A comparison of the views of educational administration students in the USA and Mexico

Abstract

This study is an examination of the views of students completing an educational administration preparation program at Southwest Texas State University (SWT) in San Marcos, TX, USA, with those completing a similar program, the Maestria en Administracion y Desarrollo de la Educacion (MADE), at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN) in Mexico City, Mexico. Focus groups are used to explore perceptions of how students change over the course of the program, what distinguishes them from graduates of other programs, and how they feel about the quality of their experience. The process of pairing institutions for joint study across cultures appears to hold significant promise for gaining insight into current practices and giving direction needed for change.