Approaches to Induction and Orientation for international students in three countries

1. Approaches to Induction and Orientation for international students in three countries Tricia Coverdale-Jones Principal Lecturer, University of Portsmouth, UK in association with Professor Masahiro Chikada Associate Professor, Nagoya University, Japan October 19, 2010

2. Outline • Internationalisation context in world, UK and Japan • Japanese Universities’ motivations • Differences between the two countries • Research project –aims & methods • responses to lecturer questionnaires on teaching and supervising International students • Similarities and differences • Sample comments • responses to student questionnaires on induction • Conclusions

3. Questions arising • Has Japanese education system changed? With ref to critical thinking? A few in audience said they had noticed a change in Japanese students, • Pre-sessionals in Japan/ China? Or only in-sessionals? • Is Central Japan is far more “savvy” internationally than outer areas. Becoming more westernised every year. • How can we explain UK culture?

4. Context in Japan • increased student mobility worldwide (Olcott, 2008) • challenges for receiving universities and for lecturers • context - UK and Japan • Japan – National Plan to increase no. of international students to 300,000 by 2020; Global 30 initiative in 13 unis • http://www.mext.go.jp/english/news/1283454.htm • http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2009/07/20090703 • http://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/en/international/edu-act/g30/

5. Japanese Universities’ motivationsYonezawa, Akiba & Hirouchi (2009) • As a result, “universities care rarely be credited for good teaching on a comparative basis, and in building a positive global reputation it is research outcome that counts” (This reflects concern with rankings, both global and local) • Yonezawa, A. Akiba, H. & Hirouchi, D. (2009) Japanese University Leaders' Perceptions of Internationalization : The Role of Government in Review and Support. Journal of Studies in International Education 2009 13: 125 • http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/13/2/125

6. Context in UK and China • UK – Prime Minister’s Initiative 2 •  largest proportion of international students in UK and Japan (63%) is from China • 2009 Sino-US joint statement – “joint statement that the United States would encourage more Americans to study in China, by sending 100,000 students in the coming four years. (cf. then 20,000 US students in China) • Overseas Education in China: Changing Landscapes , - Kai Jiang and Xueni Ma (2011) • https://htmldbprod.bc.edu/pls/htmldb/f?p=2290:4:102322465417464::NO:RP,4:P0_CONTENT_ID:114622

7. The Observatory on Borderless HE,figures from2006/7 Tricia Coverdale-Jones October 2010

8. Differences between the two countries • Contemporary UK is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society 58,789,194 Apr 2001(92.1% White) • http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=273 • Japan is still ahighly homogeneous society 127,076,183 total Mar 2009, (98.2% Japanese) • http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ja-japan/peo-people • But “In spite of the widespread belief that Japan is ethnically homogeneous, it is probably more accurate to describe it as a multi-ethnic society.”[30] • We expect learning cultures to be very different, but is this still the case? (Jin & Cortazzi, 1996; Kubota, 1999)

9. UK-Japan Research project • Aims • different approaches to the reception of international students in Japan and the UK – in classroom and in induction • relatively teacher-centred in Japan, as in China? (Watkins and Biggs, 1996; 2001) vs student-centred in the UK? (Coverdale-Jones and Rastall, 2009) • problems in teaching or supervising international students. •  similarities and differences in problems encountered by international students, compared to home students • Approaches to induction as an example

10. Nagoya University responses to questionnaire • Japanese Lecturers’ departments • Natural and Applied Sciences 56% • Humanities and Social Sciences 26% • Miscellaneous 23% • What do these Nagoya University lecturers focus on? • (Chikada, M. 2010)

13. UK Lecturers’ departments

14. UK Lecturers’ responses – difficulties or cultural gaps (no of responses)

15. UK lecturers’ approaches (number of responses)

16. Implication from the questionnaire • Lecturers Perceptions of both countries (Japan and UK) have a lot of similarities in teaching and supervising international students with some small differences in adaptation of teaching style, possibly due to experience of multicultural society. • Language skills (Japanese or English) of international students are regarded as a more serious problem in Japanese universities than UK. • Japan has more problems in administrative procedures and information system for international students due to less experience. In UK visa problems were the main difficulty (due to changes this year).

17. Induction questionnaire to students • Induction/orientation is a key transition point for all students. • Induction may show differences in approach to international students. • Are there different approaches to induction in UK, Japan and China – are they student-centred? • Are there differences in the medium used? • Is there evidence of Japanese universities becoming more international in their approach to international students? And Chinese universities? • Or of UK universities’ adaptation?

18. Sample and collection method for induction questionnaire • Student questionnaire on Google Docs • 18 UoP international students • 27 international students in Japan • ( 23 home countries, including Congo Uzbekhistan, Brazil, only 2 students from China) • Questionnaire to UK students in China on paper, due to inaccessibility of Google. • 23 UK students, all at same Beijing university and from same UK university + 3 at another provincial university

19. Did the uni arrange induction sessions?

20. How long was the induction?

21. How would you describe the induction process?

22. Students’ response to methods of induction

23. Use of material online and other media • UK universities appear to put more information online. • E.g. UoP – PrepUp – for students who have not yet started yet at university.http://www.prepup.port.ac.uk/login.php • Use of the VLE (Blackboard) is university policy, so lecturers are expected to use this as a main method of delivery or support for learning. • Equivalent at Nagoya? Use of handbooks? (31 sheets of paper or leaflets in orientation packs) face-to-face meetings. • UK students felt the lack of information on webpages in China. • In China induction was cancelled due to swine flu in Sept 09. • The choice of medium may be different(paper, online, another student), and the speaker may be a student (UK).

24. Conclusions • Lecturers report similar issues in the UK and Japan, especially with reference to Chinese students who form the majority of international students. • Similarities between Japanese & UK approaches. • Induction practices have much in common, in UK & Japan, not in Chinese case. Contrary to our expectations? • Methods of giving information are different (UK websites; Japan on paper; China student mentor?)