Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemTransitioning from a Chinese education to an Australia education: a study of foundation studies program students from China( 2015)This study was motivated by the growth of the Australian international education sector, increasing numbers of mainland Chinese students studying in Australian universities, and a lack of research relating to the Foundation Studies Programs (FSP) in which some Chinese students enrolled. In seeking to contribute to this gap in the FSP literature, this study investigated how a cohort of ex-FSP students from mainland China reflected on their transition through various stages of their education. Specifically, the main research question guiding this study asked, 'To what extent do Chinese students' higher education experiences align with their expectations as they transition from secondary schooling in China through to university in Australia?'. To address this question a mixed-methods design was utilised. This consisted of surveys being administered to Chinese and non-Chinese nationals within one FSP at entry and exit from the course, and subsequent semi-structured interviews with a cohort of these Chinese students who were now studying at university. Interview data comprised the bulk of this study's analysis, and revealed that Chinese students' expectations and experiences of education did not remain fixed as they transitioned between schooling contexts in China and Australia. The most salient feature of their transition experiences was the increased importance they placed on the social dimension seen to enhance their educational experiences. That is, where once these students viewed their entry into the FSP and gaining Australian higher education qualifications instrumentally, they later adjusted this view to include also the importance of developing and maintaining social relationships within educational contexts. This study's findings highlight the importance of social relationships across various schooling contexts, and challenge the assumption that FSPs ease international students' social transition into university.
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ItemChallenges and possibilities of regional collaboration in East Asian higher education( 2015)In recent years, regional collaborations in higher education have been widely promoted around the world, as a basis for sharing of resources, conducting research into common problems and more broadly developing a sense of regional identity. The growth of regional collaboration among East Asian systems of higher education has been much anticipated. Despite substantial policy rhetoric, however, evidence-based analyses of actual collaborative practices among universities in China, Japan and South Korea are scant. This study seeks to provide an account of such practices by focusing on the challenges and possibilities of regional collaboration in East Asian higher education. It is based on data drawn primarily from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with executive leadership, academics and international strategy staff at eleven universities participating in two major programs of regional collaboration in East Asia: CAMPUS Asia and BESETOHA. Analysis of the data collected suggests that despite numerous challenges emanating from major cultural, economic and political differences across the three systems, the universities in East Asia remain optimistic about the possibility of increased levels of collaboration. Their optimism appears to rest on a common perception about the need to collaborate in order to meet the growing pressures of globalisation. Also significant is their inclination to focus on their abundant historical and cultural commonalities, along with their geographical adjacency, rather than on their differences. However the differences relating to competition over resources, historical suspicion and struggle for political supremacy remain. At this stage, small-scale trilateral networks of academic collaboration appear more feasible than the development of a stronger sense of regional identity, beyond the merely symbolic.
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ItemMeasuring university internationalisation: an indicator framework( 2015)This study investigated university internationalisation in different national contexts and developed a set of indicators to measure and compare university internationalisation performance across national boundaries. Internationalisation has been recognised by university policymakers as the key to perform successfully within the new global context. As internationalising a university requires a substantial and long-term investment of an institution’s financial and human resources, assessment and quality control are critical to ensure that it contributes to the relevance and quality of higher education and produces desirable outcomes. The importance of, motives for, and process of university internationalisation have been discussed and documented well in existing research, however, a limited number of studies have focused on measuring university internationalisation. It is not even clear what should and what can be measured with regard to university internationalisation. Through a combination of a critical literature review and qualitative interviews with policymakers from universities in Australia, Singapore, and China, this study established a conceptual framework of university internationalisation. Based on the framework, with the help of university practitioners, a set of internationally applicable indicators was developed to assist universities to systematically monitor and measure their internationalisation performance, and make comparisons with like institutions. The availability of data for the indicator set in different universities was also tested through an institutional survey. This study found that internationalisation is seen as a multi-dimensional phenomenon. The major incentive for institutional internationalisation is the pursuit for academic excellence. Seven key comparable dimensions were identified in university internationalisation strategies: research, student, faculty, curriculum, engagement, governance, and culture. Universities tend to place different priorities on these dimensions. National and institutional characteristics powerfully shape the understanding and practice of internationalisation. The indicator set established in this study provides a possible way for universities to measure their internationalisation performance and benchmark with others. Although the indicators are perceived as feasible, the data are not yet ready to report in most universities. This study contributes to a better understanding of university internationalisation and sheds light on the measurement of the phenomenon. The study suggests that universities may embrace internationalisation in various approaches; however, a holistic approach is highly likely to evolve at a mature stage. The theoretical framework and the indicator set developed in this study are expected to stimulate a more regular data collection mechanism. Policymakers are able to make evidence-based decisions with data generated by the indicator set. In measuring university internationalisation, this study suggests that available measurement instruments are more capable of assessing inputs and outputs rather outcomes.