The guided interview. When selecting an interviewing approach,

consideration was given to three approaches: structured interviews, open in-depth interviews and guided in-depth interviews. In the structured interview both questions and interviewer responses are pre-determined and questions are repeated in the same way across interviews (Marvasti & Freie, 2017). The advantages of using it is the ability to generate survey-like consistency where the data aggregated can later be analysed statistically. The disadvantage, however, is the risk of overlooking in-depth qualitative insights. In the open in-depth

interview there are no pre-determined response categories and the interviewee is free to take the interview in any desired direction. The disadvantage of this open-ended approach is that it may produce idiosyncratic reflections which do not lend themselves to thematic

categorisation (Fontana & Frey, 1994). For the purposes of this research, a structured approach could have risked overlooking in-depth and qualitative insights or associations a participant may have about internationalisation of the curriculum, while an entirely open approach could have posed significant challenges for the data analysis stage. The main

research questions had to be addressed in the space of the interviews across all participants. A guided in-depth interview approach was therefore selected as it enabled the generation of theme-based comparable qualitative data, and also facilitated respondents’ individual choices of free expression (Cohen & Crabtree, 2006). Several general topics were set as themes for

the interview with the goal of revealing participants' views and assigning significance to the way in which they frame and structure their responses (Marshall & Rossman, 2006).

4.9.3 The interview guide. The interviewees in the study consisted of lecturers who were engaged in the process of internationalisation of the curriculum. The guideline questions for the interviews were designed to correspond with the main research questions, covering the main dimensions of the internationalisation of the curriculum process under examination: motivations, interpretations and enactment. (See 11.1 Appendix A: The interview guide).

Every main dimension consisted of a cluster of relevant questions which were structured by the researcher and refined by the PhD advisors Prof Betty Leask and Dr Fiona Hunter. Following the first three interviews, some of the questions were further revised and a new theme which emerged from the interviews and seemed worthy of investigation was added. The new theme was named ‘the academic self' and refers to past international experiences that may influence academics' perceptions of internationalisation of the curriculum.

It is important to note however, that despite having governing questions to guide the interview; participants were invited to depart from the main line of questioning whenever they felt it was relevant.

4.9.4 Analysis of syllabi documents: The Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators tool. In the framework of the present study, syllabi

documents were analysed as a complementary data source for the guided in-depth interviews.

A total of 15 syllabi documents were analyzed. For the purposes of systematic evaluation of syllabi documents, an Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators (IoCI) document analysis tool was developed. The IoCI is an evaluation rubric which has been designed to qualitatively assess the degree to which a syllabus expresses internationalisation of the

curriculum. Although the IoCI rubric is inspired by previous syllabi evaluation rubrics such as the one developed by Palmer, Bach and Streifer (2014), it is essentially informed by the unique context of the present study and the areas of curriculum design which can be targeted in the process of internationalisation of the curriculum. The IoCI is not intended as a

substitute tool for the evaluation of learning-focused course design but is uniquely focused on indicators of internationalisation relevant for the context of the present study. The following sections present the rationale behind using syllabi documents to triangulate the case studies and present the tool in detail.

4.9.4.1 The rationale behind using syllabi documents. The triangulation of the case studies consisted of analysing course syllabi documents. Course syllabi documents were used because in the Israeli context, they are the formal expressions of the curriculum design of an academic course. They are also documents which are officially evaluated at the level of the academic department, the institution and Council for Higher Education. They have a formal, contractual nature, outlining the regulations, contents and key elements of an academic course (Palmer, Wheeler, & Aneece, 2016). In the framework of this study, participants frequently referred to syllabi documents as an integral part of their enactment which expresses the content, pedagogical and assessment choices they have made. They can also reflect intellectual traditions and institutional missions. They are therefore defined in this study as documents reflecting formal enactment of internationalisation of the curriculum.

In the context of the present study, an internationalised syllabus template was presented to the study participants in the framework of the workshop on internationalisation of the curriculum (See 11.2 Appendix B: International Syllabus Format). As part of the process of internationalisation of the curriculum, academic staff were expected to produce an internationalised syllabus. Syllabi documents should therefore reflect, to some extent, the work of the academic teams who are going through a process of internationalisation of the

curriculum and be able to communicate the philosophy behind it. If the objective of an

internationalised curriculum is to engage students with “internationally informed research and cultural and linguistic diversity and purposefully develop their international and intercultural perspectives as global professionals and citizens” (Leask, 2015, p. 10), this should be

reflected at the level of the syllabus document. Furthermore, the syllabi documents may also illustrate the unique interpretative approach of the academic teams to the concept of

internationalisation of the curriculum.

4.9.4.2 The document analysis tool. Document analysis is a procedure which systematically reviews documents and produces meaning around an assessment topic. This can be carried out using evaluation rubrics (Bowen, 2009). In order to systematically assess internationalisation of the curriculum in syllabi documents, a rubric-based assessment tool called Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators was developed by the researcher. The following section makes some clarifications regarding the use of the tool and highlights its limitations.

4.9.4.3 Clarifications and limitations: Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators tool.

1. This tool considers the syllabus as a document representing the ‘formal curriculum’

(Leask, 2015), which primarily refers to the planned learning schedule as well as the declared course objectives, content and assessment methods. The rubrics in the tool were constructed based on the typical sections addressed by a syllabus in the context of the institution studied. The tool includes eight predefined rubrics and one open rubric, enabling academics to add indicators which are not covered.

2. The tool was developed with the national, institutional and discipline contexts of the present study in mind and may therefore not be applicable in other contexts. It also takes

into consideration the maturity level of internationalisation of the curriculum in the Israeli context.

3. The tool refers to ‘learning outcomes’ as defined by the Bologna guidelines for developing learning outcomes (Kennedy, Hyland, & Ryan, 2010).

4. The tool was not subjected to interrater reliability procedure and in the space of the present study, its use for document analysis reflects only the evaluation of the researcher.

5. The tool offers a starting point from which a more comprehensive or discipline-specific rubric can develop, as a result of iterative sessions with academic teams.

6. The tool can be used by academic teams who are looking to facilitate a reflective discussion about the relationship between their syllabi and their understanding of internationalisation of the curriculum. The intention of the tool is not to act as a stand-alone evaluation procedure which measures results of the internationalisation of the curriculum process. It is best seen as a practical engagement and reflexive tool for academic teams to be used in context.

7. Although there is a rubric to evaluate the degree of integration of English medium instruction, it serves merely as an early indication. To fully evaluate English medium instruction a separate set of evaluation procedures are required and should ideally be conducted by English language teachers with relevant expertise.

8. Every indicator can be rated on a scale of three internationalisation of the curriculum degrees: initial, partial and integrated. However, it is important to keep in mind that the accumulation of ‘strength points’ does not necessarily mean that the syllabus reflects

‘more’ internationalisation of the curriculum. Some indicators may have a greater contribution to the overall internationalisation of the curriculum than others in different contexts. The indicators are best understood in the more comprehensive context of the work of the academic team and as a tool to stimulate discussion.

4.9.4.4 The tool: Internationalisation of the Curriculum Indicators.

Degree of internationalisation

Indicator

Initial Partial Integrated

Course objective Does not include any reference to

international, intercultural or global capabilities.

Includes some international, intercultural or global capabilities.

Strong focus on international, intercultural or global capabilities.

Intended learning outcomes

Not formulated / loosely formulated without a learner-centred approach.

Formulated but lacking in scope or precision.

Comprehensively formulated, compatible with Bologna guidelines.

Internationalised intended learning outcomes

Not formulated / loosely formulated without a learner-centred approach.

Formulated but lacking in precision or scope.

Attempting to cover the areas of (select):

✓ Knowledge

✓ Communication

✓ Problem solving

✓ Social responsibility Other:

Comprehensively formulated, compatible with Bologna guidelines, covering the areas of (select):

✓ Knowledge

✓ Communication

✓ Problem solving

✓ Social responsibility Other:

Assessment methods Includes a single assessment method, does not take into account learning diversities and does not measure learning outcomes.

Includes more than one assessment method but supports a relatively limited range of learning diversities, and measures learning outcomes to a certain degree.

Multiple assessment methods, allowing richness in learning styles and testing performance and measuring learning outcomes.

Globally informed content items

Offering limited perspectives.

Includes a few ‘add on’

items to add different perspectives.

Enriched with multiple perspectives and topics towards cultivating a global mindset.

Integration of teaching technologies

None / negligent / used as substitution for ‘pen and paper’.

To some extent but does not necessarily enhance learning.

Used creatively, integrated to stimulate learning in different ways.

Examples:

English Medium Instruction Not specified / Few source materials introduced in English.

Syllabus, presentations, assessment and source materials mostly in English but lectures are delivered in local language.

Syllabus, presentations, assessment, source materials and lectures delivered in English.

Other

Overall approach to internationalisation of the curriculum

Non existent / fragmented

An ‘add-on’ approach / not consistent / not comprehensive

Cascaded comprehensively throughout the syllabus.