Do returning monks give better sermons? – The overseas study experiences of academics from a newly established undergraduate institution in China

Yuying, Lou (2012) Do returning monks give better sermons? – The overseas study experiences of academics from a newly established undergraduate institution in China. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University.

Abstract

This research identifies the overseas study benefits perceived by academics from a newly established undergraduate institution in China. The study examined the experiences of 45 academics who had engaged in academic activities overseas from the year of 2003 to 2008. The participants completed a questionnaire about their overseas experiences and perceived personal and professional benefits. Ten of the 45 academics also participated in a follow-up interview. The results of the analysis showed that the participants were very satisfied overall with their experiences and strongly believed that they had gained significant personal and professional benefits. Three predictor variables were associated with perceived benefits: academic discipline, duration of overseas stay and language proficiency. Engineering academics reported higher benefits than academics from other disciplines. Longer trips and higher levels of language proficiency were related to more benefits. The study concludes with policy recommendations for ensuring successful overseas study experiences. These recommendations are for the universities to provide pre-departure training in language and cross-cultural communication skills, and to help secure a good overseas placement by cultivating solid international partnerships with foreign universities. Furthermore, universities should encourage academics to reflect on what they have learned from overseas universities, support them to trial innovations, and facilitate them to engender positive changes in teaching and research. The findings and ensuing recommendations from this study may be useful for universities, in China and elsewhere that are seeking to internationalize their teaching and research efforts.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters by Research)
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Education
Notes:	Note to the author: If you would like to make your thesis openly available on Murdoch University Library's Research Repository, please contact: repository@murdoch.edu.au. Thank you.
Supervisor(s):	Perry, Laura
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/41705

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