Exploring teaching staff’s experiences of implementing a Finnish master’s degree programme in teacher education in Indonesia

Abstract

In this paper, we analyse the motivation and experiences of teaching staff participating in a novel exported Finnish degree programme in teacher education for Indonesian students. The data are based on online questionnaires sent to the teachers in March 2017. Huberman’s professional career path and Mezirow’s module for transformative learning are applied to construct the analytical framework. We also use our own experiences from our involvement in this exported programme, as a teacher (Pekka Räihä) and as a PhD candidate (Henna Juusola). In addition, we have taken into account Finnish higher education policy in terms of education export. The findings of this analysis demonstrate that education export projects can extend university teachers’ professional career opportunities and offer a starting point for transformative learning. However, more flexible administrative practices and an adaptive organizational culture at both faculty and institutional levels are required.

Introduction

Since the national strategy for education export was launched in 2010, Finnish higher education institutions have been encouraged by national policy-makers to become leading education exporters worldwide. In spite of the ambitious political goals set for education export services, the implementation of education export has been relatively slow (see e.g. Schatz, 2016b). The reasons for this are to be seen in the national tradition of avoiding neoliberalism in higher education policy (Aarrevaara et al., 2009; Välimaa, 2004) and in the novelty of acting in the global education market (Cai et al., 2012). However, commercialization has slowly but surely become part of the higher education policy in Finland. One example of this is the 2016 amendment to the Universities Act, which made tuition fees for foreign students possible. Nevertheless, little research has been done on the concrete implementations of education export. Taking into account the current national situation, this article offers an insight into one of the first degree programmes to be exported overseas by a Finnish higher education institution: a master’s programme in teacher education for Indonesian students. The aim of the article is to explore the teaching staff’s experiences of participating in a novel for-profit activity by applying Huberman’s teacher’s career cycle and Mezirow’s transformative learning concept.

In the Finnish context, education export (koulutusvienti) has been defined as covering all kinds of for-profit educational services where the target group is foreigners, regardless of the group’s location (Schatz, 2016a). In general, the education export thematic is synonymous with transnational education and cross-border education, which are commonly used terms internationally (see e.g. Knight, 2016). While the education export phenomenon is rather new in Finland, it has a long tradition in many other countries, such as the USA, Australia, and the UK (see e.g. Aarrevaara et al., 2009; Schatz, 2016b). Internationally, various research studies have been carried out which explore the education export phenomenon from the students’ and providers’ perspectives. Rather often, these studies focus on activities provided by a traditional education exporter country, such as the UK or Australia (see e.g. Bovill et al., 2015; Djerasimovic, 2014; Keay et al., 2014a). In many cases, previous studies have concentrated on students’ experiences of and motivations for participating in international education activities, although increasing numbers of recent research studies have highlighted the teachers’ perspectives as well (Cai and Hall, 2016; Hoare, 2013; Smith, 2009).

This article offers an insight into education export activities done by a novice actor that traditionally relies on a different rationale than leading education exporters, and in that sense does not have national or institutional experience of exporting degree-level education overseas, at least not over the long term. The aim of this article is to explore the teachers’ motivation for and experiences of participating in the exported programme in order to answer three questions: What are the participants’ motivations for working/teaching in the programme? What kind of teaching experience was it for them? How can institutions support teaching in education export activities from the perspective of career development?

The data in this article are based on an online questionnaire sent to the teachers and other staff members in March 2017. In addition, one of the authors (Pekka Räihä) works as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education (FoE), University of Tampere, and has two months’ teaching experience in the exported programme in Indonesia in 2016–2017. The other author (Henna Juusola) is a PhD candidate researching education export from the perspective of quality of education. As a part of her doctoral dissertation, she participated in one intensive week in Indonesia in November 2016 to carry out student interviews and participant observation. These experiences have created a pre-understanding of the Indonesia exported programme, which has been used when formulating the research questions and explaining the context of the programme.

Master’s programme in teacher education in Indonesia

The master’s programme in teacher education in Indonesia ran from December 2015 to April 2017. The programme was provided by the FoE, University of Tampere, Finland with the cooperation of the Indonesian Yayasan Sukma Foundation. The foundation was set up in 2005 with the aim of supporting the rebuilding of the educational sector in the Aceh region of Sumatra, Indonesia, following the destruction caused by the 2004 tsunami. The foundation owns three comprehensive schools in Aceh: Sukma Bangsa Bireuen; Sukma Bangsa Pidie; and Sukma Bangsa Lhokseumawe (Sukma Foundation, n.d.).

The programme agreement was negotiated via Finland University Ltd, a consortium that consists of four universities in Finland: University of Tampere; University of Turku; Åbo Akademi University; and University of Eastern Finland. Finland University Ltd was founded in 2014 with the goal of promoting education export activities through marketing and negotiation support. All the educational programmes are provided and organized by its member universities. The role of Finland University Ltd in the case of this programme was to coordinate negotiations and prepare the agreement.

The students of the exported master’s programme were teachers from Sukma Bangsa schools holding an academic bachelor’s degree (or Sarjana 1, S1, according to the Indonesian degree system) in the field of their teaching subject. Thus, the students’ assumptions about studying at the university were based on the Indonesian academic tradition, where the communication culture supports more indirect presentations and the role of the teachers tends to be more hierarchical compared to the ‘Western’ system (see e.g. Novera, 2004). On the other hand, the students were primary school teachers, and in that sense, they had to adopt a new role in the classroom: they were now the students, not the teachers.

Student selection was based on motivation and English skills, and it was conducted as a cooperation between the FoE of the University of Tampere and the Sukma Foundation. The curriculum of the programme was based on the FoE’s ongoing international master’s degree programme in teacher education, which is organized in Finland at the University of Tampere. Nearly all the programme’s teachers in the exported master’s programme came from the University of Tampere, though three teachers came either from the University of Jyväskylä or the University of Eastern Finland.

Facilities for the programme were offered by the Sukma Foundation and the programme was physically located in the Foundation’s school buildings in the city of Bireuën in the Aceh region, where the teachers and students were also accommodated. The programme consisted of intensive weeks held approximately once a month, distance learning, and a six-week study visit to Finland that took place in March–April 2017. In practice, teachers from Finland travelled once a month to Indonesia in order to give lectures. Between the intensive weeks, students took part in online courses and did independent work. During the study visit to Finland, the students had the opportunity to observe classes at Finnish comprehensive schools and complete the master’s degree matriculation examination.

The exported master’s programme in teacher education in Indonesia was one of the first exported Finnish degree programmes. Due to its novelty, it received public attention both in Finland and in Indonesia. For instance, Blue Wings, the inflight magazine of Finnair (Finland’s national airline), published an article about the programme, and in April 2017 representatives from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture attended the programme’s graduation gala in Tampere.

For the FoE, the programme was significant in terms of its extent and intensity. While the FoE’s earlier export projects have focused on short-term courses, in this case the Finnish degree programme as a whole was implemented in a different context, on the other side of the world. Having enough academic staff members both for research and teaching at home and for education export activities abroad demands appropriate human resources. Taking into account the current situation in Finnish higher education policy, where public funds are limited and universities are facing political pressure to increase private investments and participate in external funding competitions (see e.g. Ministry of Education and Culture, 2016), it can be challenging to balance the FoE’s core duties while expanding its activities overseas. For instance, in the case of this programme, the FoE had to recruit personnel from outside the University of Tampere in order to provide qualified teaching staff for each intensive period in Indonesia. One consequence of this is a new recruitment policy at the FoE: applicants with the ability to take part in education export activities are favoured when hiring new personnel.

Professional career path and transformative learning

In this article, the chief focus is on exploring the teaching staff’s motivation and teaching experiences in the exported master’s degree programme in Indonesia. Here, the teachers’ motivation describes the reasons that led the teachers to participate in the exported degree programme. Motivation is reflected on as part of the professional career cycle where teachers’ professional development can be divided into different phases depending on teaching experience (in years) (Huberman et al., 1993). Correspondingly, teaching experience in the exported master’s programme is seen as an initiator of transformative learning. Transformative learning in this analysis is understood as a process where new meanings can be constructed by critically reflecting on current experiences of previous experiences (Mezirow, 2012).

In previous studies, teachers’ motivation to participate in education export activities has been seen to rely on curiosity and a willingness to gain international experience (Cai and Hall, 2016), but also on an interest in having new professional opportunities (Austin et al., 2014). In addition, teachers’ experiences of participating in education export activities have been seen as challenging in terms of cultural and academic differences (Austin et al., 2014; Keay et al., 2014). For example, there can be unrealistic expectations of the students’ academic learning skills (Austin et al. 2014; Bovill et al., 2015) or excessive supposition of the effectiveness of the educational programme, especially in short-term projects (Bovill et al., 2015). Correspondingly, Keay et al. (2014) have stressed the importance of going beyond the official agreement, and understanding education export activities as a continuous process that should be based on an equal partnership among teachers and other staff members from provider institutions and students and representatives from the importers’ side (Keay et al., 2014). Likewise, Smith has pointed out the importance of giving teachers time and space for reflection, which can be supported by institutions and can improve teachers’ transformative learning (Smith, 2009).

In this article, the teachers’ motivation for taking part in education export activities is seen as an opportunity for professional development. This can be especially relevant for teachers with several years’ career experience. According to Huberman et al. (1993) teachers with seven to 25 years of career experience can face either diversification or reassessment. In the first case, teachers can feel confident and highly motivated to engage themselves in collective action or new ideas. Correspondingly, a diversification phase can lead to reassessment, where teachers face uncertainty and self-doubts about their future career path (Huberman et al., 1993). Correspondingly, Day and Gu (2007) have stressed the importance of understanding professional, personal, and contextual factors as a part of the teacher’s identity and career cycle, though they have pointed out that – due to the general increase seen in additional work tasks – teachers no longer encounter a stabilization phase, as Huberman et al. (1993) have also stated. Huberman et al. (1993) further note that career development includes individual differences and each person can have a unique career path.

Teaching can be seen as a communicative process and a socially constructed phenomenon. Experience, personality, and self-reflection over the years construct the teaching style and pedagogical approaches used in cultural and institutional contexts. In cases where teaching is happening in a new and different context, ‘values, assumptions, and perspectives on teaching may be challenged and transformative learning may occur’ (Cranton and Carusetta, 2002: 169).

Teachers’ experiences in the new contextual situation can lead to transformative learning. According to Mezirow (1991), transformative learning consists of two basic elements: the meaning schema; and the meaning perspective. The meaning schema is a person’s beliefs or assumptions about what someone (or some persons) or something (or somethings) is and the way it should operate or be (Mezirow, 1991). The meaning perspective is a fundamental system that can include beliefs and assumptions, but also personal history: it is the ‘structure of assumptions within which one’s past experience assimilates and transforms new experience’ (Mezirow, 1991: 42). The transformation in the meaning schema is more commonly compared to the transformation in the meaning perspective, although in the latter case transformation can also happen in the short term (epochal transformation) or it can be a longer process (incremental transformation) (Mezirow, 1991).

Mezirow (1991) has also stressed the importance of critical reflection as a part of transformative learning, arguing that critical reflection is a process where a person creates new meanings by considering current assumptions and beliefs and reflecting on the new experiences. Critical reflection can include three dimensions: content reflection; critical reflection; and premise reflection. In content reflection, earlier beliefs and assumptions have been challenged by new data or new experiences. In critical reflection, new data or experiences are reflected on by considering whether they are appropriate or relevant. According to Mezirow (1991), premise reflection is the key element for the transformation of the meaning perspective, as it emphasizes why earlier beliefs and assumptions are challenged. After premise reflection, rational discourse takes place where the new understanding is discussed, and in that sense, tested with other people such as colleagues, friends, and family members. The final part of transformative learning includes patterns of actions where new meanings are implemented in practice (Mezirow, 1991).

Mezirow’s theoretical framework for transformative learning is based on the interaction between experiences of the past and experiences of the current situation. On the other hand, the way experiences create meanings has not been critically examined in Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, as Taylor and Cranton (2013) have pointed out. Furthermore, power relations, emotions, and social relations as a part of transformative learning have been the focus of the latest research in the field of transformative learning (see e.g. Baurngartner, 2012) and the impact of the contextual situation (Taylor and Cranton, 2013).

In this article, Huberman et al.’s (1993) career cycle offers a framework that explains teachers’ career state and motivation for participating in education export activities. Mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning, especially in terms of critical reflection, is used as an analytical tool to explore teaching experiences. Contextual changes are seen as a starting point for transformative learning, as Cranton and Carusetta (2002) have stressed, and it places the teachers’ experiences in a specific context – in this case, the master’s programme in teacher education, Indonesia.

Data and method

The data for this analysis were gathered between March and April 2017 using an online questionnaire that was sent by email and targeted at both the teaching and non-teaching staff of the Indonesian education export project. The non-teaching staff consisted of those persons taking part in the Indonesian education export project’s administrative tasks, such as programme coordination. Altogether, the questionnaire was sent to 24 persons. A total of 19 persons completed the questionnaire in the set timeframe, and thus the response rate was 79%. All the respondents represented teaching staff, although one respondent did not work as a full-time lecturer. Of the 19 respondents, 14 were female and four were male, with one respondent not wanting to specify their gender. Fourteen respondents were working at the University of Tampere, and three respondents were working at either the University of Jyväskylä or the University of Eastern Finland. The latter university is part of the Finland University Ltd consortium together with the University of Tampere. Two respondents did not want to specify their workplace. Of the 19 respondents, 12 were working either as senior lecturers or university teachers, four respondents were working as professors, three respondents represented other teaching staff and one respondent was working in administration. The average length of university work experience was 18 years, and only two respondents had less than seven years’ work experience. Altogether 12 respondents had previous international teaching experience, which included short-term visits to an international partner university, teaching in an international programme at the home university, or working for a longer period (over one year) in an international project or at a university abroad. In the case of the exported master’s programme in Indonesia, 14 respondents taught in Indonesia, while five respondents taught in Tampere during the Indonesian students’ visit to Finland.

The questionnaire was carried out in Finnish as nearly all teachers participating in the exported programme speak Finnish as their mother tongue. This was seen to increase the response rate, as giving answers in one’s native tongue can be considered easier. The questionnaire consisted of quantitative and qualitative items. The quantitative items included statements responded to using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = does not describe at all to 5 = describes very well). These were analysed by calculating the average rates and standard deviation. Qualitative items included open questions that were related to motivation and teaching experiences in the exported master’s programme in Indonesia. Due to the rather small target group and the fact that the answers gained via the open questions were seen as more informative, this article is based on the analyses of the answers to the open questions, such as ‘Using your own words, please describe in the following space the reasons and arguments that made you participate in the Indonesian master’s programme’, ‘What kind of an experience was it to teach in (engage in work for) the Indonesian master’s programme? What did it give and what did it take?’, and ‘How can the FoE support the participation of teaching/other staff in educational export projects?’

The qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analysis, and the aim was to identify those meanings that explain the teachers’ motivations and experiences related to involvement in the education export project. Thus, the following questions were presented in the data:

• (1) What kind of motivation did the teachers have for participating in the education export projects?

• (2) What kind of an experience was it to teach in the education export project?

• (3) How can the FoE support teachers’ participation in education export projects?

The starting point of the analysis was based on Miles and Huberman’s analytic framework with regard to reducing, clustering, and abstracting the data (Miles and Huberman, 1994). First, the data were carefully read several times in order to gain a holistic understanding of the responses. Secondly, the responses that concerned the teachers’ motivation, experiences, and faculty support were reduced and descriptively coded. Thirdly, during the data clustering, differences and similarities among descriptive codes were grouped into subtopics, which were further grouped into the main topics and interpreted as part of a wider socially constructed system where responses reflect the complex, partly conflicting social reality, and in that sense create meanings of education export activities.

The Huberman and Miles (1994) framework for qualitative content analysis is based on inductive logic. However, as Tuomi and Sarajärvi (2009) have pointed out, the researchers’ earlier knowledge and experiences nearly always impact on the way they observe the data. As the authors had previous experiences of the research topic and as the theoretical framework was constructed while the analysis was underway, this qualitative content analysis is based on abductive logic.

Findings

In this article, the main focus is on exploring the teachers’ motivation for and experiences of participating in the education export activities of the master’s programme in teacher education in Indonesia. In addition, the actions that the FoE could take in order to support teachers’ opportunities to participate in education export activities have been taken into account. The primary focus of the findings is on the data, not the respondents, but direct quotes have been included in this article (R1–R19) because they give readers access to the primary data.

Motivation

The respondents were asked to describe their motivation for participating in the exported master’s degree programme in teacher education using their own words. Two main factors were identified in the data: professional reasons; and personal reasons. The most common professional reason mentioned was the motivation for professional development. This was mentioned by seven respondents. Gaining international teaching experience in particular was seen as important. As one respondent commented, the motivation was to gain ‘professional development through international teaching, the opportunity to get to know new (teaching) cultures’ (R17). Four respondents stated that one reason for participating in the project was professional curiosity. Organizing a master’s programme overseas is a rather new type of activity for the FoE, and for Finnish higher education in general. Furthermore, education export has been a political focus at the institutional and national levels, and so in that sense participating in a unique and new activity can be seen as attractive. On the other hand, two respondents mentioned a moral (professional) obligation to take care of the work duties because of the lack of (other) available personnel. This may reflect the limited timeframe for education export implementation, but also the insufficient human resources available for additional activities such as education export projects.

Four respondents stressed personal reasons for taking part in the exported master’s degree. Two of them highlighted their enthusiasm for taking on new challenges and learning something new, while two other respondents mentioned that this exported programme corresponded with their personal values. As one respondent commented, ‘with my own small contribution, I hope I can make the world a better place’ (R7). As the master’s programme in teacher education was tailored to teachers from the Sukma Bangsa schools owned by the Sukma Foundation with the aim of supporting sustainable development, the ethical responsibility underlying the foundation’s aim increased the teachers’ willingness to take part in this project.

Experiences

The key aspects that explained the teaching experiences in this analysis can be classified into two main themes: load factors; and professional development factors. Load factors consist of those experiences that were felt to be challenging or caused extra work. Based on the content analyses, four different types of load factors were identified: preparation; heterogeneity of the student group; intensiveness of the programme; and physical factors. Correspondingly, professional development factors refer to those aspects that were seen to support professional development and personal growth. In this analysis, four factors explain professional development: cultural experiences; international teaching; improvement in self-confidence; and the supportive learning environment.

Load factors

Nine respondents stressed that preparation before the intensive weeks was one specific issue that made teaching abroad different compared to teaching at home. Preparation of teaching materials appropriate to the local context in particular – but also translating the materials into English – required extra planning and contextual familiarization before giving lectures. Translating the teaching material from Finnish into English takes time and demands grammatical and cultural knowledge, thus contextual understanding is equally important. According to the respondents, contextual understanding included learning about the Indonesian education system and taking into account the cultural aspects in Aceh.

Five respondents reported that one challenge was the heterogeneity of the student group, in terms of variation in language skills, the students’ previous knowledge about the course subject, or both. One respondent comments: ‘Our understanding of the students’ language- or subject-specific skills was over-optimistic, so we modified and prepared new teaching [materials] during the evening on the spot’ (R15). Clearly, teaching in a different programme that was tailored to a specific target group consisting of different and multiple discipline backgrounds can cause extra planning work compared to preparing for student groups at the home campus. Correspondingly, cultural and individual differences in learning habits can also affect teaching practicalities. For instance, one respondent mentioned ‘a different learning approach/lack of learning experiences’ and that ‘more extensive and intensive guidance/support/feedback was needed’ (R18).

Four respondents reported that the intensity of the programme was challenging, especially in terms of time management and continuous self-reflection during the intensive weeks. As the timeframe of the programme was rather tight, teaching materials also had to be prepared on a tight schedule. On the other hand, lectures were primarily organized during the once-monthly (on average) intensive weeks in Indonesia and this caused pressure to plan teaching that maintained the students’ interest and supported learning during the week. Furthermore, the intensive weeks in Indonesia were held at the Sukma school in Bireuën, where both the students and teachers lived, meaning that the teachers basically did not have any free time during the week.

Four respondents mentioned physical load factors that were caused by the long travelling time, tropical climate, and, in the case of one respondent, an earthquake. As one respondent commented, ‘Long travelling times, and the heat and humidity challenged my physical strength’ (R7). Travelling from Finland to Bireuën takes nearly two days, as there are no direct flights. The time difference can also cause unbalanced daily routines that take time to adapt to. In that sense, teaching in this programme not only required careful preparation, continuous reflection, and time; it also required physical adaptation in terms of the time zone differences and the tropical climate.

Factors of professional development

Despite the load factors, teaching in the exported degree programme offered comprehensive learning experiences and multiple opportunities for professional development. Five respondents mentioned that teaching was a positive cultural experience. In particular, learning more about Islamic traditions and practices, and having the opportunity to work with different people seemed to offer new perspectives for the participants’ personal and professional lives. As one respondent commented, ‘I also learnt a lot of new things, such as tolerance and tolerating different ways of learning and working’ (R8). In that sense, participating in this programme has – at least for some – enriched their teaching experiences and improved their multicultural competences.

While translating teaching materials from Finnish into English and learning new terminology were seen as one element that explained the load factors, teaching in a foreign language was also seen as a useful learning experience. Four respondents stated that the programme provided a good opportunity to practise teaching in English. Overall, the position of the English language in university teaching can be considered significant in terms of research-based education and the internationalization of higher education in general. However, communication is more than verbal interaction. As one respondent commented: ‘Teaching and communicating were not as dependent on language as I originally believed. Non-verbal communication also works in a foreign language’ (R15).

The high motivation of the student group and the communicative social atmosphere were seen as two of the key factors that supported the students’ learning and the respondents’ professional development. Ten respondents stressed that the student group were ‘enthusiastic about learning’ (R16), ‘committed’ (R 10) and ‘active’ (R3). In addition, the student–teacher relationship seemed to be more communicative and closer compared to the teachers’ relations with the Finnish students. As one respondent noted: ‘The teaching–learning situation was an ideal learning scenario, which hopefully led to the intended effect’ (R16).

The master’s degree in teacher education has a different role in Indonesia compared to Finland. In the latter case, a master’s degree is a requirement for comprehensive school teachers (grades 1–9) which consists of a master’s in education (primary teacher education, grades 1–6) or a master’s in another discipline (subject teachers, mainly grades 7–9), and includes a mandatory pedagogical qualification (60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). However, in Indonesia a master’s degree represents postgraduate studies. In that sense, this programme offered Indonesian students a better social position and an opportunity for professional development as a teacher with paid study leave. This may partly explain the high motivation of the students in this programme.

Correspondingly, the supportive learning environment of the exported programme had a positive impact on student learning and the teachers’ professional development. Teaching students who are eager to learn can also encourage teachers to give their best. On the other hand, Sukma Banga schools are rather communal and their members interact closely and warmly. As the programme was primarily organized in Indonesia, the organizational culture of Sukma Bangsa most likely had an impact on the interaction among teachers and students in the exported programme.

According to three respondents, teaching in the exported master’s programme provided new opportunities for personal growth in terms of the reinforcement of self-confidence and courage. One respondent stated that it was ‘a rewarding experience. It mainly took time (to prepare lecture materials); it gave me the experience, perspective, and courage to participate in a similar kind of project in the future too, if the opportunity arises’ (R15). One respondent also stressed the importance of daily self-reflection during the intensive week. In this sense, teaching in this exported programme not only provided a different and interesting teaching experience, but also an opportunity for personal development.

Most of the respondents gave only one week of lectures in Indonesia, so in that sense the experience is connected to a rather short-term situation. Experiences as such can thus differ depending on the length of the stay and number of visits. On the other hand, the respondents stressed the positive, open, and warm learning environment that supported both the students’ learning and the teachers’ professional development despite the length of the stay. When comparing teaching experiences with the motivation factors that enabled the teachers to participate in this project, it seems that the respondents were also open to new experiences and willing to develop themselves professionally.

When comparing those teaching experiences gained from the students’ visit to Finland to the teaching experiences in Indonesia, only small differences can be found. Unsurprisingly, those teachers who lectured in Indonesia described the physical load factors more often, such as the long-distance travel. In addition, references to Islamic culture are more common from those who visited Indonesia. On the other hand, it seems that cultural experiences can also be gained by teaching a multicultural student group at home, and in that sense so-called home internationalization should not be underestimated.

Support from the FoE

The respondents were asked to describe how the FoE could support participation in education export activities. According to respondents, the single most important action would be to ensure sufficient resources. This was raised by 12 respondents. Ensuring enough time was especially seen as crucial. One concrete tool for this would be the creation of a flexible and realistic working plan where contextual preparation and the extra work required are better taken into account. Correspondingly, consideration of the physical (and mental) stress caused by the long journey time and differences in time zone and climate as part of the working hours would support the teachers’ ability and motivation to participate in education export activities. As one respondent commented: ‘One needs to have enough time for preparation and recovering from the travelling, too. Simply adding more teaching hours to the work plan is not enough’ (R13). In addition, two respondents pointed out that the FoE could allocate more human resources to education export activities, for example by employing more pro rata employees.

Four respondents stressed the importance of tailored training and orientation. Two respondents stated that training could be focused especially on proofreading the teaching materials and supporting the teachers’ abilities to teach in English. Orientation on the local culture and providing guidelines for different cultural situations were also mentioned. One respondent stressed internal benchmarking: ‘In practice, teachers that have already participated in education export activities could share good practices in the Faculty and thus encourage others to participate’ (R16).

Individual responses also stressed the importance of coordination (two respondents), a positive attitude towards education exports (one respondent), and ethical issues (two respondents). Regarding coordination, it was seen as important that administrative tasks are the responsibility of other people, rather than that of the teachers. This was seen to have worked well in this implementation. On the other hand, education export was accompanied by ethical issues; for example, it was hoped that the FoE would ensure that participation in education export activities did not undermine the university’s core duties. In one response, the ethical issue of the relationship between commercial activities and core duties was also raised.

Discussion

The findings presented in this paper maintain that education export can offer an intensive and unique experience for professional development and, due to the contextual changes, allow critical reflection and transformative learning in meaning schema to occur. On the other hand, this analysis indicates that the FoE has a crucial role in giving teachers an opportunity to gain international work experience and in further supporting transformative learning.

When asking about the respondents’ motivations for taking part in the exported master’s degree programme, the most common reasons were professional development and curiosity to know more about education export activities, although in some cases the work task was accepted out of obligation, as there was no one else able to do it. In addition, personal factors had an impact, at least indirectly. One example of this was the programme’s aim to support ethically sustainable development in the Aceh region. In this sense, teachers’ commitment to education export activities can be improved by implementing projects that are in accord with their ethical values.

The average work experience of the respondents was 18 years (n = 19), though in the case of two respondents work experience was less than seven years. Taking into account Huberman’s career cycle, it can be assumed that 16 respondents were in a situation where new professional challenges were welcomed and the motivation for self-improvement through collective action was high. Furthermore, an education export project that accords with one’s personal values can have a positive impact on one’s willingness to participate in education export projects.

Teaching in the Aceh region, Indonesia, provided a different cultural, institutional, and physical context compared to the situation on the home campus in Tampere, Finland. This kind of contextual change in the teaching situation can trigger critical reflection which leads to transformative learning (Cranton and Carusetta, 2002; Mezirow 1991, 1998). Preparation of teaching materials and the heterogeneity of the student group required teachers to be able to reflect on the content and pedagogical approach in a manner appropriate to the local context. This can be seen as a transformation in meaning schema where teachers’ earlier assumptions about how to accomplish teaching were challenged. As preparation of the teaching materials began before the actual teaching was carried out, transformative learning at a certain level started before the lectures and visits to Indonesia.

Based on Mezirow’s (1991) framework, transformative learning demands rationale discourse that includes sharing and testing new assumptions with other people. This can lead to concrete actions where the new approach is implemented (Mezirow, 1991). During the intensive weeks, content reflection can be seen to continue as in most cases lectures took place in a different cultural context and student–teacher relationships became concrete. On the other hand, teachers felt that the students were well motivated and warm, and that teachers had an opportunity to get familiar with the local culture. In particular, those teachers who made several visits to Indonesia learned about the daily life of students and the Sukma school, and they had the opportunity to share experiences with the colleague traveling with them. This kind of intensive and holistic situation has most likely encouraged teachers to consider their understanding of teaching and teacher education from a different perspective.

The respondents’ experiences of the student group’s heterogeneity can also reflect both differences between language and subject-specific skills and a different understanding of studying at university. As Novera (2004) has pointed out, cultural values can have an impact on classroom behaviour and on the way students express their opinions. On the other hand, universities typically have close relations with society and local actors. According to Välimaa and Nokkala, these relations can be further located in a certain time, space, and context by creating different social dynamics for universities (Välimaa and Nokkala, 2014).

In this case, the status of a master’s degree in teacher education in Indonesia is different compared to the same degree in Finland. At a minimum, this can have a twofold impact, firstly on the respondents’ experiences of the heterogeneity of the student group as they represent a different academic tradition, and secondly on the respondents’ notion of highly motivated students, as holding a master’s degree means postgraduate studies for students and a different status in society compared to master’s degree students in Finland. In addition, students participating in this programme already had several years of work experience as teachers, while the Finnish master’s students (in teacher education) tend to enter university directly from general upper secondary school without earlier teaching experience.

The different academic background and the status of a master’s degree in teacher education in Indonesia challenged teachers to consider university education from a new perspective. In this regard, participation in education export has created a situation where transformation in meaning perspective can occur. On the other hand, the data in this study provide no answer as to whether the experience led to concrete changes in teachers’ own work after the Indonesia programme was completed.

When looking at the FoE’s support for education export projects, the respondents emphasized the limited resources. The responses revealed that the intensity of the work and extra preparation was not fully taken into account in work planning and working hours. Flexibility and an improved ability to take into account the actual workload in working arrangements was considered to be important in improving the ability of teachers to participate in education export projects. Correspondingly, more systematic support for teaching in English and clear guidelines for working in different cultures were considered important. Respondents also highlighted the relation between education exports and the university’s core duties, which was viewed as an ethical issue.

From the point of view of transformative learning, a more active role of the FoE could have provided a better framework for rational discourse in terms of systematic reflection and collegial sharing of the teaching experiences. This could require the FoE to adopt a more holistic approach to education export implementations. On the other hand, transformative learning is a process that is influenced by a person’s past experiences and insights (Mezirow, 1991), indicating that transformative learning can be supported, but its outcome can hardly be controlled or guaranteed.

When taking into account the recent policy at the FoE of the University of Tampere in terms of requiring new personnel to take part in education export activities, it seems that the FoE is recognizing the pressure to increase human resources for education export activities. Nevertheless, the FoE does not have a long tradition of operating education export activities overseas, and there currently seems to be ethical concern over how to balance for-profit action with the FoE’s core duties. In order to ensure the sustainable development of education export activities, it may be necessary to also have the support and commitment of current academic staff members – or, to use Clark’s words, ‘the stimulated academic heartland’ (Clark, 1998: 7). On the other hand, top-down and bottom-up dynamics can exist in parallel at the institutional level as well (see Kauko and Medvedeva, 2016), so it is possible to have tensions between management steering policy and practices in teaching and researching also at the faculty level.

Transformation at the individual – and faculty – level is multifaceted. While language training and contextual knowledge is important, Bovill et al. (2015) argue that it is equally important to possess sensitive cultural awareness. In addition, while respondents seem to have faced emerging personal transformative learning, in the longer term it is possible that transformation can take place at the faculty, institutional, and national levels as well, as Djerasimovic (2014) has suggested. For instance, Feng described the hybridization of China’s and the UK’s joint university, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, where the university’s institutional identity is based on a cultural and educational mix of the British and Chinese traditions (Feng, 2013). However, this requires institutions to be able to adapt to new approaches and perhaps establish collaborative partnerships that would offer a joint learning framework for students and teachers.

Conclusion

Professional improvement can be considered a process that continues throughout one’s career. However, motivation to face new challenges and step outside one’s comfort zone can be higher after a few years’ work experience. According to Huberman and colleagues, teachers with over seven years’ work experience have an independent and autonomous approach to teaching, and thus they can face a diversification phase where new projects and ideas are welcomed (Huberman et al., 1993). New projects can include a different, partly unfamiliar context that may lead to transformative learning where earlier experiences are challenged by new experiences (Cranton and Carusetta, 2002; Mezirow, 1991).

In the case of this analysis, the respondents were at the stage of their career where they felt new challenges were meaningful. An international and exotic project location attracted them and offered an opportunity to break with old routines. For the respondents, education exports brought elements of transformative learning, especially in terms of modifying the subject topics and reflecting on the experiences afterwards. According to Mezirow (1991), this kind of experience can represent a transformation in the meaning schema, as respondents had new knowledge about the Indonesian education system and local culture in the Aceh region, and this created a situation where, at a certain level, earlier assumptions about the master’s degree in teacher education were challenged and critically reflected on. The transformation in the meaning schema is more commonly compared to the transformation in the meaning perspective (Mezirow, 1991). While it seems that teaching in an exported degree programme can offer a starting point for transformative learning, at least in terms of the meaning schema, it cannot be verified within this analysis whether it will lead to a transformation in the meaning perspective.

For Mezirow (1991), critical reflection is an essential part of transformative learning. This proceeds via content and critical reflection to premise reflection (Mezirow, 1991). In the case of the teachers’ transformative learning, the role of the institution can be essential, especially in terms of premise reflection, where new understandings are discussed and tested with colleagues and new meanings are implemented in practice. In this analysis, it seems that education export projects and current administrative practicalities are on a ‘collision course’. For instance, a flexible work schedule and systematic support for reflecting on the experiences gained in education export activities seem to be lacking. In addition, education export activities have increased the ethical questions regarding the extent and the intensity to which the FoE should participate in education export projects.

As a consequence of a reduction in public funding, Finnish universities are facing increasing demands to diversify the structure of their core funding. Education export can be seen as one potential source of new income. This may be possible for at least some universities, as the number of education export projects seems to be increasing. However, the growth of the education export sector cannot be sustainable without ensuring adequate human resources for the implementation of education export. As our research shows, this already caused a challenge for the FoE, since in the case of this programme the FoE was forced to recruit teachers from outside its own university. The FoE responded to this challenge by establishing a new recruitment requirement where the ability to participate in education export activities is sought after. While this can help to increase the FoE’s human resources, it can also increase tensions among academic staff members, as education export activities are a relatively new action for all higher education institutions. Thus, in order to improve educational export activities at the faculty and at the institutional levels, it is crucial to ensure sufficient human resources. However, it is equally important to support opportunities for all teachers to carry out their duties on appropriate terms and to have the opportunity to influence the FoE’s activities.

This research study has raised preliminary considerations as to what kind of experience it is for teaching staff to participate in educational export activities. As education export is a relatively new activity in Finland, such research results bring added value to the higher education policy dialogue, not only in Finland but also in other countries lacking a long tradition of education export activity. Based on the results of this analysis, we can list three points that should be given special consideration in the implementation of education export activities:

1. Working conditions should be encouraging and provide sufficient flexibility. The tight schedule of the exported programme and the extra effort involved in preparation were felt to be a load factor for teachers who taught in Indonesia. From the teachers’ perspective, more flexibility in the work schedule would have been beneficial and better supported teachers’ work in this education export project. Based on this notion, the FoE and the university should recognize that for teaching staff education export activities are not directly comparable with the teaching given at the home campus. By creating a flexible work schedule and incentives, the institution can better ensure that it has adequate human resources for education export activities.

2. Appropriate language and cultural support for teaching staff will ensure quality of education. The Indonesian master’s program was organized entirely in English, and the teaching staff had to prepare the teaching material in a foreign language to better suit the local context. Teachers wished for more systematic support for developing their own language skills, for example in proofreading materials. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of the students and different teaching context meant in practice the ability to innovate and modify one’s pedagogical approach. Thus, in addition to university language services, it would also be helpful to provide cultural sensitivity information and a framework for systematic reflection on teaching experiences. The latter could provide a learning environment for the whole institution, where the collection and sharing of individuals’ experiences can support both the learning of the teachers and the development of the institution’s activities.

3. The clear definition of the relationship between teaching at the home campus and participating in educational export activities reduces tensions and promotes the ability of staff to participate in education export activities. The recent recruitment policy of the FoE may increase tensions between new and old employees. A transparent human resources policy can help to foster a sense of community and make education export activities a realistic career choice, also for those whose employment contracts do not require participation. In the case of the Indonesian master’s degree, the human resources were inadequate at a certain level as some teachers mentioned that they were involved in the project because of a lack of competent personnel. In order to ensure motivated teaching staff for education export activities, the FoE and higher education institutions should pay more attention to working conditions, but also to clarifying the role of education export in the FoE and at the institution. Taking into account staff perspectives when planning and improving education export activities, can become an essential factor for improving education export activities in the future.

This article has offered a small insight into novel education export implementation. Understanding the daily activities and experiences of teaching in education export projects can help to identify the management practices that need to be developed in order to ensure sustainable and well-operating education export implementations. In future research, a longitudinal study that also takes into account the recipients’ points of view would offer an interesting perspective for understanding the transformative learning of the overall exported programme.