Faculty Experiences, Views, and Challenges on Internationalization in Higher Education from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Year 2020, Volume: 49 Issue: 2, 1126 - 1144, 28.10.2020

Hanife Akar , Rahime Cobanoglu , Patrick Plunkett

Abstract

This paper explores faculty experiences, visions and their perceived challenges of internationalization in higher education in two different cultural contexts through a causal-comparative research. The participating faculty (N = 216) were affiliated with a university in the Northeast of the USA and a university in Mid-Anatolia in Turkey. Data were collected through Status of Internationalization Scale and the Challenges of International Education Scale and analyzed employing descriptive statistics and one-way between-groups multivariate analyses. The study findings indicate that faculty are challenged differently by the internationalization process in the two cultural contexts. The sample in the west tends to internationalize less abroad as receivers of international students and are especially challenged to teach diverse student populations and dealing with cross-cultural communication. The faculty in non-west internationalize more abroad and view their curriculum as international due to adopting an Anglophone education and utilizing international curriculum instruments. The study overall reveals that universities become increasingly complex and should establish policies not only to address international student needs, but also promote policies for collaborative research in a global context.

Keywords

Internationalization, Comparative Study, Western Higher Education, Non-western Higher Education, Faculty Perspective

Supporting Institution

Fulbright, BAP

Project Number

FY-2013-TR-SS-001, BAP-05-02-2016-002

Thanks

We would like to thank Fulbright Ankara, and METU Scientific Research Projects Office (BAP) for their sponsorship. As faculty members ourselves we are mostly busy with our teaching and research load, we would like to thank all faculty who contributed to this study. We would also like to thank the faculty, and research fellows who provided us with invaluable feedback during the instrument development phase.

Kültürlerarası Bir Bakış Açısından Yükseköğretimde Uluslararasılaşmaya Yönelik Öğretim Elemanlarının Deneyimleri, Görüşleri ve Karşılaştıkları Zorluklar

Abstract

Bu makale, nedensel-karşılaştırmalı bir araştırma ile iki farklı kültürel bağlamda öğretim elemanlarının yükseköğretimde uluslararasılaşmaya ilişkin deneyim, görüş ve algıladıkları zorlukları incelemektedir. Çalışmaya katılan öğretim elemanları (N = 216) ABD'nin kuzeydoğusundaki bir üniversite ile Türkiye'de Orta Anadolu'da bir üniversitede görev yapmaktadırlar. Veriler, Uluslararasılaşmanın Durumu Ölçeği ve Uluslararası Eğitimin Zorlukları Ölçeği kullanılarak elektronik ortamda toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizi betimsel istatistikler ve tek yönlü çok değişkenli varyans analizi ile yapılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları, iki farklı kültürel bağlamı temsil eden kurumlardaki öğretim elemanlarının uluslararasılaşma süreçlerinde farklı zorluklarla karşılaştıklarını göstermektedir. Uluslararası öğrenci alıcısı olarak Batılı bağlamı temsil eden örneklemin yurtdışında daha az uluslararasılaşma eğiliminde olduğu ve özellikle farklı öğrenci gruplarına yönelik öğretim süreçleri ile kültürlerarası iletişim konularında zorlandığı anlaşılmaktadır. Batılı bağlamda olmayan örneklemin ise yurtdışında daha çok uluslararasılaştıkları ve kendi programlarını İngilizce eğitimi benimsemeleri ve uluslararası eğitim programı araçlarını kullanmaları nedeniyle daha uluslararasılaşmış olarak gördükleri bulunmuştur. Bu araştırma genel olarak üniversitelerin giderek daha karmaşık bir hale geldiğini ve üniversitelerde sadece uluslararası öğrencilerin ihtiyaçlarını karşılamaya yönelik değil, aynı zamanda küresel bağlamda işbirliğine dayalı araştırmalara yönelik politikaların geliştirilmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Uluslararasılaşma, Karşılaşmalı çalışma, Batı yüksek öğretimi, Batı dışı yüksek öğretim, Öğretim elemanı bakış açısı

Project Number

FY-2013-TR-SS-001, BAP-05-02-2016-002

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