Educating international students: A disaccord between perceptions of training needs and transcultural teaching practices

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

With a continuous rise in the number of international students studying in Australia, research indicates student and field educator dissatisfaction with learning on placement or during work-integrated learning (WIL). Field educators are often unwilling to supervise students from non-English speaking backgrounds and students find it difficult to transition to Australian workplace settings. This calls for research into how field educators and international students can be supported during placement.
207 respondents completed either a university or a nation-wide survey about their experiences and training needs in educating international students on placement. 18 also participated in a semi-structured interview. Nationally, only 31% of the respondents indicated they had been trained to work with international students and, in both surveys, an overwhelming 92% indicated such training should be offered to supervisors of international students. Self-perceived professional development needs include identifying cultural differences and developing cross-cultural communication skills. While provision of specialised training aligns with the results of academic research, the supervisors’ self-identified needs indicate a continued deficit approach in the teaching of diverse cohorts of students. In order to transition to a transcultural education approach, this paper explores discrepancies and suggests ways to link the self-identified needs of supervisors with transcultural teaching practices.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2018
EventThe Learner Conference 2018 - Athens, Greece
Duration: 21 Jun 201823 Jun 2018

Conference

ConferenceThe Learner Conference 2018
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityAthens
Period21/06/1823/06/18

Keywords

  • Transcultural teaching
  • Placement
  • WIL
  • Supervision
  • Field education
  • International Students

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