Supporting the Switch to Teaching International Classes in Tertiary Education

Abstract

The internationalisation process in European universities has increased since the Bologna declaration was signed in 1999, with many universities adopting English-Medium Instruction as a top-down strategy to improve the international profile of the institution. Against this background, a research and training centre in a university in the North of Italy has responded to requests from some academic staff for the enhancement of their preparation for teaching in English. The centre offers training modules on EMI teaching to international classes. Drawing on the data collected during the modules, and based on a questionnaire sent to 150 lecturers engaged in EMI in a variety of disciplines within the university, this paper reports on the attitudes of lecturers to teaching their subject in English and on adapting contents and teaching methods to international classes. The results reveal a variety of attitudes among lecturers and point to a need to change some teaching practices in relation to the syllabus as well as the type of assessment adopted. Moreover, there is a need to strike a balance between respecting cultural differences in international classes and connecting international students with the local culture.

University Teaching in Global Times: Perspectives of Italian University Faculty on Teaching International Graduate Students

“…Similar to previous studies on faculty perspectives on international students (Coates et al, 2014; Jin & Schneider, 2019; Ramachandran, 2011; Ryan & Viete, 2009; Trice, 2003), Italian university faculty characterize the international student body contextually as learners who assist in expanding the university’s global perspectives, and participants highlighted the importance of these students’ cultural and social contributions to the learning of all. Aligning with the findings of Costa and Murphy (2018), approaches to addressing cultural differences (varying student backgrounds, attitudes, and educational preparations) required adaptation of content and instruction, including internationalizing the curricula, providing examples and cases from outside the national or local context, and taking time to ensure international students understood the expectations of instructional formats and assessments.…”

“…Yet, faculty perspectives on teaching international students have not been widely studied. Research, primarily survey and interview investigations, has been conducted primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Slovenia, with one recent study in northern Italy (Costa & Murphy, 2018). From these studies, faculty perceive internationalization as increasing academic quality, university reputation, and professional development of both staff and students (Knight, 2006; Svetlik & Lalić, 2016).…”

“…Faculty may also believe these students provide important global perspectives (Coates et al, 2014), exemplify the strongest of academic ability (Jin & Schneider, 2019; Trice, 2003), and promote and contribute to campus multilingualism (Jin & Schneider, 2019). Moreover, university teachers tend to value the cultural, political, and social learning opportunities that become possible for all students when classes include collaboration and interaction with international learners (Coates et al, 2014; Costa & Murphy, 2018; Fedeli et al, 2018; Ramachandran, 2011; Ryan & Viete, 2009). In addition, international teaching and research activities can be beneficial for faculty’s careers.…”

“…Research on faculty perspectives of the challenges international learners face in their education abroad highlights academic, linguistic, sociocultural, financial, and legal concerns (Costa & Murphy, 2018; Jin & Schneider, 2019; MacGregor & Folinazzo, 2018; Ramachandran, 2011; Ryan & Viete, 2009; Trice, 2003; Xu, 2015). Writing, oral communication, reading, and listening, as well as academic expectations and preparation, are also challenges emphasized (Costa & Murphy, 2018; Jin & Schneider, 2019; MacGregor & Folinazzo, 2018; Xu, 2015). Faculty acknowledged “uncertainty when explaining and grading assignments, understanding international students’ accented English or written homework, and engaging them in class activities” (Jin & Schneider, 2019, pp.…”