20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments
Paper
Navigating Challenges in Contemporary Higher Education: Students guidelines for Teachers
Andrius Eidimtas1, Raimonda Brunevičiūtė2
1Lithuanian University of Health Sciences; 2Lithuanian Educational Research Association Board
Presenting Author: Eidimtas, Andrius
The statistical data highlights the increasing trend of students pursuing education across borders (Van Mol, C., Cleven, J., & Mulvey, B., 2024). Researchers WU, Garza, Guzman (2015), Tomlinson (2017), Gay (2018), Martin, Bollinger (2018), Quaye, Harper, Pendakur (2019), Geng, Law, Niu (2019) have extensively discussed diverse international student needs at universities. These needs encompass such intercultural education challenges as language support, cultural integration programs, accessible academic resources, technological integration, global influences, and the significance of fostering a positive learning environment in higher education.
Numerous challenges (Steiner-Hofbauer & Holzinger, 2020; Kamaşak, Sahan, & Rose, 2021) confront universities in creating a supportive community for students' seamless transition to a new educational system and culture. These challenges are critical for students to successfully adapt.
Researches (Tamtik & Guenter, 2019) from Canada had made a critical policy study and emphasized the questions do the universities prepared enough to welcome international learners. The analysis shows that universities that have established Diversity and/or Equity Offices were more likely to collect more detailed information, monitor EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) activities, and make proactive recommendations to senior leadership on potential improvements compared to those universities without designated offices. Along with the student recruitment activities, the policy documents address the availability of student support services in regard to scholarships, bursaries, student advising services, curriculum adaptations and new course offerings.
In 2023 we analyzed the possibilities to recognize other forms of diversity and explored how international students can be engaged culturally in a university environment using Museus' theoretical model (2014). Our study results emphasized, that 1) cultural engagement influences students' attitudes by promoting open-mindedness, empathy, and a global perspective; 2) effective communication bridges cultural gaps, fostering understanding among students from diverse backgrounds; 3) tailoring learning methods and the educational environment to accommodate cultural diversity enhances the overall learning experience; 4) teachers play a pivotal role in creating a culturally engaged environment. Professionalism in teaching includes adapting instructional methods to diverse student needs, being culturally sensitive, and promoting an inclusive and supportive atmosphere.
This year our focus continues more deeper on international students' learning environment, aiming to identify newchallenges for students to understand teacher‘s profesionalism. These challenges brought from a macro-level perspective and considered by global influences. So we do not imagine what are students' expectations, values, or guidelines regarding interactions with educators in an intercultural learning environment.
The aim of this research is based on international freshmen expectations to prepare students quideliness for the teachers to navigate challenges in contemporary higher education.
The objectives of the research were the following: 1) To analyze the expectations of first year international students about their understanding of concept “teacher professional”; 2) To distinguish main categories by preparing specific guidelines for the teachers.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe qualitative research was performed on 2023-2024 at one of Lithuanian universities, hosting full time incoming students from more than 87 countries. This university represents itself as a robust international institution actively cultivating an embrace of diverse cultures and traditions. It is committed to enhancing global connections and collaborations with foreign partners and alumni in the realms of studies, science, and practical applications.
First year international students were asked to provide their opinions on open-ended question at the very begining of the autumn semester. In this qualitative research collected responses involve exploring attitudes, beliefs, and opinions, which allows for a deeper understanding of the participants' perspectives. The process of collecting and analyzing opinions from open-ended questions in interviews contributes valuable qualitative insights to the research.
In the research participated 27 freshmen, and more than 130 statement of answers were submitted. All these opinions gathered from open-ended question were analysed using the content analysis method, which involves identifying themes, patterns, and insights within the qualitative data, allowing for a structured and systematic understanding of the information provided by participants.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis research explores strategies and best practices for teachers to navigate these intercultural education challenges effectively, ensuring a well-rounded and inclusive educational experience for students. The responses highlights an ideal teacher within this framework is not only a knowledgeable instructor but also a facilitator of inclusivity, effective communication, and continuous improvement:
- Fosters inclusivity and respect for cultural difference;
- Utilizes effective communication and engagement strategies;
- Demonstrates personal and professional attributes;
- Balances administrative and institutional responsibilities;
- Creates a positive and innovative learning environment.
By incorporating these categories, a teacher can further enhance the learning environment, fosterfing a holistic educational experience that nurtures both academic and personal growth for students. Based on the results of this research some specific quideliness will be prepared for teachers.
References1.Eidimtas, A., Brunevičiūtė, R.(2023). The possibilities to recognize other forms of diversity in learning environments in Higher Education. In ECER 2023" The Value of Diversity in Education and Educational Research". Emerging researchers' conference: 21-22 August 2023 [and] ECER 22-25 August 2023, University of Glasgow. European Educational Research Association.[Berlin]: European Educational Research Association, 2023.
2.Eidimtas, A.; Bruneviciute, R.; Blazeviciene, A. (2018) Creation of the innovative environment for the development of educational and practical possibilities of intercultural comunication of health care team members // ECER 2018, No. 1496.
3.Eidimtas, A., Brunevičiūtė, R., & Urmanavičiūtė, E. (2022). Incoming students ‘expectations towards learning environment created by hosting country university teachers. In INTED 2022 Proceedings: 16th International Technology, Education and Development Conference: 7-8 March, 2022/International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED); Edited by: L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, I. Candel Torres. Valencia: IATED Academy, 2022.
4.Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. teachers college press.
5.Geng, S., Law, K. M., & Niu, B. (2019). Investigating self-directed learning and technology readiness in blending learning environment. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1-22
6.Kamaşak, R., Sahan, K., & Rose, H. (2021). Academic language-related challenges at an English-medium university. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 49, 100945.
7.Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online learning, 22(1), 205-222.
8.Quaye, S. J., Harper, S. R., & Pendakur, S. L. (Eds.). (2019). Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations. Routledge.
9.Steiner-Hofbauer, V., & Holzinger, A. (2020). How to cope with the challenges of medical education? Stress, depression, and coping in undergraduate medical students. Academic psychiatry, 44, 380-387
10.Tamtik, M., & Guenter, M. (2019). Policy analysis of equity, diversity and inclusion strategies in Canadian universities–how far have we come?. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 49(3), 41-56.
11.Tomlinson, M. (2017). Student perceptions of themselves as ‘consumers’ of higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 38(4), 450-467.
12.Van Mol, C., Cleven, J., & Mulvey, B. (2024). Where, when and why are students internationally mobile?. Handbook of Human Mobility and Migration, 128-147
13.Wu, H. P., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015). International student’s challenge and adjustment to college. Education Research International, 2015.
20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments
Paper
Challenges and Opportunities: Promoting Active Student Involvement and Intercultural Competencies in Higher Education
Simran Vazirani-Mangnani, Carmen Carmona Rodriguez, Nerea Hernaiz-Agreda, María Jesús Benlloch Sanchís, Julián Bell Sebastián, Jose Vidal Mollón
University of Valencia, Spain
Presenting Author: Carmona Rodriguez, Carmen
Currently, universities focus on students as individuals who develop through the teaching and learning process, emphasizing a more humanistic and socially committed education (González & González, 2008). The traditional view that a competent person possesses the necessary knowledge and skills for a profession is now considered a more complex phenomenon. Competence is seen as the potential to act in a profession with initiative, flexibility, autonomy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in diverse and heterogeneous scenarios (Prieto et al., 2018). This highlights the need for such generic competencies in student education. In the university context, the learning environment places the student at the center, fostering active construction of knowledge and skills through interaction, mental restructuring, and collaborative teaching-learning contexts. Active student participation is essential, promoting not only information acquisition but also active engagement and empowerment, encouraging independence, autonomy, and critical thinking (Dochy et al., 2005; Bovill et al., 2019). However, discussions persist on the most effective means to make students active protagonists in the educational process. The goal is for students not to be mere observers but to actively engage in and contribute to the construction of knowledge (García & Lorente, 2017); leading to improved academic performance, satisfaction, and reduced dropout rates (Lei et al., 2018). The role of the teacher is crucial in motivating and training students in higher education institutions, particularly when they encourage, provoke, and inspire during lessons (Vallejo, 2020; De Borba et al., 2020). Creating intellectually stimulating, socially nourishing, emotionally motivating, and respectful learning spaces remains a challenge in higher education (Espejo & Sarmiento, 2017). Establishing environments where students can discuss, question, and share, feeling these are safe spaces for dialogue, debate, and critical discussion is essential (Han & Hamilton, 2022). This context also requires consideration of the high diversity and mobility present in university settings, where intercultural competencies become essential. This applies not only to students experiencing a new cultural environment abroad but also to those facing cultural diversity without leaving their home country. Preparing graduates for increasing globalization is a prominent need in educational policies (Carmona et al., 2020; Knight, 2012; Lorenzo Moledo et al., 2023). The research's objective was to examine the role of the teaching-learning environment and the five dimensions comprising the intercultural competence model: cultural empathy, social initiative, flexibility, emotional stability, and open-mindedness.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedTo carry out the study, 625 university students answered a research questionnaire. Scales measured the teaching-learning environment and intercultural competencies at the university context. Regarding the sample characteristics, 96.2% were of Spanish nationality, and 3.8% had dual nationality. Regarding gender distribution, there were 83 men, 535 women, and 7 students who selected "other" (1.1%). Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 56 years. Students belonged to various education-related university programs: 51.2% in Pedagogy, 42.6% in Education Social, and 6.2% in Teaching. Distributed by courses, 36.0% were in the first course, 41.1% in the second course, and 22.9% in the fourth course. Regarding language proficiency, 91.8% of the sample studied a foreign language, with English, French, and Italian being the most frequently learned languages. Concerning international experience, 10.6% studied abroad, with Erasmus practices and Erasmus studies being highlighted. Additionally, 82.7% traveled abroad for other reasons, with 50.2% of them traveling between one to three times. Regarding cultural diversity in the educational environment, 54.1% noted the presence of other nationalities in class, while 45.9% expressed that it was not common. Outside the university context, 45.1% maintained contact with students from different cultures, while 54.9% had no contact with international students.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsResults indicate that in the initial phase of using active methodologies, uncertainty and initial resistance among students arise due to facing novel situations. However, a positive teacher-student relationship contributes to flexibility and emotional stability. Exposure to these intercultural environments strengthens social initiative competence. The importance of teacher feedback for emotional stability is highlighted, despite its limited effect on open-mindedness (Coll et al., 2012; Rekalde y García, 2015). In the analysis of intercultural competencies, it is evident that the teaching-learning environment influences social initiative, emotional stability, flexibility, cultural empathy, and open-mindedness. The teacher-student relationship, as well as curriculum coherence, emerges as determining factors. Active student participation and peer collaboration are positively linked to social initiative and open-mindedness. However, more participative teaching activities negatively impact student emotional stability. The importance of a reasonable workload is emphasized to preserve emotional stability and promote social initiative (Brown, 2008; Hattie & Clarke, 2019). This research emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of the teaching-learning environment and the dimensions of intercultural competencies. Findings suggest a need to balance the implementation of active learning environments with strategies to mitigate initial emotional instability. The teacher-student relationship and curriculum coherence emerge as critical determinants in shaping intercultural competencies, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach.
In summary, the research highlights the need to balance the implementation of active environments with strategies to mitigate initial emotional instability. It also underscores the crucial role of the teacher-student relationship, curriculum coherence, and workload in shaping intercultural competencies. These findings highlight the relevance of designing educational environments that stimulate active learning, promote interculturality, and address students' emotional dimensions to cultivate globally competent citizens.
ReferencesBovill, C., & Woolmer, C. (2019). How conceptualisations of curriculum in higher education influence student-staff co-creating in and of the curriculum. Higher Education, 78, 407-422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0349-8
Carmona, C., Vazirani, S., Muñoz, D.I., Galvis, M.J., & Hernaiz, N. (2020). Internacionalización en casa: una iniciativa para promover y desarrollar competencias lingüísticas e interculturales en el aula de educación superior. En J.F. Durán, J. Puche, y E. López (Eds.), Bases para una docencia actualizada (pp.131-142). Tirant Humanidades.
De Borba, G.S., Alves, I.M., & Campagnolo, P.D.B. (2020). How leaning spaces can collaborate with student engagement and enhance student-faculty interaction in higher education. Innovative Higher Education, 45, 51-63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-09483-9
Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Struyven, K. (2005). Students’ perceptions of a problem-based learning environment. Learning Environment Research, 8, 41-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-005-7948-x
García, E., & Lorente, R. (2017). De receptor pasivo a protagonista activo del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje: redefinición del rol del alumnado en la Educación Superior. Opción, 33(84), 120-153.
González, V., & González., T. (2008). Competencias genéricas y formación profesional: un análisis desde de la docencia universitaria. Revista Iberoamericana, 47, 185-209.
Hattie, J., & Clarke, S. (2019). Aprendizaje visible: Feedback. Paraninfo.
Lorenzo Moledo, M. D. M., Ferraces Otero, M. J., Mella Núñez, Í., & Núñez García, J. (2023). Development of graduates’ transversal competences: the mobility program Galeuropa. Revista de Educación, 400, 295-322. https://doi.org/10.4438/1988-592X-RE-2023-400-579
Prieto, J., Rubio, D.A., & Fernández, C. (2018). Aprendizaje y evaluación de competencias en el alumnado universitario de Ciencias Sociales. Revista de Docencia Universitaria, 16(1), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2018.8941
Rekalde, I., & García, J. (2015). El aprendizaje basado en proyectos: un constante desafío. Innovación Educativa, 25, 219-234. https://doi.org/10.15304/ie.25.2304
Vallejo, A. (2020). El papel del docente universitario en la formación de estudiantes investigadores desde la etapa inicial. Educación Médica Superior, 34(2), 1-20.
Van der Zee, K., Van Oudenhoven, J.P., Ponterotto, J.G., & Fietzer, A.W. (2013). Multicultural Personality Questionnaire: Development of a short form. Journal of Personality Assessment, 95(1), 118-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2012.718302
20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments
Paper
Developing Professional Identity in Teacher Education through Collaborative Self-study: Connecting the Personal and Theoretical in Practice
Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Svanborg Rannveig Jónsdóttir
University of Iceland, Iceland
Presenting Author: Guðjónsdóttir, Hafdís;
Jónsdóttir, Svanborg Rannveig
Teacher educators play a critical role in strengthening the quality of education through teaching and research. The purpose of this research was to draw attention to the importance that teacher educators actively develop their professionalism through teaching and conducting research in education. The aim was to scrutinize our experience of becoming teacher educators that endavor in their praxis to influence their student teachers and the teacher community. The main research question leading this study was: What characterizes our collective journeys and development as researchers and teacher educators?
Teaching people to become teachers can be a complex profession, it is not simply delivering information about the content of a subject or about teaching methods (Loughran, 2013), it is also about the interplay between the teacher, the students, and the subjects (Hordvik et al, 2020). Critical key themes in teacher education are to enhance the theory-practice nexus and to embed critical reflection into the learning spaces in teacher education (Darling-Hammond, 2006; Korthagen, 2017). Biesta (2017) argues that at the very center of the ‘art’ of teaching is becoming educationally wise and therefore that we need teacher education that is neither orientated towards measurable evidence, nor towards competence, but towards the promotion of educational wisdom. He urges teacher educators to offer opportunities to develop the ability to make educational judgements in order to cultivate educational wisdom.
Teacher education can offer opportunities to connect the professional with the personal and the theoretical with the practical (Korthagen, 2017) to support the cultivation of educational wisdom. By working with the layers of teachers’ professional identity and mission, addressing the whole person to bring about professional learningteacher educators help student teachers reframe deeply ingrained limiting beliefs (Korthagen, 2017). The search for a specific pedagogy of teacher education has been going on for some time and as teaching is fundamentally a complex endeavour it is not only important to focus on the observable dimensions of pedagogy, but also to study the personal, relational, and improvisational dimensions (Cuenca, 2010). Principles of constructive alignments and deep learning is important for student teachers. Teacher educators cannot simply put information into their heads, instead they need to create learning spaces for students to construct their knowledge for themselves (Biggs, et.al., 2022). These learning spaces need to provide students with engaging and generative learning experiences. The learning design of each task and the activities that follow must make them deeply engaged.
One of the responsibilities of the teacher educator is about researching education and to deliver the findings to all stakeholders. Therefore, for teacher educators to write about their experience is important, but it takes time, they need time to reflect on their experience, to analyze it within the scholarship and to learn from it but also to introduce it to the educational community (Loughran, 2014; Martin & Russell, 2020). Martin and Russell (2020) argue that self-study research attends to two different epistemologies, the epistemology of knowing that is captured in the propositions and logical arguments of academics and the epistemology of practice that considers how we learn from professional experience. They find it important to attend to both and to show the evidence of the interplay between the two epistemologies.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedMethodology
The research builds on the methodology of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (S-STTEP), where we as the researchers and teacher educators focus on our situation and development as teacher educators through the critical and collaborative lens of self-study. In self-study we learn from our experiences of reflection-in-action, but it becomes reflection-on-action as we report our self-study about our learning from these experiences and relating it to professional theories (Martin & Russell, 2020). Self-study does not follow a recipe created by others, instead by practicing self-study we can create new practices or reconstruct the old ones and focus on the learning from experience to transform practice (Martin & Russell, 2020). By positioning our work within our research as well as the broader teacher education research community being both the researcher and the researched, we take an ontological stance to our professional work as becoming teacher educators (Pinnegar et al., 2020).
Our collaboration and research into our teaching through the methodology of self-study has revealed the importance of creating spaces to extract our experience of becoming teacher educators that strive both to influence our student teachers and the teacher community (Russel & Martin, 2017). Doing collaborative self-study has challenged our assumptions, revealed conflicts, expanded and deepened interpretations, and strengthened our collaborative agency.
Methods
This is a retrospective self-study, and our retrospective data consists of our journals through the years, notes from conversations and meetings as well as our earlier research publications. We also conducted participatory interviews with each other to retrieve memories and stories from our teaching and collaboration. Such interviews are meant to be participatory, equitable and reflectvie approaches to life history research. The interviews were recorded and transcribed.
We each scanned through the bulk of our data looking for indicators of what impacted our development as teacher educators and how we made use of our reflections and understandings. To extract what characterized our collaborative journey becoming teacher educators and researchers, we came together with our notes, reflected on, discussed and analysed and identified specific turning points and defining moments (Bullock, 2012). Applying theories we made sense of the examples from practice and realized how we used self-study to enhance and articulate our evolving professional knowledge (Loughran, 2002). Thus, our passage emerged, from being teachers at grade schools to becoming teacher educators and how we learned together and created teaching and research teams.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsBefore becoming teacher educators, both of us taught at grade school for almost three decades and therefore we brought with us certain experience and knowledge that we have been able to build on as teacher educators.
As I(Z) began my journey into teacher education, one challenge was to search for pedagogy in teacher education. Through reflections and self-study I realized that I had to learn all over again and turn my teaching around and build on student teachers resources and their authentic experiences.
Again and again through self-study I have recognized the difficulties to go beyond didactic teacher focused approaches, and to make a change to more learner centered based learning and teaching.
As I(x) reflect on my journey with Z collaborating first on teaching in her course on inclusive education and then on researching our practice with self-study I remember several defining moments or even perhaps defining phases that impacted my becoming as a teacher educator. One such moment was when she asked me to join her in her course on inclusive education and said I could teach my specialty innovation and entrepreneurial education (IEE). The core pedagogy of IEE is defined as emancipatory pedagogy where learners are active and creative explorers, and the role of the teacher is to be more of a facilitator rather than an instructor. The fundamental process in IEE is to look for and analyse needs or problems, find and develop solutions and make them visible to others or use in practice.
As we analyze the development in the course and consequently how we constantly were becoming and developing as teacher educators we could see multimodal characteristics in the way we worked and wanted to work. We strived to create learning spaces to give students opportunities to find out who they are as educators.
ReferencesBiesta, G. (2017). The future of teacher education: Evidence, competence or wisdom?. In Peters, M., Cowie, B., Menter, I. (Eds.), A companion to research in teacher education. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4075-7_29
Biggs, J., Tang, C., & Kennedy, G. (2022). Teaching for quality learning at university. Open University Press.
Bullock, S. M. (2012). Learning to teach physics teachers: Developing a distinct pedagogy of teacher education. In S. M. Bullock & T. Russell (Eds.) Self-studies of science teacher education practices (103–120). Springer.
Cuenca, A. (2010). Self-study research: Surfacing the art of pedagogy in teacher education. Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, 3, 15–29.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Powerful teacher education: Lessons from exemplary programs. San Francisco.
Hordvik, M., MacPhail, A. & Ronglan, L. T. (2020). Developing a pedagogy of teacher education using self-study: A rhizomatic examination of negotiating learning and practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 88 102969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102969
Korthagen, F.A.J. (2017). A foundation for effective teacher education: Teacher education pedagogy based on theories of situated learning. In D.J. Clandinin & J. Husu (Eds.), The Sage handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 528–544). Sage.
Loughran, J. (2014). Professionally developing as a teacher educator. Journal of Teacher Education. 65(4) 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487114533386
Loughran, J. (2013). Pedagogy: Making sense of the complex relationship between teaching and learning. Curriculum Inquiry, 43(1), 118–141. https://doi.org/10.1111/curi.12003
Loughran, J. (2002). Effective reflective practice in search of meaning in learning about teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053001004
Martin, A. K. & Russell, T. (2020). Advancing an epistemology of practice for research in self-study of teacher education practices. In J. Kitchen, A. Berry, S. M. Bullock, A. R. Crowe, M. Taylor, H. Guðjónsdóttir, & L. Thomas (Eds.), 2nd International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 1045–1074). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1710-1_35-1
Pinnegar, S., Hutchinson, D. A., Hamilton, M. L. Role of positioning, identity and stance in becoming. (2020). In J. Kitchen, A. Berry, S. M. Bullock, A. R. Crowe, M. Taylor, H. Guðjónsdóttir, & L. Thomas (Eds.), 2nd International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 97–133). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6880-6_4
Russel, T. & Martin, A. K. (2017). Reflective practice: Epistemological perspectives on learning from experience in teacher education. In R. Brandenburg, K. Glasswell, M. Jones & J. Ryan (eds.), Reflective theory and practice in teacher education (pp. 27–48). Springer Nature.
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