Legal teaching methods to diverse student cohorts: a comparison between the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

This article makes a comparison across the unique educational settings of law and business schools in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to highlight differences in teaching methods necessary for culturally and ethnically mixed student cohorts derived from high migration, student mobility, higher education rankings and host governments promoting educational services. The approach of grounded theory is used, drawing data from instructor interviews and class observations of their teaching styles. While instructors from universities with higher numbers of international students are under pressure, the findings indicate there are positive consequences that result from these settings. Outcomes include experimentation in teaching methods, increases in the use of technology and more teacher training. There are concerns about English-language entry tests, a possible reputational risk for the higher education industry. This research contributes to the debate on changes in teaching methods that result from student mobility towards English-medium universities.

Keywords:

• Legal teaching
• international students
• globalised higher education
• blended learning
• student-centred learning
• interactive learning

Acknowledgement

The author is grateful to the Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School, Monash University, Australia, for the grant provided for this research paper. Thanks also to Richard Mitchell and Ros Black for their insightful comments on the draft version of the paper.

Notes

1. The term ‘diversity’ can have a much wider meaning in the context of the classroom. The term may include gender and cross-gender, and other personal issues, such as socio-economic background. However, the research for this article uses a limited definition of ‘diversity’.

2. See The New School, NYC, website, http://www.newschool.edu/about/history/

3. The latest OECD report (2014, Table C4.4) with 2012 data shows the respective share of the international student market as: United States 16.4 % (2009: 18%); the United Kingdom 12.6% (2009: 9.9%); Australia 5.5% (2009: 7%); and New Zealand 1.4% (2009: 1.9%). Comparative 2009 data are from the earlier (OECD, 2011, Table C3.3) report.

4. See for instance the University of Melbourne website, http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/explore/why-choose-melbourne/reputation-rankings

5. See the Monash University (Australia) website on showcasing best teaching practice, http://intranet.monash.edu.au/learningandteaching/academy/showcasing/

6. See article about Chinese student mobility that has shifted towards the US, http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20,150,726,083,844,202