Conceptualizing a Model for the Internationalization of the PhD
Conceptualizing a Model for the Internationalization of the PhD through the Lens of Brazilian and U.S. Faculty in Different Disciplines International Conference on Doctoral Education University of Central Florida March 26, 2015 Carmen L. McCrink, Veronica Gesser, Heidi Whitford Barry University Research Question and Conceptual Framework How do Brazilian and U.S. faculty, from different disciplines, conceptualize a model for the internationalization of the Ph.D.? Socialization Theory (Bragg, 1976; Tierney, 1997; Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). Interdisciplinary and global view requires the development of socialization skills; Socialization is the “process through which an individual learns the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, habits of mind, and modes of thinking that are required to gain admission and acceptance in a particular organization or culture” (Gardner, Jansujwicz, Hutchins, Cline & Levesque, 2012, p. 378-379). Method and Data Sources Total of 12 doctoral faculty members were interviewed: 6 from a private university in Brazil 6 from a private university in the U.S. Disciplines included the following: Computer Science Counseling Curriculum and Instruction Exceptional Student Education IRB Protocol guidelines Human Resource Development Pseudonyms assigned Linguistics Data collection process included: Management Face-to-face or Skype interviews Pharmacy Administration Semi-structured, open-ended questions Philosophy Interview Protocol How would you describe the commitment to higher education (in U.S. or Brazil)? How would you describe the perceptions surrounding doctoral education (in the U.S. or Brazil) vis-à-vis today’s global socioeconomic and political infrastructure? What does the internationalization of higher education mean to you? How do you perceive doctoral education within the context of internationalization? Which factors do you believe need to be in place for the internationalization of doctoral education? How would you describe expectations and/or standards for doctoral study in your specific discipline? How is your specific discipline relevant to internationalization? What are your thoughts as to how students in your discipline would benefit from the internationalization of the PhD? Which factors, or elements, do you believe are essential toward the development of an international community of practice, for doctoral education, based on your experience in teaching doctoral students? What other thoughts do you have with reference to the future of the internationalization of the PhD? Data Analysis • • • Identification of analytic categories and sub-categories; Uploading of narratives into NVivo software; Coding of data for common themes guided by principles of thematic and narrative analysis (Merriam, 1998; Riessman, 2008). Analytical Categories and Emergent Themes U. S. Faculty Higher Education in the U.S. Utilitarian function Ph.D. as highly specialized, yet different models Ph.D. in a state of fluctuation: Change in perception based on the socioeconomic and political infrastructure— from the pinnacle of academic achievement attained by only a few to flexibility in admission requirements to accommodate international students. [HED] “It’s becoming more of a business and we are aware of the issues associated with that.” “So I’ve seen it shift so much so that perhaps now students that traditionally use to think about going to earn that bachelor’s degree feeling as if they have to keep going and earn a graduate degree because the bachelor’s isn’t enough anymore.” “…so I think people look at it as a necessity in many ways.” “I think that in the U.S. it’s more of a right…heavily supported by the government through things like financial aid…” Higher Education in the U.S. (Cont.) “…nobody needs a Ph.D. in business really.” “People used to think of the doctorate as an elite type of degree that very few people went for…I’m not really sure where we are right now with respect to that.” “I am seeing more and more international students applying for our doctoral programs…we are really needing to look at what our application for admission requirements are…the issue of the TOEFL is something that we’re constantly struggling with.” “Today Ph.D.s [are] easier to get, particularly in the United States compared to other countries.” “Whether it plays out in practice or whether it’s more rhetoric, I’ve had experiences that make me think that there seems to be a commitment [to higher education].” Internationalization of the Ph.D. Focus on global research Partnering with institutions beyond boundaries Bringing access to doctoral education to others around the globe “So I think a global mindset is necessary…being able to get research from all over the world.” “It could mean that you bring a global perspective into education.” “I look at it from the perspective of us having partnerships with international institutions and by partnerships I mean us having faculty exchanges, having an opportunity to go to another country and learn more about their educational process and then having that partnership for them to be able to come here.” “I guess it can be seen as one country promoting higher education and bringing higher education to other countries that might not have it or it might be a common effort of many countries that have the infrastructure and the resources to provide higher education to those countries that cannot afford to provide it.” “I think it’s important to have people that not just have traveled but have worked, or at least done scholarship, whether it’s conferences or whether it’s collaborations, or whether it’s even just going to listen to someone at a local conference that’s coming from a different country.” Discipline Relevance Rigor in spite of discipline Prescriptive process, yet dependent upon discipline Global mindset should prevail “Well, I think that one standard that has to be there regardless of the discipline is rigor. You have to have people who know what they’re doing, good research, good questions, solving problems…research that is current and cutting edge…” “I think the expectation is to bridge that gap between reality and really what’s happening and what we’re writing about and what we’re publishing. I don’t know in other disciplines but in ours there is definitely a disconnect between the business world and academia.” “Yes, prescriptive is the word…We have aligned with what the expectations are for a higher education faculty at any institution…” “It’s important to me to provide and it’s always a challenge to make sure that I can include voices from other places in meaningful and relevant ways in the curriculum for the classes that I teach.” Development of International Community of Practice Specific fields—HR and Counseling—consider themselves as such Need for Resources Need to promote disciplines overseas “Well, this is pretty much, human resource development is an international community of practice.” “I think this is more meaningful at the Ph.D. level. That people can go to conferences, conduct studies together such as cross-cultural in each area.” “Well, I guess, thinking about my field an essential factor has to be a common professional identity.” “Once I took a tour in Australia and a person from Tasmania, she was a principal of a school. She told me that now they are doing inclusion. They are doing all these things because of the United States.” “I think it’s important that people have experiences of their own; so going overseas and teaching or learning whether it’s doing something like that. If you’re able to go over and do coursework, for example, in another country or if you were able and do some teaching.” Analytical Categories and Emergent Themes Brazilian Faculty Higher Education in the Brazil Privatization of the higher Education; Great expantion and great access; Internationalization Policies; Increase for Social Policies Pressure to increase of scientific productivity; Narrowing relations with the market; Budget cuts; Evaluation CAPES for quality; Replacement of High qualified Professors by specialists; Commodification of HED Lack of Partnerships. “Brazil has advanced in the last decade, considering that it started higher education later in relation to our Latin American neighbors. Until recently so very few of us had access in higher education compared to our neighboring countries and now I realize that this has improved somewhat.” (B5). Higher Education in the Brazil (Cont.) “...there is a strong investment in social inclusion policies, expressed in the higher education access policies, such as, Prouni, FIES and Open Universities in Brazil. It can be said that these policies are of great impact, which seek to ensure access of the poor or working class in higher education. ” (B1). “From the perspective of internationalization there was a lot of investment in the scholarship program for study abroad with the "Science without Borders" program. This program has grown, especially in recent years int the government Rousseff which will now probably go through evaluation. Brazil had a goal to send the largest possible number of students to carry out part of the undergraduate or graduate (Masters and PhD) or complete certain periods of their studies in foreign countries.” (B1) “From the perspective of internationalization there was a lot of investment in the scholarship program for study abroad with the "Science without Borders" program. This program has grown, especially in recent years int the government Rousseff which will now probably go through evaluation. Brazil had a goal to send the largest possible number of students to carry out part of the undergraduate or graduate (Masters and PhD) or complete certain periods of their studies in foreign countries.” (B2) Higher Education in the Brazil (Cont.) “. But it is a difficult time because it also reflects the quality education since it can not be mainly in public universities hire Professors, it can not spend on extra features, you can not even find partners for outdoor activities, then these features are lacking in Brazilian higher education.” (B3) “ the theme of quality I think CAPES has done important work in terms of taking care of the quality of programs and hence the quality is also required of programs that require, in turn, quality of students”. (B3). “It is much more an expansion of higher education, a quantitative expansion rather than qualitative. The expansion is too big already. It facilitates access to higher education for workers, people who were excluded from education in general, but the commitment is still very small. This expansion is happening in a very fast way and the quality, although helpful, is still fragile. The assessment procedures are more quantitative than qualitative, although there are some initiatives to qualify that higher education with a process to internationalization at undergraduate with the Science Without Borders program, but still I find it very concerning. The quality is still left out because the quantity is much higher than the quality.” (B4). Higher Education in the Brazil (Cont.) “higher education in Brazil has received government attention and society, but that falls short of the need In terms of investment, in terms of greater participation of society in taking advantage of research results in a greater dissemination of the results to society. I realize also lack of stronger partnerships between the market and institutions, especially in technology”. (B6). “Due to national and international policy, this commitment has just heading for privatization of the higher Education. This idea of privatization has also embebeded the idea of internationalization because of globalization which is based on the idea of eliminating boundaries between countries”. (B1) “The internationalization has become an important thing for international politics since the 1990s and policies for higher education in Brazil are gaining strength, from the late 2000.” (B1). “There has been pressure on the IES in order to align itself to these goals which induced through rankings, reviews and qualifying performances. In this way we are induced, for example, to the increase of scientific productivity, streamlining graduation, assessment of student performance, the evaluation of the courses performance, streamlining graduate both broad sense, as strictly speaking, the narrowing relations with the market’. (B1). “Much recovery by quantitative productivity and therefore I believe that makes people do not dare to design something more bold or innovative, then the groups did not risk so much.” (B5) Internationalization of the Ph.D. Great Expansion; Increase of scholarships provision and polices; Encompasses Broader perspectives; Involves Global Approaches; Discrepancies between what is done and society needs Shrinking of time frame to complete a Ph.D. Lack of critical thinking; Professors are becoming practitioners rather than thinkers; Concerns about the brain drain phenomenon; Curriculum Internationalization; Change teaching and learning conceptions Internationalization of the Ph.D. “in Brazil and the results are a large and growing contingent of PHD’s.” (B2). “The programas had in their origins, from CAPES, a great control in order to release or not the opening of doctoral programs and they were more restricted to public universities. If we compare what we had with what we have today, the experiences are much larger and expanded. By 2010, we had few opportunities to leave, for example, in order to perform doctorate abroad with scholarships. There were, but they were very restricted opportunities. They were only released if the researcher already presented a long history with another university abroad. It was highly elitist. From this date on, these opportunities have expanded significantly”. (B1) Internationalization of the Ph.D. “due to the Borderless Sciences policy that expanded the doctoral scholarship in order to offer Doctoral sandwich programs, full doctorate and post-doctorate for Professors who are working in doctoral programs. Compared to other moments that we have lived, I believe we expanded a lot.” (B1) “I understand that the internationalization of doctoral programs, especially in education tends to allow a broader reflection, not just a region or a country, but analyzing the problems in a more global approach. In this sense, I believe that internationalization allows some demands that are very local problems or which are linked to public policy of a country, or sometimes linked to low pay or problems of poor teacher training, and are characteristics of a country, such difficulties are investigated from other approaches, they are investigated in a broader view. In this sense, I understand that internationalization can contribute very strongly on the issue of bringing good examples, to bring another perception, bring a focus or ideas that may work elsewhere and that can be adapted to the reality of the country or not.” (B6) Internationalization of the Ph.D. “there is a distance between the training that our researches have and what society needs. As well as undergraduate, doctoral courses was also very technical and very restricted. Often these professionals can not have a different place in society, in the market. There are many requirements for training. For example, complete a doctorate in three years. This undermines the possibility of having a fuller training in a doctoral course. The students already have to enter with a project that can not go wrong, due to the short notice.” (B5) “The real reason for the formation of a Researcher should be able to produce solutions to that area which should be the priority to the scientific production. How far this is contributing to science? We are becoming very pieceworkers, we have no more time to reflect, to predict the future direction of each area and the opportunities of interrelation. With this rate, even within my micro space, in my area I do not have this future perspective. We are very operational on schedule of what we do. Maybe 10% of our day we are doing something pleasurable and reflective, the rest are operational demands.” (B5). Internationalization of the Ph.D. ‘My concern when it comes PhD in Brazil is the brain drain which is an old phenomenon, for a time had a certain interrumption, I say otherwise, have the people who came to foreigner countries to get their PhD’s degrees, Their research exchanges to return due to the number of appropriate competitions and working conditions within the Brazilian sending organizations. What you see in recent years, is a setback and therefore a very high risk of the brain drain phenomenon exacerbated, grow back.” (B2). “Internationalization means the elimination of language barriers. (…) for reading and participating in events in which you can dialogue with other researchers. You can receive foreigners in your institution, both researchers and doctoral students. (…) Internationalization only happens if there is human interaction so not only through articles and collaborations.” (B5). “I understand as the construction of a broader research agenda. Even in a huge country, sometimes we have few people researching the same thing. So, I believe that would be the case of construction of new networks, building wider networks of research becomes a more lively environment, and the internationalization would be the reduction of barriers to languages with methodologies of research, greater understanding between cultures and between different philosophical backgrounds too.” (B6) Internationalization of the Ph.D. “The idea of internationalization is presented as the elimination of barriers to free export talents.” (B1). “internationalization as exchange of people, information, and even research. Of goods that could be our research, our final products would our articles, etc.” (B3) “The internationalization that we should pursue not only refers to the possibility of sending doctoral students for exchanges in a given country and receive students from other countries. The internationalization, at this level of training, should be related to the curriculum of each program. What we teach the courses should always have an international approach.” (B1). “Internationalization is one of the main criteria for the distinction of excellence programs. But this conception of CAPES of internationalization is not the concept of internationalization that we discussed in here.” (B1) “Internationalization in Brazil still depends on individual attitudes where Professors through their networks get international partnerships. In a more international program context internationalization has more to do with the program. The programs internationalize by themselves and the people are part of this process. There are people that hold this process for you, but internationalization of the program has more to do with the programs initiatives.” (B3). Internationalization of the Ph.D. “Internationalization means, first, to expand research partnerships. It terms possibility of expanding their partner networks to conduct research together. So that researches are not only results of a particular culture, but for us to understand certain objects of knowledge from various cultural perspectives. It will generate the mobility of researchers to go other universities. This provides expansion of horizons, other forms of knowledge which extends other possibilities of knowledge to a researcher.” (B4). “I consider the curriculum above any other dimension. I consider that the curricular components need to be very detailed from the perspective of transformative education, intercultural education. Since the choice of content, from the choice of teaching strategies and learning, from evaluations and, of course, the bibliographies.” (B2) Discipline Relevance Read text in different languages; Global mindset must prevail; Learning involves higher order thinking; Take teaching approaches into consideration; International literature. “ (…) very close to a larger view of the world, their diversity, their different possibilities of doing research and designing your subject.” (B1). “An internationalized doctoral student would benefit changing your attitude to life and the world. He/She would understand the object of study in an internationalized and comprehensive perspective and put openly to other forms of "to be" in the world.” (B1). “ (...) make doctoral students realize that science of which we speak in Brazil is a science also studied and worked elsewhere. But this science can be worked and studied in different ways. I try to do as much for doctoral students perceive science in this international perspective.” (B2) Discipline Relevance “My discipline is a differential in this sense, since the its issue is internationalization strategy, which main objective is really to make the students to have a whole vision of internationalization theory. It could develop them a more global mindset that will lead the students to understand and promote this process of internationalization not only linked companies, people, but also to education.” (B3) “It is essential. Because we need to know how other countries are working with children. What are your policies? How such policies has affected the children around the world. So overall, this is a worldwide concern. How to educate the children to these new challenges, for that more technological society”. (B4) “It is essential and also contributes to the international context and the program's internationalization. Our area is extremely interdisciplinary, there is no one working alone. The scientific production has almost always more than one Professors. My area is internationalized, with much or little support, we must work integrated. It is essential”. (B5). “In my area, the internationalization is fundamental.” (B6) Development of International Community of Practice Internationalized curriculum program.; Overcome foreign languages barriers; Increase of teaching and research exchanges and partnerships; Increase of funding and Scholarships; Federal and Institutional clear policies; Increase of institutional infra-structure; Partnerships for publication and research projects; Set a global research agenda; Multi-institutional Programs. “ (…) stronger ties between researchers from different countries are essential in order to get closer to this concept. An open minded set of all, and equal relations, so that there is common tasks and common objects of study which would be necessary”. (B1) Development of International Community of Practice “(…) a foreign language that the student will build and maintain pairs. In this way is that the doctoral student will decipher aspects of another culture and also split on their knowledge on your subject, their education, their profession and their culture. In the process of internationalization which it is most in researches and exchanges of Professors and talk about their profession, about his performance. How is the profession for that area in other parts of the world? For the development of this international community, I regard language knowledge as fundamental. In addition, doctoral students need to experience in its origin the movement of an internationalized program. Exchanges of students, Professors, projects, publications in partnerships, etc. Finally, the PhD student must thus realize that the curriculum is thus permeated.” (B2). “I think the first thing is the communication process. Make reading and research studies conducted elsewhere in the world. Publication in international journals. Read, produce and publish internationally in partnership with others in the field, in another language. Another thing may be the best use of the online network. For example, create a website of the research group to socialize what the group has been doing. To participate in international events. For all of this, we need institutional support. Personal efforts we are already doing. We also need to expand our network and countries.” (B4). Development of International Community of Practice “First, having a proactive institutional policy for internationalization. Without it, it is not going to happen. No matter if the programs want or need to internationalize, but if the institutional policy is not focused on this element. I consider a much more micro action because if we depend on Federal institutional policies that we will not get it. From this micro policy having individual, joint actions; that is, a set of Professors seeking internationalization as a key factor for teaching quality in the doctoral program where They are linked. And this set of individual actions, always thinking a whole, the program, not just themselves. For example, I am an international Professor, but to what extent a Professor of the whole program makes the difference? We need an international group to be recognized as an international program. And therefore, I believe that individual actions, thinking of the program as a whole is what we need to have more and more internationalized doctoral programs.” (B3). Development of International Community of Practice “we need support for mobility and for the funding of projects that, in our area, are expensive. So, we must have financing for the implementation of the projects. So, financing is necessary for personnel costing and project execution. We have a hard time to bring these Professors because we have no resources. We also need support for output of our Professors salary, scholarship, support for displacement, etc. Internally, in our institution lacking support policies to assist these costs. In summary, the meeting, the personal mobility of researchers and students is the key.” (B5) “I understand that Researches' associations, academic organizations could propose an agenda of research problems. I think this could be a starting point, especially in the area that I act. It would be to identify common problems, perhaps UNESCO do it, but I am not sure. So, having a common agenda made by the researchers.” (B6) “I think of a doctoral modality to be multi- institutional. That is, a network of institutions that legitimize the diploma of a doctoral Student and that the networks would allow the student mobility within that very broad way of network. Then, we could make a curriculum almost like a sequential, by choosing the skills that the doctoral student wished to develop or finding where are the research niches that the student has affinity. So I understand that internationalization could do this; that is, work with multi- institutional programs.” (B6). Future Outlook Stronger Efforts for curricula internationalization; Stronger and clear Federal and Institutional policies; Intensive Professors and Students exchanges and partnerships; Greater investments in infra-structured; Clear support and funding from Federal, State and institutional agencies; Improve quality of Basic Education (from early childhood to High School); Trend to consolidation; Knowledge of foreigner language increase. “I think there is a strong trend of internationalization to expand and to consolidate.” (B1) “I believe that foreign language, English, for example, must be a requirement in doctoral programs”. (B1) Future Outlook “An international curriculum is required.” (B2). “That the institutions are absolutely organized when it comes to Professors’ leaving for an exchange in order for the Professor to feel relaxed about their mobility. (…) I think there is a misalignment between what the government announces to what the institutions have in some of their advertising materials about the term "internationalization”. (B2). “I see that more advanced programs in the evaluation has no choice but to internationalize. And in the medium and long term all programs should be internationalized regardless of the assessment they have.” (B3) “That we could have a foreign Professor every semester and also being able to have our Professors goint to international programs every six months in other universities to teach seminars. The doctoral Professor should have more time for his doctoral works and not getting sliced in multiple institutional activities, in order to facilitate the process of mobility. We live a thought still very outdated, that the good Professor is one who teaches many classes throughout the semester. Otherwise, we will never have internationalization because it requires mobility. Although everything is in the begining, I am optimistic about it. People will have to change their vision around what is to be a researcher and for that we need more support.” (B4) Future Outlook “I think we are on a path of no return. The internationalization will happen. It needs to happen and we want it to happen. Despite the difficulties we have achieved. But I think the timing is good, however we lack yet, support and promotion policies, internally, I see this process with optimism, mainly because we now have ease in sending students abroad and to approve projects with development for these exchanges, when it begins, I think it will be a continuous motion. Only if they cut all government funding sources, it would be a step backwards. But in terms of government policies should continue and intensify. You can not go back. We do not want to stop doing. But also the personal barriers also need to be overcome. So we, Professors, have a lot of responsibility with that.” (B5) “I think that is connected to this context and I believe that internationalization started with the idea of globalization, with the advancement of technology and communications. This allowed the distances to be reduced, although this has started more in trade and now it ended up influencing the academic activities as well. So this is the result of a larger process of globalization. And therefore I believe it is a trend that will happen. I believe that what is open is the question of defining research agendas and how they will be effectively defined.” (B6) References Bragg, A. K. (1976). The socialization process in higher education. Washington, DC: The George Washington University. Gardner, S. K., Jansujwicz, J., Hutchins, K., Cline, B., & Levesque, V. (2012). Interdisciplinary doctoral student socialization. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7, 377-394. Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Tierney, W. G. (1997). Organizational socialization in higher education. The Journal of Higher Education, 68, 1-16. Van Maanen, J., & Schein, E. H. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. Research in Organizational Behavior, 1, 209-264. Major Themes Higher Education in the U.S. and Brazil Compared Results of Sub-Themes for Major Themes Sub-Themes - (U.S.) Sub-Themes - (BRAZIL) Utilitarian function Privatization of higher Education; Ph.D. as highly specialized, yet different models Great expansion and great access; Ph.D. in a state of fluctuation: Internationalization Policies; ⦁ Change in perception based on the socioeconomic and political Increase for Social Policies; infrastructure—from the pinnacle of academic achievement attained by Pressure for increase in scientific productivity; only a few to flexibility in admission requirements to accommodate Narrowing relations with the market; international students. Budget cuts; Evaluation CAPES for quality; Replacement of Highly qualified Professors by specialists; Commodification of HED Lack of Partnerships. Internationalization of the Ph.D. Focus on global research Partnering with institutions beyond boundaries Bringing access to doctoral education to others around the globe Great Expansion; Increase of scholarships provision and polices; Encompasses Broader perspectives; Involves Global Approaches; Discrepancies between what is done and society needs Shrinking of time frame to complete a Ph.D. Lack of critical thinking; Professors are becoming practitioners rather than thinkers; Concerns about the brain drain phenomenon; Curriculum Internationalization; Change teaching and learning conceptions Discipline Relevance Rigor in spite of discipline Prescriptive process, yet dependent upon discipline Global mindset should prevail Read text in different languages; Global mindset must prevail; Learning involves higher order thinking; Take teaching approaches into consideration; International literature. Specific fields—HR and Counseling—consider themselves as such Need for Resources Need to promote disciplines overseas Internationalized curriculum program.; Overcome foreign languages barriers; Increase of teaching and research exchanges and partnerships; Increase of funding and Scholarships; Federal and Institutional clear policies; Increase of institutional infra-structure; Partnerships for publication and research projects; Set a global research agenda; Multi-institutional Programs. Stronger Efforts for curricula internationalization; Stronger and clear Federal and Institutional policies; Intensive Professors and Students exchanges and partnerships; Greater investments in infra-structured; Clear support and funding from Federal, State and institutional agencies; Improve quality of Basic Education (from early childhood to High School); Trend to consolidation; Increase knowledge of foreign language. Development of International Community of Practice Future Outlook
© Copyright 2024