ERIC Number: EJ1388663
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2209-1041
Affordances of an International Campus for Intercultural Learning: Views from MA Students and Faculty in Two US-Based Teacher Education Programs
Intercultural Communication Education, v6 n1 p1-18 2023
This paper reports on a qualitative study which is part of a larger project on the affordances of an international campus for intercultural (IC) learning. The research examined two MA programs at a US postgraduate institution, TESOL and International Education Management, and two groups of participants, nine students and eight faculty members. The participants discussed intercultural interaction and learning opportunities outside coursework in semi-structured interviews. A thematic content analysis showed heavy workload as an obstacle to more meaningful on-campus interaction, the lack of the points of entry to host-country student groups for incoming (international) students, and challenges for off-campus encounters. The findings pointed to a disconnect between faculty and student perceptions: although faculty believed that students should avail themselves of IC opportunities, they did not actively encourage engagement in on-campus activities. The paper discusses the IC learning assumptions attached to a highly international program profile in comparison to the support in place, arguing that active on- and off-campus activities, coursework, and teacher guidance should work in unison to allow for IC learning.
Descriptors: Affordances, Multicampus Colleges, International Education, Multicultural Education, Student Attitudes, Graduate Students, Masters Programs, Foreign Students, Graduate School Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Education Programs, Group Dynamics, Educational Opportunities, Interaction
Castledown Publishers. Ground Level, 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia. Tel: 646-520-0676; e-mail: contact@castledown.com; Web site: https://www.castledown.com/journals/ice/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A