Pulled in many directions: tensions and complexity for academic staff responding to international students

ABSTRACT

This article reports on an interview-based study of the academic practices of staff members in a New Zealand university in response to international students in their classes and under their supervision. International students enter academic cultures which are inevitably different from those which have provided their academic preparation. Participant academics often revealed a tension between trying to support students adjusting to new demands and meeting their own expectations of tertiary teaching. Most had implemented some changes to their practices which they identified as enhancing international students’ ability to study successfully, but recognised the need for balance between support and an expectation of student autonomy. For some, however, adjustment of practice to reflect these students’ different expectations and skills violated their understanding of what higher education should be. Using the lens of different orientations that Fanghanel 2012. Being an Academic. London: Routledge] identified among academic staff the article considers possible responses to the current situation.

KEYWORDS:

• International students
• academic staff
• higher education
• internationalisation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Dr Helen Dollery in preparing for the study on which this article is based.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Massey University Research Fund under Grant [RM1000016555].