in recruiting staff to engage in internationalisation of the curriculum have been raised. Internationalisation of higher education has become a strategic priority of policy makers and institutional leadership in Israel in the past few years. Resources are directed towards the development of institutional strategies for internationalisation, with the goal of increasing student and staff mobility and raising the quality of teaching and research. Internationalisation of the curriculum is seen as an integral part of this trend. Although there is research on the process of internationalisation in higher education in Israel, little research exists on the process of internationalisation of the curriculum in this space. The objective of this study is to explore the process of internationalisation of the curriculum in one Israeli college across three academic departments and record the engagement of academic staff in it focusing on responses, motivations, interpretations and enactment. The study uses Leask’s (2015) conceptual framework for internationalisation of the curriculum as a theoretical lens, where the process of internationalisation of the curriculum is positioned within a super complex environment and impacted by multiple layers of context. The research assumes a participatory action research approach with a qualitative research design, constructed around three case studies. The case studies are triangulated using three data channels: in-depth interviews, analysis of syllabi documents and insider, informal channels. A total of 17 participants from three academic departments were interviewed and interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. In addition, 15 syllabi documents were subjected to document analysis, using the Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators tool which was developed as part of this study. The results of the research demonstrate the role of internationalisation of the curriculum as a catalyst for curriculum design for academic individuals and teams in one higher education institution in Israel. It shows that academics are motivated to embark on the process even in a case when there is no obvious need such as the presence of international students on campus. In addition, it shows contextualised modes of engagement with internationalisation of the curriculum across the disciplines, supporting and extending previous research in this area. Specifically, the study offers important insights into the process of internationalisation of the curriculum and suggests enhancements to Leask's (2015) framework and makes several practical recommendations which are relevant for the unique space of Israeli higher education and possibly beyond.

The thesis problematises the rationales for international and regional engagement in Myanmar’s higher education sector, with a particular focus on the curriculum, through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of key documents related to the beginning of reform process in 2010 through to 2015. Two reports on Higher Education produced under the umbrella of the Comprehensive Education Sector Review (CESR) were analysed as well as a 2014 conference report on higher education in Myanmar. Interviews were carried out with development partners involved in the HE sector to determine their priorities for engagement. The analyses found evidence of a complex set of overlapping and competing policy discourses and rationales for the future of higher education in Myanmar related to economic growth, quality, autonomy, and regionalisation. A case study exemplifies competing rationales in the context of internationalisation. A small scale action research initiative, aimed at redesigning a strand of undergraduate curriculum at the English department of Yangon University was supported as part of a British Council led strategy aimed at establishing a nationwide teacher-training programme. Whilst the English department sought academic modernisation the international agency’s motives were predominantly political.

This study explores the extent to which two Western Australian primary schools are embracing internationalisation in response to the expectations set by the Australian Curriculum Assessment, and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Findings indicate that to some extent the two schools are internationalising their learning and teaching, curriculum and school activities but the focus is limited due to many intervening factors. The thesis makes recommendations for the improvement of internationalisation strategies in schools.

This thesis discusses the impact of economic globalisation on Thai higher education and society. Thailand's severe economic crisis in the second half of 1997 through 1998 has led to education reform at all levels. Since the crisis, Thailand has been focusing on the development of its human potential and creativity and enhancing the capability of communities, societies and the nation as a whole. The education system of Thailand is being redirected away from nation-building objectives towards 'human capital' creation; education is seen as a form of economic investment. Thailand, like its industrialising neighbours in Southeast Asia and close Western neighbours, is striving to adjust to the pressures of economic globalisation. As a result, Thailand's higher education system is undergoing significant intellectual and strategic reorientation to meet the demands of the modern global economy. Urged by government and employers to produce graduates with more globally relevant knowledge and skills, Thai universities are attempting to redefine their relevance with increased emphasis on proficiency in English. This imperative explains the expansion of full-fee English-medium education and the emergence of government policies encouraging the internationalisation of curricula. Since the mid-1990s, successive Thai governments have paid some attention to the concept of internationalisation but have yet to produce a clear statement of what internationalisation means in the Thai context. Thailand's internationalisation policy, such as it is, aims to cultivate a globally skilled workforce and has directly encouraged the establishment of English-medium business graduate programs, branded as 'international' at a number of leading universities in Bangkok. This thesis examines concerns as to the level of English proficiency achieved by students passing through these programs and questions the appropriateness of the term 'international' for programs, many of which appear to be cloned from business studies degrees offered in major native English-speaking countries. While government policies assert the need to reform education at all levels, both the idea and the parameters of 'internationalisation' remain ill-defined. Consequently, this thesis maps out the scope of internationalisation in education from a global and a local Thai perspective to present a more integrated framework for analysing the implications of the policies. The approach taken presents a multilayered and holistic reading of significant economic and cultural change taking place in Thailand through the lens of higher education reforms and public debates about globalisation and education. More specifically, this thesis examines internationalisation of Thai higher education as an aspect of globalisation and 'global' practice at the 'local' level, observable in the policies, statements, actions and intentions expressed by political leaders, government officials, university administrators, teachers, students and employers. Significantly, Thai cultural characteristics have a profound impact on these key acto rs' attitudes towards practice of international education, particularly in the cross-cultural teaching and learning settings. This thesis argues that a more holistic and integrated approach to internationalisation across all related policy domains is needed if the country is to more effectively respond to the challenges of a globalising world.

How do we help students to integrate their tertiary education with their development as " wise" global citizens and professionals? The study engages with this question through exploring the use of Reflective Journals as a central and integrating strategy for learning and assessment for a socially and culturally diverse group of students in a large, compulsory, first year, one-semester Engineering unit [BNB007: Professional Studies] between 2000 and 2004. The study supports the hypothesis that Reflective Journals can be an effective strategy for improving the often-criticised poor communication skills of domestic and international students in technical fields. For many students, the process of reflection also became a means of learning about their learning. Attitude surveys administered to students pre and post the teaching intervention in the years 2000-2002 showed positive changes in anticipated directions that encouraged further research. If attitude change was occurring in BNB007, what was the nature of the change? The research showed that at a deeper, longer term and more complex level, this new self-awareness supported many students to develop the kind of futures thinking and social learning " that will be necessary to navigate the transition to sustainable futures" (Raskin et al., 2002). The study contributes to the literature and to methodology through the first complementary use of two new methodologies, Sense-Making and Causal Layered Analysis. Thirty in-depth Sense-Making based interviews, including four with staff, indicate that 'meta-reflection' and transformative learning did take place. Expressing these qualities in the discourse of internationalisation as " global portability" or even " global competence" is unsatisfactory because these popular terms do not embody the qualities graduates need to create sustainable futures. As currently used, they mainly serve a market-dominated version of globalisation and its allied internationalisation-as-profit discourse. Raskin et al proposed a more appropriate term, " sustainability professionals", emerging from a preferred, valuesbased globalisation inspired by a vision of humane, sustainable futures that see " rights assured, nature treasured, culture rich and the human spirit animate" (p.70). This more challenging concept of a graduate for the 21st century is expressed here through the term Globo sapiens, whose qualities are identified in this study. Such professionals are willing to think critically and to assume responsibility for their impact on communities and the planet. This is the critical-futures oriented, transformative and therefore radical notion connoted by the title Towards Globo sapiens. This research identified some of the terrain and challenges of a post-development vision in a vocational area of teaching in Higher Education. It explained how particular students resisted or reconstructed their worlds when challenged at fundamental levels, but within a supportive atmosphere. Thus the study contributes to what educators might need to know, be and do, in order to teach effectively for the transformations urged by Sustainability Scientists, among others, and upon which any sustainable alternative futures depend. The study is underpinned by transdisciplinary syntheses that help to illuminate each area in new and fruitful ways.

How do we help students to integrate their tertiary education with their development as " wise" global citizens and professionals? The study engages with this question through exploring the use of Reflective Journals as a central and integrating strategy for learning and assessment for a socially and culturally diverse group of students in a large, compulsory, first year, one-semester Engineering unit [BNB007: Professional Studies] between 2000 and 2004. The study supports the hypothesis that Reflective Journals can be an effective strategy for improving the often-criticised poor communication skills of domestic and international students in technical fields. For many students, the process of reflection also became a means of learning about their learning. Attitude surveys administered to students pre and post the teaching intervention in the years 2000-2002 showed positive changes in anticipated directions that encouraged further research. If attitude change was occurring in BNB007, what was the nature of the change? The research showed that at a deeper, longer term and more complex level, this new self-awareness supported many students to develop the kind of futures thinking and social learning " that will be necessary to navigate the transition to sustainable futures" (Raskin et al., 2002). The study contributes to the literature and to methodology through the first complementary use of two new methodologies, Sense-Making and Causal Layered Analysis. Thirty in-depth Sense-Making based interviews, including four with staff, indicate that 'meta-reflection' and transformative learning did take place. Expressing these qualities in the discourse of internationalisation as " global portability" or even " global competence" is unsatisfactory because these popular terms do not embody the qualities graduates need to create sustainable futures. As currently used, they mainly serve a market-dominated version of globalisation and its allied internationalisation-as-profit discourse. Raskin et al proposed a more appropriate term, " sustainability professionals", emerging from a preferred, valuesbased globalisation inspired by a vision of humane, sustainable futures that see " rights assured, nature treasured, culture rich and the human spirit animate" (p.70). This more challenging concept of a graduate for the 21st century is expressed here through the term Globo sapiens, whose qualities are identified in this study. Such professionals are willing to think critically and to assume responsibility for their impact on communities and the planet. This is the critical-futures oriented, transformative and therefore radical notion connoted by the title Towards Globo sapiens. This research identified some of the terrain and challenges of a post-development vision in a vocational area of teaching in Higher Education. It explained how particular students resisted or reconstructed their worlds when challenged at fundamental levels, but within a supportive atmosphere. Thus the study contributes to what educators might need to know, be and do, in order to teach effectively for the transformations urged by Sustainability Scientists, among others, and upon which any sustainable alternative futures depend. The study is underpinned by transdisciplinary syntheses that help to illuminate each area in new and fruitful ways.

The interpretation and implementation of ideas about the internationalisation of curriculum (IoC) are not straightforward, as the ideas are complicated and multi-faceted and allow curriculum developers to have contradictory images and views. The complex and diverse understandings of 10C reflect concepts of the two terms 'internationalisation' and 'curriculum', which contain the contrasting perspectives that include the competition-type and cooperation-type of approaches to internationalisation and the product and process curriculum models. These two types or models tend to go hand in hand with a synergetic effect, while they are in a state of tension. The aim of this research is to promote the detailed and nuanced understanding of IoC through examining its meaning at the undergraduate level, from the viewpoint of the institution-wide initiatives, with a particular focus on the complexity and diversity of the underlying ideas. Cross-national case studies were conducted. Four universities were chosen, including a pre-1992 university and a post-1992 university in England, and a national university and a private university in Japan. Data was collected by document analysis, staff interviews and observations of the campuses. The case studies confirmed and developed two initial assumptions: 1) the meaning of IoC is complex as it is created through a complicated interplay between the competition-type and the cooperation-type of approaches to internationalisation and between the product model and the process model of curriculum; and 2) the meaning of IoC is diverse as it reflects various combinations of the types and models, including at least four patterns: Competitive-Product, Competitive-Process, Cooperative-Product and Cooperative-Process, depending on its contexts. This research contributes to the conceptual framework for IoC. Such a framework is considered as a foundation for future research and development in the practice of IoC beyond England and Japan.

Die vorliegende Arbeit verfolgt das Ziel, ein Modell interkultureller Qualifizierung im Rahmen des Hochschulstudiums in Deutschland zu generieren. Im theoretischen Teil wird der Qualifizie-rungsbegriff in Bezug zum Qualifizierungsziel interkulturelle Kompetenz und zum Anwen-dungskontext Hochschulstudium in Deutschland erörtert sowie das Thema innerhalb der Erzie-hungswissenschaften verortet. Auf die Themen interkulturelle Kompetenz und interkulturelles Lernen wird gesondert eingegangen. Darauf aufbauend werden im empirischen Tiel die zwei durchgeführten Studien beschrieben und abschließend die Ergebnisse interpretiert. Aus einer qualitativ-explorativen Interviewbefragung von 18 ehemaligen Teilnehmenden am Zusatzstudi-um Internationale Handlungskompetenz der Regensburger Hochschulen und einer quantitativ-explanativen Fragebogenstudie mit 129 damals aktuellen Teilnehmenden am Ende des Zusatz-studiums konnten relevante Eingangsbedingungen, Lernprozesse und Wirkungen sowie Kon-trollvariablen interkultureller Qualifizierungsmaßnahmen identifiziert werden. Die identifizierten Variablen werden zu den fünf Nutzungsprofilen interkultureller Qualifizierung 1) Sensibilisie-rung, 2) kognitive Anwendung, 3) Aktivierung, 4) aktionale Anwendung und 5) Potenzierung zusammengefasst. In einem Transfermodell werden die Nutzungsprofile schießlich in Bezug auf Wissenstransfer und Handlungstransfer verortet und in einem Input-Prozess-Output-Modell auf-steigend angeordnet. Das Ergebnis der Arbeit besteht somit in einem theoretisch fundierten und empirisch geprüften lern- und handlungstheoretischen Modell interkultureller Qualifizierung, das exemplarisch Bedingungen, Prozessverläufe und Wirkungen interkultureller Qualifizie-rungsmaßnahmen an deutschen Hochschulen beschreibt und dadurch Anwendungswissen für Konzeption, Implementation und Evaluation weiterer bestehender und geplanter interkultureller Qualifizierungsmaßnahmen bietet.
This study aims at generating an input-process-output model of intercultural qualification in the context of academic education in Germany. The theoretical framework consists of defining in-tercultural qualification and localizing the topic within educational sciences. The topics intercul-tural competence and intercultural learning are discussed separately. There were two empirical studies: 1) 18 former participants of the Extracurricular Study Program for Intercultural Compe-tence at the Regensburg universities have been interviewed about the program’s learning pro-cesses and learning outcomes. Resulting data were analysed using qualitative methods, yielding a set of hypotheses on relations between preconditions, processes and outcomes of intercultural qualification. 2) At the end of the program, 129 participants completed a questionnaire con-structed on the results of the interview study producing quantitative data. Relevant input, pro-cess and output variables could be identified and were integrated into five user profiles: 1) sensi-tisation, 2) cognitive application, 3) activation, 4) behavioral application, and 5) potentialisation. These profiles were finally arranged in relation to knowledge transfer and behavioral transfer, thus yielding a transfer model of intercultural qualification, and were put in ascending order in an input-process-output model. This theoretically founded and empirically tested model de-scribes exemplarily preconditions, learning processes, learning outcomes, and control variables of intercultural qualification in the context of academic education in Germany. It can be used as a theoretical framework for further research or conceptualisation, implementation, and evalua-tion of intercultural qualification programs.

Multiple Portuguese higher education institutions (HEIs) have aimed to internationalise their curricula to contend with advancing technology and increasing globalisation. However, there is little research on whether the students of these HEIs have become more internationalised as a result. Thus, this study aimed to explore the influence of the HE system in Portugal on students' beliefs towards internationalisation. The study sought the views of Portuguese students pursuing various degrees across Universities and Polytechnics in Beja and Lisbon to examine how internationalisation strategies impact perceptions on internationalisation and studying abroad. The research was premised on Knight's (2012) two-pillar framework for internationalisation, which helped provide insights into internationalisation-at-home (IAH) and cross-border education strategies for HEIs. The Mann-Whitney U test, as well as Spearman's correlation coefficient, were employed in the quantitative data analysis to establish any significant differences in the implementation of IAH and cross-border strategies across HEIs in the two regions and their relationship with students' views of international issues and overseas study. The findings revealed a significant difference in the implementation of IAH strategies across HEIs in the cities of Beja and Lisbon. No significant difference was found in implementing cross-border education strategies across HEIs between the two cities. The findings also indicated a positive correlation between internationalisation strategies and students’ views regarding international issues and attitudes towards studying abroad. These results have significance for Higher Education executives in Portugal as they are in charge of making institutional and curricular changes to improve internationalisation and influence the student body perceptions.
Várias instituições de ensino superior (IES) portuguesas têm como objetivo internacionalizar os seus currículos para fazer face ao avanço da tecnologia e globalização. No entanto, há poucas pesquisas sobre se os alunos dessas IES tornarem-se mais internacionalizados como resultado. Assim, este estudo teve como objetivo explorar a influência do sistema de IES em Portugal nas crenças dos estudantes perante a internacionalização. Este estudo procura conhecer os pontos de vista de estudantes portugueses a frequentarem vários graus de ensino de Beja e Lisboa para examinar como as estratégias de internacionalização impactam as perceções sobre a internacionalização e os estudos no estrangeiro. A pesquisa teve como premissa a estrutura de dois pilares de Knight (2012) para a internacionalização, que ajudou a fornecer insights sobre internacionalização em casa (IAH) e estratégias de educação transfronteiriça para IES. O teste Mann-Whitney U, bem como o coeficiente de correlação de Spearman, foram utilizados na análise de dados quantitativos para estabelecer quaisquer diferenças significativas na implementação de IAH e estratégias transfronteiriças entre as IES nas duas regiões e sua relação com os pontos de vista dos alunos sobre questões internacionais e estudo no exterior. Os resultados revelaram uma diferença significativa na implementação de estratégias de IAH nas IES das duas cidades. Nenhuma diferença significativa foi encontrada na implementação de estratégias de educação transfronteiriça nas IES entre as cidades. Os resultados indicaram uma correlação positiva entre as estratégias de internacionalização e os pontos de vista dos alunos sobre questões internacionais e atitudes em relação a estudar no exterior. Estes resultados são significativos para os executivos dos IES em Portugal, visto que são os responsáveis por efetuar alterações institucionais e curriculares para melhorar a internacionalização e influenciar a perceção dos alunos.

With the increasing trend towards internationalisation of curriculum (IoC) in higher education, questions about quality and outcomes of students’ future employment are under-researched in Vietnam. This study contributed to the scarce information on understanding employability skills and how these skills are developed in IoC programs in Vietnam. Designed as quantitative and qualitative mixed methods, this research employed two methods of data collection: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with three stakeholder groups. A total of 375 final year students in their final year in four public universities participated in the survey. Twenty-six interviews were conducted with students, graduates and employers of IoC employees. The study engaged with the dimensions of employability skills adopted from Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) combined with the Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, Values and Ethics (KSAVE) model of Binkley et al. (2012). The findings of this research identify variability in the employability skills IoC programs are developing for their business students. The results show that IoC programs could help students develop ways of thinking and working, equip them with tools for working, enrich cultural understanding, enhance career identity and improve personal attributes but that there is no one systematic approach. This research highlights strategies to enhance students’ skills development, which may provide some guidance for IoC educational providers, academic staff and IoC students. My research also indicates several problems related to IoC programs reported by the above mentioned stakeholders. These require reviewing and resolving where possible. Finally, my research proposed a practical employability skills framework, developed and validated from a Western model, to suit the context of IoC program institutions in Vietnam.

The portfolio explores the construction, representation and interpretation of internationalisation at the University of South Australia (UniSA) within the broader concept of internationalisation in higher education. The research is situated within a postmodern, postcolonial world and is influenced significantly by the work of Foucault ([1972] 2003), Fairclough (1989; 1992), Said (1995 [1978]) and Cherryholmes (1988). The portfolio consists of three related research reports and a meta-analysis which both connects these individual reports and conducts further analysis of the issues and themes arising from the research. The literature reviewed in Research Report 1 describes a range of approaches to internationalisation and issues associated with its definition and implementation in universities. It is concluded that internationalisation in higher education is part of a network of constantly developing and changing discourses all of which both influence and are influenced by political, social and economic contexts and agendas. The nature of the discourse of internationalisation at UniSA and the power/knowledge relations which are embedded within and support it are the focus of the second research report which consists of a critical discourse analysis of a corpus of documents related to internationalisation and Graduate Quality #7 at UniSA. Five discourses of internationalisation at UniSA are identified and the roles associated with the primary subjects of the discourse (academic staff, Australian students and international students) are described. Significant shifts in the discursive construction of internationalisation at UniSA over time are also identified, including the tendency for the economic discourse to be viewed as dominant and the associated ideology to be naturalised. The third research report consists of ‘snapshots’ of the experience of internationalisation in different places and from different perspectives. It strives for a deeper understanding of the complexity of internationalisation at UniSA through exploration of the construction of Graduate Quality #7 (that students of UniSA will develop international perspectives as professionals and citizens) in two different cultural and educational contexts ���������������� Adelaide and Hong Kong. The research highlights the need to embed and integrate intercultural learning into the culture of UniSA – to assist all staff and all students to move into uncomfortable intercultural spaces; to learn from and with each other within those spaces; to challenge their stereotypes and prejudices and to move on from them. The three reports are drawn together in the meta-analysis which concludes that although there are signs of ideological struggle within the discourse of internationalisation, the constructions of internationalisation and its subjects and actors at UniSA and beyond are consistent with a construction of internationalisation as a neo-colonialist activity. It suggests a modified approach to internationalisation – one that challenges the stereotypes and hegemonies currently associated with it. This has implications for the focus of professional development and student services to support internationalisation at UniSA and other Australian universities.

Quality assurance has been a vexed and troubled journey for private providers in South Africa in a complex and burdensome educational environment. It is well recognised that private providers are significant role-players in the provision of education and training in South Africa and the stated intention is to create a more enabling regulatory framework The focus of this thesis is on the private providers at the post-school level. The quality assurance regime was examined and contextualised to analyse what is required, and to determine how the private provider is impacted by the regulatory requirements for the establishment and operation of a private tuition provider in South Africa. The experience of private providers, CEOs of professional bodies, ETQA managers and ETD practitioners was investigated using a mixed methods research approach. The conclusion is a call for a far more streamlined system with a centralised oversight body, greater stakeholder consultation, less political interference and a deeper appreciation for the contribution that private providers make to the education of learners in South Africa.
Educational Leadership and Management
D. Ed. (Education Management)