Ms Mollie Dollinger1, Dr Ian Teo1, Professor Sophia Arkoudis1, Dr Daniela Aquaro1, Professor Peter McPhee1
1The University Of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia
Internationalisation has been defined as a “general term for a broad range of activities in teaching and research which take place by crossing borders as well as in cooperation with international partners and students” (Kehm & Teichler, 2007, p.232). However, while this broad definition is helpful to experts and researchers seeking to bulk the range of internationalisation experiences within an institution, the definition offers little in terms of describing how students view their own internationalisation experiences. In our study, we have sought to explore students’ perceptions of internationalisation in their university experiences, including their expectations of internationalisation before commencing and how they define and perceive the term during their student experience. Sampling a cohort of postgraduate students at a research-intensive university who are studying towards their teaching qualifications, we will further explore how students perceive internationalisation by comparing local and international student responses and analysing the similarities and differences between these cohorts. Our results will discuss the nuances between different student populations (e.g. local Australian, Chinese, European) and also recommend policy and pedagogical advice on improving internationalisation experiences for students.
Kehm, B. M., & Teichler, U. (2007). Research on internationalisation in higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3-4), 260-273.
Biography:
Mollie Dollinger is a PhD candidate at The University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education. Her areas of interest include internationalisation of higher education, student-staff co-creation and improving employability.