Internationalization and its pedagogical implications: Understanding and implementing global perspectives in higher education

Two trends currently characterize International Education in higher education institutions of the USA: the increase in the administrative concern to internationalize , and the continued growth of international student enrollments. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to understand how the mission to internationalize was understood and implemented by administrators, faculty and students and (b) to facilitate ongoing discussion among educators of what it means to internationalize a higher education institution. The University, a large midwestern research institution was in the fifth year of its formal, institution-wide internationalization effort. Three research questions guided this investigation: What is internationalization as understood by diverse members of The University? How is internationalization implemented by diverse members of The University? What is the role of international students in the process of internationalization at The University? Designed as an embedded dual case study, this investigation focused on the internationalization efforts of two departments: one in the School of Science and the other in the School of Business. Data were gathered through interviews with two university administrators, two departmental administrators, six faculty members and twelve students. Additional data were gathered through documents pertaining to the internationalization strategies of The University and the two schools. The findings indicate that (a) internationalization is understood and implemented in diverse ways, (b) participants\u27 perspectives were linked to their perceptions of the relevance of internationalization to their academic field, (c) there were significant disjunctions between the rhetoric of internationalization and its implementation, and (d) international students were underutilized as educational resources on the campus. Another outcome of this study is the conceptual definition of internationalization that emerged through the consideration of the multiple perspectives evident in the theoretical framework, the extant literature and the research findings. This definition emphasizes the administrative as well as the pedagogical implications of internationalization. The recommendations offered are intended to facilitate educators\u27 critical thinking about internationalization in order that its implementation might lead to responsible citizenship in a globally interdependent world