Journal of International and Comparative Education (JICE)

Patterns of Relationships in North-South Higher Education Partnerships: A Pathway to Mutuality

Kitaw Kassie — 2024-09-01

This study examines the patterns of relationships in North-South higher education partnerships, emphasizing the experiences and perspectives of the Southern partner. Employing a comparative case study design, the research explores two cases of partnerships
between universities in Ethiopia and Norway, involving interviews with 40 participants as well as a review of relevant documents. The analysis maps out how the partnerships are formedand functioning, comparing the two cases in terms of the positioning and agency of the Southern partners. The findings indicate that North-South higher education partnerships are shaped not only by structural factors but also by context-specific elements embedded in the local environments. These context-embedded factors are found to be crucial for challenging the problematic consequences of inherent asymmetries in the partnerships and, thus, for paving the way for more mutual collaborations.

Taiwanese EFL Learners’ Use of Learning Strategies in Developing Job Interview Skills

Kentei Takaya — 2024-09-01

This study investigates Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ use of strategies in developing job interview skills in English. The participants were 40 EFL learners majoring in English at a private university in Taiwan. The study was part of a fourweek job interview training program, during which they prepared for a mock interview test. The students learned about the job interview process, expressions, and related language use, and practiced with their peers inside and outside the class. Throughout the training, they submitted weekly diary entries describing how they developed their job interview skills. Thematic analysis of these entries revealed various learning strategies and their applications. These included cognitive strategies, such as practicing and structuring output; metacognitive strategies, which involved arranging extra time to practice, planning the interview task by doing research on the Internet, and monitoring and evaluating their learning process; and social strategies, where students exchanged feedback collaboratively.

China as a Destination for International Students: A “Pull and Repel” Factors Analysis in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Wei Liu — 2024-09-01

International student mobility is a complex phenomenon influenced by numerous factors. This study examines the prospect of China as a destination country for international students in the post-COVID-19 era. With qualitative data from 30 frontline international educators (support staff in international student recruitment and services) from 30 Chinese universities, this study has determined a set of “pull” factors that serve to attract international students to study in China and a set of “repel” factors that discourage students from going. On the basis of both the “pull” and “repel” factors identified, the participants anticipate important challenges for China’s international enrollment in the short term, but stay optimistic about the long-term prospect. The “pull and repel” factors analysis is found to be a useful approach to examining the attractiveness of a host country to international students in a focused manner.

Integrating HOTs in Reading Comprehension in Inclusive Classrooms: Implications from a Dyslexia Study

Saw Tuan Cheng — 2024-09-01

This article describes the qualitative phase of a larger intervention study, where pupils with learning disabilities (nine dyslexic pupils) were engaged in a pedagogically blended ‘Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend’ (RAAC) and Theatre Art activities to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTs) in reading comprehension. Data from pupils’ answers in the reading comprehension passages, interviews with the Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher and observations were collected. Qualitative analysis based upon pre-determined categories of learning strategies from literature revealed pupils’ application of HOTs in reading comprehension. Drawing from this study, the importance of addressing HOTs in reading comprehension among mainstream and SEN pupils and other implications for inclusive classrooms are discussed.

Learning in the Anthropocene: Reimagining Education in the Twenty- First Century.

Pravindharan Balakrishnan — 2024-09-01

Learning in the Anthropocene: Reimagining Education in the TwentyFirst Century. By Carl A. Maida (2023), 370 pages. ISBN: 978-1-6692-468-8. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.