How Does Liberal Arts Education Contribute to Whole-Person Cultivation? A Mixed-Methods Study

• In Event: Using Mixed-Methods Research in Higher Education

Abstract

The study explored liberal arts education (LAE) in two universities in the East Asian contexts and how their LAE is implemented toward whole person cultivation. The study is a mixed-methods design, using data from documents, semi-structured interviews with administrators and faculty members, and an online survey with students and alumni. The study finds that the two universities incorporate cultural tradition and social factors into their LAE models to cultivate social responsibility and capabilities for life flourishing and sustainable development. Moreover, through data triangulation, the findings affirm that the LAE models are positively related to the aspects of capabilities, despite some challenges in implementation, such as limited resources. The study contributes to the exploration of LAE models in non-Western societies.

Author

• Leping Mou, University of Toronto