A case study of 'internationalisation at home' leading to a proposal for Critical Global Pedagogies

This thesis examines current practice around ‘internationalisation at home’ (Jones, 2014). This is contextualised in single case study institution, in an isolated region of the UK, and takes place following the Brexit vote and the election of the Trump administration. The research utilised a multifaceted data collection approach including interviews, focus groups, written responses, and documentary analysis of publicly available documents. The data provides evidence that the majority of current internationalisation activity is economically motivated. Intercultural or global curriculum activity was evident but unstructured and limited. Central to this thesis is a discussion relating to the impact of insular thinking. This is set against a rise in protectionist and nationalist discourses, and contrasted with a feeling of disenfranchisement amongst the wider student population who feel that the contemporary politics do not reflect their vote or values. Whilst there appears to be a naivety amongst the student population of what it means to be a ‘global citizen’, there is majority agreement between the academics and students that activities which enable students to better understand the world, and the role they play within it, should be an essential part of the curriculum. However, there is evidence that academics will need support to develop the expertise needed to design and facilitate potentially disruptive, but transformative learning. Using a social justice theoretical framework, the research undertaken allows this thesis to make a case for a new way of engaging with internationalisation at home through my newly proposed model of ‘Critical Global Pedagogies’. With use of non-Western pedagogic approaches, and resources delivered through the disciplines, learners are challenged to examine their assumptions, norms and biases, and welcome encounter with the ‘other’. By so doing, I argue that Critical Global Pedagogies create a space in which students can learn to read the world more intelligently (Nussbaum, 1997) and develop the desire and ability to engage constructively across cultural divides