Comparing internationalisation of the curriculum in action across disciplines: theoretical and practical perspectives

TLDR

Internationalisation of the curriculum is a debated, under‑studied area, with few cross‑disciplinary or multi‑institutional studies. The paper aims to present a conceptual framework for internationalising the curriculum and to illustrate it with three case studies across disciplines in Australian universities. The framework is grounded in research that engaged academic staff in exploring and making explicit the meaning of internationalisation within their programmes. The framework reveals the complexity of curriculum internationalisation, encourages alternative paradigms, legitimises diverse perspectives, and opens pathways to future possibilities.

Abstract

Internationalisation and internationalisation of the curriculum in higher education are not new concepts, but they are much debated and diversely interpreted. Studies of the higher education curriculum have been scarce. Studies of internationalisation of the curriculum in higher education are even rarer and, with a few exceptions, are focused on a single institution and/or a single discipline. This paper presents a conceptual framework for internationalisation of the curriculum that explains the foundations of alternative constructions of an internationalised curriculum and presents three case studies of internationalisation of the curriculum in three disciplines and universities in Australia. The framework is based on research that engaged academic staff in the process of exploring and making explicit the meaning of internationalisation of the curriculum in their programmes. It highlights the full complexity of internationalisation of the curriculum in context, prompts consideration of alternative paradigms, accommodates and legitimates different perspectives and provides gateways into alternative futures.