Exploring Chinese students’ experience of curriculum internationalisation: a comparative study of Scotland and Australia

Adekola, Olalekan Adeban; Cheng, Ming; Adekola, Olalekan; Shah, Mahsood; Valyrakis, Manousos

Abstract

© 2016 Society for Research into Higher Education. Increasing enrolment of Chinese students has become a key feature of internationalisation for Western universities, but there is limited research into how curriculum internationalisation affects Chinese students’ learning experiences. Using the typologies of curriculum internationalisation as a framework, this paper explores and compares how Scottish and Australian universities integrate international and intercultural elements into their curriculum to support Chinese postgraduate taught students’ study. Interviews, focus groups and a survey are used as the main research methods. Analysis reveals that the practice of curriculum internationalisation in both countries is rather limited, and that Chinese students express a desire for more international perspectives in the course content, and for more mobility experiences, in order to prepare for their future careers. The mismatch between academics’ and students’ understandings of curriculum internationalisation is highlighted as an arena of power differential and an area for further study.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 17, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Aug 17, 2016
• Publication Date: Apr 3, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2017
• Journal: Studies in Higher Education
• Print ISSN: 0307-5079
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-174X
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 754-768
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1198894
• Keywords: curriculum internationalisation, Chinese student, postgraduate taught, Scotland, Australia
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/917804
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1198894
• Contract Date: Jun 12, 2017