Dr Paulo Charles Pimentel Bótas PhD Research Officer at ICHEM

Are we taking easy money from the cash cows or are we herding, training and educating them?

Implications for policy and practicein the teaching and learning process

Dr Paulo Charles Pimentel Bótas PhDResearch Officer at ICHEM

International Centre for Higher Education ManagementSchool of Management – University of Bath

Dr Paulo Charles Pimentel Bótas PhD ICHEM - School of Management University of Bath

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Internationalisation

• “running out of money”• Need “foreign” money• International market• Competition for resources• Reputation and quality• Why not international students?!...

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Marketisation

• UK second to the USA• Proactive recruitment• Intensive marketing• Reputation and quality• European neighbours • Do we do what we say on the tin?

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The international student experience

• What are we offering international students?• What do we do in the classroom?• What means of support are being provided?• What constitutes international students’

experience?• How do we look at it?• How do we understand it?

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Internationalisation in theteaching and learning process

‘involves the development of the students’ abilities to acquire, understand, analyse, interpret and apply skills and knowledge, and to understand and respect multicultural perspectives related to their academic and professional areas’.

(Pimentel Bótas, 2012)

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Internationalisation in theteaching and learning process

‘the exposure to and the experience of engaging with students and teachers from different countries and backgrounds in the classroom’.


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Internationalisation in the teaching and learning process

‘the opportunity to see things from different cultural and professional perspectives, bringing the learning activities in the classroom to a new level, in which communication, understanding of multiple perspectives and analysis of practices, and respect for multicultural diversity are the ground rules’.


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Assumptions and realities

• English language• International competition has increased• International students are not all the same• International students operate at least in two

modalities of English language• With different vocabulary, meaning and usage

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Neo-liberalism, new mangerialism and academic behaviour

• Teaching and teachers being undervalued and not appreciated

• Research and researchers being overvalued and extremely appreciated

• Research and publication as the most valuable path to career progression

• Some researchers see teaching, student support and contact with students as a barrier

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‘Money makes the world go round’

• HEFCE allocated £3.2bn for teaching and 1.6bn for research

• International students contribute over £5bn to the UK economy

• USA $20.23bn, Australia $9.4bn and Canada $6.5bn• Some HEIs in UK increased the number of

international students by 20% to 50% in2011-12

• Academics’ internal dichotomy15/06/2012


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“Otherisation”

• ‘anybody who that sounds different, looks different, behaves and holds beliefs different from ours.’


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International students

• The ‘deficit model’• International students are:

- Incapable- Dependent- Submissive - Underperformers- Unwilling to engage - Intellectually deficient and- “cheaters” and “plagiarists”

• “Fluency in English language equals intelligent”15/06/2012


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International students are aware of the discriminatory stereotype project onto them

International students in Medical Tourism wanted to form a group of East Asian students because they wanted the opportunity to demonstrate the value of East Asian student through the successful completion of their project.

(Carrie, 2011)

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Home students

• “Ideal model”• Home students are:

- “Active”- “Independent pursuers” - “Engaged in deep learning” and- “Academically honest”

• Powerful but meaningless concepts• Academic performance is discipline related• International students are equal to home students15/06/2012


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According to Janette Ryan (2012),

China

• Level of knowledge• Learn from the teacher• Respect teachers and texts• Harmony of the group• Consensus/avoiding conflict• ‘Reflective’ learners• Critique of the ‘self’

UK

• Type of (critical) thinking• Independent learning• Question teachers and texts• Student-centred learning• Argumentation/assertiveness• ‘Deep’ learners seeking

meaning• Critique of the ‘other’

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Knowledge and attitude of the teacher

Home studentMale• A good lecturer at university

should not make students feel they are stupid. He should involve students in the classroom, by making them discuss the topic and give their opinions.

International studentMale• The teacher has to have an

understanding that he is not the only one who knows things. He has to be able to relate the ideas of the students into the context of the topic and the course.

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Enthusiasms and motivation

Home studentFemale• Teachers must want you to learn

their subject. They have to show their passion for teaching and learning. They have to be enthusiastic about you learning their subject. When teachers are enthusiastic about their subject, they motivate you more and make you also enthusiastic in learning their subject. They help you to be inspired.

International studentFemale• The teacher should love

teaching. He should be more enthusiastic in the classroom and motivate the students a lot. I like the teacher to be passionate about teaching.

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Narrow focus of curriculum, subject and topic

Home studentFemale• In one module I did, one student

made the point that we were only reading the articles and chapters that were written by our lecturers, and that we were not given the opportunity to read other writers on the subject, so we don’t know what the others have to say about our subject. I think that the teachers have to have a broad knowledge of other people’s works, and so far I think that they should mention other researchers and their research.

International studentFemale• I don’t like when the teachers are

talking only about their own research. They only focus on their own studies. He just pulls you to his own view. I don’t want to focus only on his work. I want to express my own views. I want to know more about other views on the same subject. They should have a lot of references that also contradict their own views. They should be able to explain to you other views that do not support their own.

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Impact of teachers’ research activities in the teaching and learning process

Home studentMale• I think that their research

activities can improve the quality of what they are teaching, because the information will be up-to-date. I think if they are enthusiastic about what they research, that might make their teaching a bit more interesting, improving the quality of their teaching.

International studentFemale• I think that teaching and

research have a very close relationship, because the teacher can give us a lot of interesting and real examples of what he is teaching. He can teach you with a lot of enthusiasm and you will follow with enthusiasm as well. It is good when the teacher is an expert on what he is teaching.

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Impact of teachers’ research activities in the teaching and learning process

Home studentFemale• If they are researching something

that I could try and apply in my learning and in my professional life, then it impacts on my learning. If they are going to schools and researching teaching and learning, and bring examples of other teachers’ experiences, I think that it impacts on my learning. When they tell you what they have just done, and show you how to do it and apply it, then it impacts on my learning.

International studentFemale• Unless they are teaching whatever

they are researching we cannot get fresh, new information from the field. But that is not what happens. Their research is on other areas and the topic is in a different area. They don’t necessarily overlap. Whatever the research they are doing does not necessarily come into the class. It does not necessarily fit the topic that they are teaching. That is why I object to the time that is taken away from the students.

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Use of questioning in the teachingand learning process

Home studentMale

• One of the bad experiences I had, where I came out very frustrated, has been where the person taking the lecture did really not know much about it. All the time that a question was asked, it was not answered. He was so arrogant. There was no evidence that he knew anything. We did not have faith in him. He was not credible. I found it really disappointing. It felt like a waste of time. I came out and I felt like I want to change the course. It was frustrating. The quality of his teaching was very slow and poor, because people were asking difficult questions, he was laughing and saying that is a good question, we talk about it later.

International studentFemale

• This teacher talked a lot. Some students would ask some questions and the teacher would spend a lot of time answering them. I was very anxious because I was waiting to learn something and that did not happen. I think that the teacher attitude towards the class is the most important thing, because he can make all students motivated to interact and learn from one another. I don’t think that the knowledge of the teacher is the most important thing in the class, but I think that the most important thing is his attitude and behaviour, and his attitude made the quality of his teaching very poor.

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Use of workshop in the teaching and learning process

Home studentMale• She gave us a group work straight away. We

were active straight away, and the rest of the lecture was built on the learning we had in the small groups. We were split into small groups to analyse other people’s experience of what they have done. It was more of a workshop type. It worked very well. Everybody enjoyed and learned from it. I was right into it. I was happy. It facilitates your own learning I suppose. You find people much more engaged and not sitting at the back listening and taking notes. It was very good, because it was interactive, group focused, and learning by doing. That was quality teaching.

International studentFemale

• The teacher divided the lecture into two parts. In the first part he talked explaining the topic. In the second part he did like a seminar. He divided us into groups, so we had the opportunity to work with different people. We were working towards a project. I liked that experience because I learned a lot working with other people, as they have much more experience than me. They helped me to understand the work. My colleagues’ experience and knowledge helped me to learn and participate in the project. He made our learning practical and we experienced learning. It was high quality teaching.

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Challenges

• The old “new teaching styles” are not enough• International students want:

- PowerPoint- videos/DVDs- simulation and games- One-to-one- Practice and- Work-placements

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The international student in the “post-2008 world”

• Techno-savvy• Cut-throat• Assertive• Aware of their rights• Exercise choices• Make rational decisions

• University rankings• Subject rankings• Academics’ reputation• To be treated as equal• To be treated with

respect

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The main challenge for HEIs

• How to address the behaviour and attitude of academics towards international students in order to make them feel accepted and supported in their teaching and learning process.

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Questions we have to ask ourselves:

• Are we taking easy money from the cash cows or are we herding, training and educating them?

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Implication for policy:

For research: • In order to understand the experience, perceptions and approaches to teaching

and learning of international students we need a sociological perspective rather than a cultural one, as it provides us with holistic understanding that is not grounded on otherisation

For practice, teachers need to:• Stop making assumptions and stereotyping• Be honest, professional, ethical and moral responsible for guiding and interacting

with international students• Make themselves understood• Morally reflect on their practice as academics, i.e. no “yeah but, no but”• Treat international students with respect• Use international students’ expertise on their culture and professional practice• Create a positive and supportive learning environment in the classroom

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For institutional policy, higher education institutions need to:• Value and respect teaching and teachers• Put teaching first and research second• Have spin-off institutes for research and researchers that are not involved in teaching• Have all teachers involved in meaningful research that is applied to their teaching• Be proud in promoting their teachers• Make international students the responsibility of all academic and non-academic staff• Be proactive rather than reactive to international students’ learning needs and other

needs• Reduce bureaucratic procedures and processes that prevent their support mechanism to

international students from working in full capacity, i.e. being efficient and effective• Create a positive and supportive social and learning environment outside the classroomFor governmental policy, the government needs to:• Demand institutions that require public money to be responsive to international

students’ learning needs and other needs• Demand an clear and streamlined career path for teachers progression and promotion• Demand that higher education institutions have separate research institutes for research

that are not involved in teaching• Demand that higher education institutions reduce their bureaucratic procedures and

processes of decision-making• Demand that higher education institutions prioritise students

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References• Pimentel Bótas, P. C. (2012) The international student revolution –

Changing academics’ attitudes. University World News, 10 June, Issue No:225. Downloaded from: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120607162551226

• Ryan, J. (2012) A whole institutional approach to teaching and supporting international students – Presentation at the University of Bath’s one day event for Enhancing the International Student Learning Experience in the Biosciences by the Higher Education Academy. On 24 May.

• Carrie, S. (2011) A critical realist case study into the role of the social landscape in the creation of psychological safety – a precursor to effective group work. Unpublished Master of Research Dissertation, Department of Education, University of Bath.

15/06/2012Dr Paulo Charles Pimentel Bótas PhD ICHEM - School of Management

University of Bath

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120607162551226



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Dr Paulo Charles Pimentel Bótas PhD Research Officer at ICHEM