Mapping internationalisation : an autobiographical journey

• Main Author: Tsakonas, Frances
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2013
• Subjects: 378.198
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.572940

This thesis maps the development of 'higher education internationalisation' through the autobiographical journey taken by way of the researcher's life. In doing so, the researcher draws on the interpretive research method 'Reflective Topical Autobiography' (RTA) to present a subjective perspective of 'internationalisation' and to reflect on the transnational higher education initiatives and collaborative ventures that have led to the development of (entrepreneurial) cross-border higher education from the early 1980' s through to the present A bibliometric study of the 'higher education internationalisation' literature is also undertaken, which shows the quantitative output of this topic over the course of three decades. As first-person, subjective accounts of 'higher education internationalisation' were found to be non-existent in the literature surveyed between 1980 and the present, this thesis aims to fill this void and to complement the abundant store of third-person, objective accounts. In doing so, the goal of this thesis is to determine whether a first-person perspective of 'higher education internationalisation' can both contribute to the knowledge-store of this topic and provide a sound epistemic footing for investigating 'higher education internationalisation'. Moreover, as this is the first time RTA is being used to investigate 'higher education internationalisation', the effectiveness of RT A as a research methodology in providing a solid framework for investigating first-person perspectives and reflecting on shareable understandings of 'higher education internationalisation' will be investigated. Likewise, the potential of autobiographical data to generate 'knowledge' within the research process, and at what point self-study becomes research, will be determined. Furthermore, this thesis aims to establish what lessons about 'higher education internationalisation' can be learnt and what knowledge can be generated by looking reflectively at lives in which 'higher education internationalisation' has played a defining role. Finally, this thesis examines the themes about 'higher education internationalisation' that are revealed through the research process.