Program Overview

Education Systems in International Cultural Contexts

Unit Overview

The unit "Education Systems in International Cultural Contexts" is designed to equip education graduates with cultural skills and competencies relevant to 21st-century society. These skills include respect and understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity, specific cultural knowledge, communication literacies, and critical thinking.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

The unit aims to support students in extending their knowledge about how social, historical, and religious contexts of culture may impact upon education systems and educational opportunity. Students will compare and contrast international perspectives on education with their own experiences of education in schooling systems in Australia, leading to critical reflection on influences that shape educational decision-making and outcomes for learners.

Campus Offering and Prerequisites

• The unit is not currently offered on any campus.
• There are no prerequisites for this unit.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to:

1. Identify and explain diverse social, historical, linguistic, cultural, and religious influences on education, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and articulate the impact of these influences upon education systems.
2. Critically reflect on the impact of globalization for education systems.
3. Apply cultural and communication skills and competencies within internationalization projects.
4. Describe and analyze an international educational system and compare and contrast it with an understanding of education systems in Australia.

Unit Content

Topics may include:

• Globalization issues such as migration, refugees, colonization, environmental issues, human rights, poverty, and Indigenous rights.
• Democracy, including self-determination, opportunity, equity, justice, rights, and the common good.
• Comparative studies of at least one international education context contrasting with Australia.
• Indigenous knowledges, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, New Zealand Māori, and other Indigenous cultures and peoples.
• Australia's engagement with the curriculum priority Asia and significant relationships within the Pacific.
• Social, historical, religious, and linguistic influences on education systems.
• UNESCO's World Report "Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue" (2009) and other significant education policy.
• OECD statistics and other databases.
• PISA and other comparative international education assessment projects.
• International collaborations in education – innovative opportunities and outcomes.
• Cultural skills and competencies, including respect for diversity.
• Communication skills, including language use, statistical interpretation, cultural nuances, and digital communication.

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. These may include essays, reports, student presentations, or case studies. The total assessment tasks will amount to the equivalent of 4,000 words.

Overview of Assessments

1. Common Assessment Task: Research Report (50% weighting)
   • A research report describing an aspect of education in an international context and critically comparing it with Australia.
   • Includes consideration of issues of globalization and democracy, including social, historical, linguistic, religious, and cultural influences.
2. Assessment Task 2: Visual Presentation and Report (50% weighting)
   • A visual presentation documenting an internationalization project in education.
   • Includes critical reflection on the impact of globalization and democracy within this project and application of cultural and communication skills and competencies, including Indigenous knowledges.
   • Analyzes the project aspirations with reference to international literature.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The learning outcomes and tasks may be applied in flexible ways, including study tours, online collaborations, partnership with internationalization initiatives from partner universities, cross-cultural comparative reviews of literature and policy, and/or interrogation of international databases. The education systems may include early childhood sector, primary, higher education, Indigenous education, special education, gifted education, home schooling, international schools, distance education, or government policy.

Representative Texts and References

• Cole, D. R., & Woodrow, C. (2016). Super dimensions in globalization and education. Singapore: Springer Singapore.
• Cullingford, C, & Gunn, S. (2005). Globalisation, education and culture shock. Aldershot, Hants, England; Burlington, Vt: Ashgate.
• Curriculum Center for Teachers (Ed.). Internationalisation of teacher education in Europe. Tokyo: Tokyo Gakugei University.
• Dobinson, T. (2015). Teaching and learning through the eyes of culturally and linguistically diverse postgraduates and their lecturers in Australia and Vietnam: Implications for the internationalisation of education in Australian universities. Education Research and Perspectives, 42, 363-396.
• Hajisoteriou, C., & Angelides, P. (2016). The globalization of intercultural education: The politics of macro-micro integration. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
• Jacob, W. J., Cheng, S. Y., & Porter, M. (Eds.). (2015). Indigenous education: Language, culture and identity. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
• Ness, D., & Lin, C. (2015). International education: An encyclopedia of contemporary issues and systems. 2. Armonk: M. E. Sharp.
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO]. (2009). Investing in cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. Paris: UNESCO.
• Zajda, J. (2015). Second international handbook on globalization, education and policy research. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
• Zajda, J., Davies, L., Majhanovich, S. (2008). Comparative and global pedagogies: Equity access and democracy in education. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

Credit Points and Year

• Credit points: 10
• Year: 2026