Centering Inquiry, Research, and Responsibility in International Programming: Critical Features of an IHE Exchange

• In Event: Exploring Possibilities of Alternative Study Abroad Programming: International Project Design and Implementation for Educational Equity

Abstract

Objectives
This paper shares collective learning from a year-long research-based global exchange that centered inquiry, research and praxis as part of the educational preparation for graduate students. Avoiding a tourist-based cultural program (Kambutu & Nganga, 2008), the project was designed to be transformative in nature with critical reflection and experiential learning opportunities (Mezirow, 1978) in two border regions of the world as part of a partnership between two Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)—San Diego State University and the Haute École Pédagogique, Vaud located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The program focused on issues of language, diversity, and equity and involved two phases--1) the hosting of 11 Master’s Degree students from Switzerland for a 10-day visit to the university, local bilingual schools and cultural activities and a global symposium where the U.S. and Swiss student teams shared their understandings of biliteracy practices and policies in their home contexts, and 2) the 10-day visit to Switzerland for graduate students to share their research on educational equity issues, observe in the Swiss educational system, and participate in dialogue with from researchers on their educational projects.

Perspectives
This study explores cultural humility (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998) as a process-oriented approach to cultural competency (Hook, et al., 2013) for international education programming. We build from the ideas that a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique, a desire to fix power imbalances and develop partnerships with people and groups who advocate for others (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998) are essential characteristics of critically conscious educators and researchers and aligned with the work we do in preparing M.A. and doctoral students to conduct equity-minded research.
Methods/Data
This practitioner-inquiry framed study (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) required a meta-analysis of the four faculty mentors’, three master’s and seven doctoral students’ individual and collective experiences. In line with Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2009), our goal as mentor-scholars was to support student-researchers in making “visible some of the many personal, professional and political decisions and struggles practitioners face every day in their work in classrooms, schools, and other educational contexts” (p. 344). The following question guided our work together: What are the critical features of transformative IHE exchanges? Data sources included students’ reflections, video reflections, critical incident reports (Brookfield, 1995), final papers for the associated course, program powerpoint presentations, zoom recordings, and faculty observations and reflections.

Findings & Scholarly Significance
This research-based global exchange was transformative in nature due to its interdisciplinary and interdepartmental scope, the centering of research and inquiry throughout the process, and the critical nature of the community building and mentorship structure that allowed for educational transformation at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels. Data from papers, presentations, video recordings and narrative reflections (all collected virtually due to the pandemic) exhibited evidence of participants’ development of critical consciousness and cultural humility.

Authors

• Sera Jean Hernandez, San Diego State University

• Felicia V Black, San Diego State University

• Marva Cappello, San Diego State University

• Saul Isaac Maldonado, University of California - Santa Cruz