Abstract
American academics seem no more likely now than they were 15 years ago to bring international perspectives into their teaching and research or to collaborate with international colleagues in research and publication. In both 1992 and 2007, American professors emerged near the bottom of the distribution of professors from 19 nations in both of these areas—in 1992 sharing the bottom with Russia and Brazil and in 2007 sharing the bottom with China, Brazil, and Japan. Beyond their continued overall insularity, our analyses suggest that internationalization is more likely a multidimensional than a unidimensional construct. Integrating an international perspective in one’s teaching seems to be largely independent of doing so in one’s research. Moreover, the attitudinal integration of an international perspective seems independent of its behavioral expression, that is, faculty may collaborate with foreign colleagues in research and publication, but may not report that they integrate international perspectives into their teaching and/or research.
This chapter was prepared in collaboration with Elaine Walker and Rong Chen, both of Seton Hall University.
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Notes
- 1.
The 13 countries included Australia, Brazil, Chile, England (UK), Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, and Sweden in addition to the USA.
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Appendix: Coding Summary of Variables in the Study
Appendix: Coding Summary of Variables in the Study
Variable name | Original name(s) in CAP | Description |
---|---|---|
In your courses, you emphasize international perspectives | C4_05_QC4 | 1 = “yes” (1, 2); 0 = “no” (3, 4, 5) |
Collaborate with international colleagues | D1_1_02_QD1_1 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Your primary research is international in scope | D2_05_QD2 | 1 = “yes” (1, 2); 0 = “no” (3, 4, 5) |
Coauthor with foreign colleagues | D5_03_QD5 | 1 = “yes” (>0); 0 = “no” |
Publish in foreign countries | D5_04_QD5 | 1 = “yes” (>0); 0 = “no” |
Male | F1 | 1 = “male”; 0 = “female” |
Have children at home | F6 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
US birth citizenship | GRQF9_1_01_QF9_1 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Highest degree obtained in the USA | A1_01_A1_2; A1_02_A1_2; A1_03_A1_2; A1_04_A1_2; A1_05_A1_2; A1_06_A1_2 (1) | 1 = “yes, highest degree is from USA” |
0 = “no” | ||
Years abroad postbaccalaureate (1–2 years) | F13_02_QF13 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Years abroad postbaccalaureate (3+ years) | F13_02_QF13 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Discipline: STEM | A2_02_QA2_1 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
International student increase | C4_09_QC4 | 1 = “yes” (1, 2); 0 = “no” (3, 4, 5) |
Institutional type: research or doctoral granting | A9 | 1 = “yes, research or doctoral granting” |
0 = “no, comprehensive or baccalaureate” | ||
Faculty drive campus international initiatives | E1_11_QE1 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Administration supports of research | E4_08_QE4 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Years since first faculty appointment | A6_01_QA6 | From “1” to “50s” |
Tenure status: tenured or tenure eligible | A11 | 1 = “yes, either tenured or tenure eligible” |
0 = “no, other” | ||
Primarily teach undergraduates | C1_01_QC1_1 | 1 = “yes, 2/3 or more of my instruction time is spent on undergraduate students” 0 = “no, less than 2/3 of my instruction time” |
Orientation primarily to teaching | B2 | 1 = “yes, either tenured or tenure eligible” |
0 = “no, other” | ||
Primary research is “basic” | D2_01_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Primary research is “applied/practical” | D2_02_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Primary research is “commerce or technology” | D2_03_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Primary research is “socially oriented” for the betterment of society | D2_04_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Primary research is based in one discipline | D2_06_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Primary research is multidisciplinary | D2_07_QD2 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
High involvement in research | D4_01_QD4; D4_02_QD4; D4_03_QD4; D4_04_QD4; D4_05_QD4; D4_06_QD4; D4_07_QD4; D4_08_QD4; D4_09_QD4; D4_10_QD4; D4_11_QD4 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
Collaborate with others in research | D1_02_QD1 | 1 = “yes”; 0 = “no” |
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Cummings, W.K., Finkelstein, M.J. (2012). Internationalization of Work Content and Professional Networks. In: Scholars in the Changing American Academy. The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2730-4_7
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