International Student Participation

I share this a sample of a faculty development activity. It is not in a "tips and tricks" or mere methodological format, rather it asks teacher to engage in a reflective process, systematically considering their students, the research and their own experience as they develop their practice our inform our community of practice. This is designed for a 30-minute webinar for under 15 participants.

Before

· Below are six slides and references for the key ideas prepared for our activity

· Optional: Some people might like and have the time to skim or dive in before we meet, others not so much. It is totally fine to “come in cold”

During

· We will have a thirty minute shared reflection using Zoom web meeting, so make sure your camera, audio and chat are working so you can participate.

· Together we will see and describe some students’ thoughts on participation, and analyze and propose actions based on our experience and research.

After

· For those folks unable to attend but are interested, I will write a short blog recapping the information and our insights.

· Optional: You can opt in to sharing your identity and contact info on the blog post, if you would like folks to follow up with you, or not. (smile)

Looking forward to our time together,

References and Abstracts

Marlina, R., (2009). “I don’t talk or I decide not to talk? Is it my culture?”—International students’ experiences of tutorial participation, International Journal of Educational Research, 48(4), 235-244.

Abstract: Active participation in university tutorials seems to be commonly argued as one of the learning difficulties of non-English-speaking background (NESB) Asian students enrolled in Western English-speaking universities. These students are often portrayed as being passive in class and this is commonly attributed to their background culture. Using Australia as a setting, this paper challenges these misconceptions through the lens of the contextual approach or ‘small culture’ approach. It is argued that NESB international Asian students’ participation in Australian university tutorials is influenced by the classroom context in which they learn rather than by their cultures. This paper also provides a framework for teachers, who are the most important and powerful member in the ‘context’, to critically reflect on their pedagogical practices.

Robertson, M., Line, M., Jones, S. and Thomas, S. (2000). International Students, learning environments and perceptions: A case study using the Delphi technique, Higher Education Research & Development, 19(1), 89-102

Abstract: While there are a number of reports on problems faced by international students in Australia, there is little information on the perceptions of such students relative to those of the academic staff teaching them. Using the Delphi technique, whereby problems identified are narrowed by consensus, a study conducted at one Australian university highlighted some expected and some unexpected outcomes. Difficulty understanding colloquial language, cost of tuition and feelings of isolation ranked highest amongst the problems cited by international students. Academic staff were critical of their own speed of lecturing, as well as international students’ poor writing and critical thinking skills.

Rodgers, C. (2002). Voices inside schools: Seeing student learning: Teacher change and the role of reflection. Harvard Educational Review, 72(2), 230-254.

Abstract: A four-phase reflective cycle can help teachers better attend to student learning: (1) presence in experience; (2) description of experience; (3) analysis of experience from multiple perspectives; and (4) experimentation (taking action). Teachers should also solicit structured student feedback to distinguish between what they think they are teaching and what students are learning.

Straker, J. (2016). International student participation in higher education: Changing the focus from “international students” to “participation”, Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(4), 299–318.

Abstract: This is a conceptually oriented article which questions established notions concerning the framing of international students in Anglo-Western universities through a literature review. Focusing largely on students from Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC), and resulting from concerns regarding their level of participation, the literature is considered to have overly represented students’ English language competence and cultures of origin as causal factors. The body of the article explores the strands of this complex debate, reviewing both the literature which argues and questions the importance of English language competence, and that which proposes, challenges, problematizes, and ultimately reaffirms the view that cultural background is the dominant factor. The article argues that the literature has emphasized international students themselves, what makes them different, rather than their participation: Despite the often best intentions to the contrary, it has played to a deficit discourse, and has not always offered helpful guidance to the practice community. The article argues that the theoretical perspective of sociocultural theory, and, in particular, activity theory, offers a theorized understanding of participation and its relationship to learning often lacking in the literature, and enables a holistic understanding of participation in educational contexts. Moreover, as a motivational theory of learning, activity theory helps put into perspective the importance of such factors as language competence and culture of origin.