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Abstract

This paper addresses the theme of internationalism in Kuwaiti teachers’ colleges. The main argument of this paper is that dimensions of comparative and international education (CIE) receive little attention in initial teacher programmes. To this end, the study examines first the importance of holding international pedagogy in a time of globalization. Second, it investigates the current context of CIE as a course subject in initial teacher education programmes in Kuwait, and finally, it identifies the opportunity and possibility of integrating international and comparative perspectives in these programmes. The study upon which this paper is based utilizes both document and content analysis. The findings reveal some difficulties, challenges, and concerns related to the context of CIE and the process of incorporating it into initial teacher programmes. Based on this, some suggestions are made with particular reference to the Kuwaiti context.

Keywords

Teacher education comparative education international education internationalization of education teacher colleges Kuwait

Introduction and background

The importance of teachers and teacher education¹ has substantially increased both nationally and internationally in the past few years. There are many reasons for this as explained by Acedo (2012): one reason is the growing need for qualified teachers to reach the Education for All goals; another reason is the fact that teachers are the most expensive factor in the provision of education. A third reason is the increased awareness that teachers are one of the most important factors in quality education. This is in line with John Hattie notion of ‘visible learning’ identifying the teacher, among 138 elements, as the first and most important element in having effective learning (Hattie, 2011). Hence, governments all over the world are making big efforts in developing their teacher education programmes to meet these goals and needs.

The Kuwaiti government is not an exception; improving the educational system in general and teacher education programmes, in particular, has always been an issue in national strategies and agendas, such as ‘The General Strategy of General Education in Kuwait 2005–2025’ and ‘The National Report for the Development of Education 2004–2008’. The latter proposed two major projects in the country; one aimed at improving teacher preparation programmes, and the second targeted teachers’ professional development (Ministry of Education (MOE), 2008: 36–37).

Despite these considerable efforts, recent research has called for a change in teacher education programmes (Alkandary and Almahbob, 2003; Almofarej et al., 2007; Almuallem, 2016; Alshaheen and Alruwaished, 2009; Yousef and Almahbob, 2006). The findings show that the education system is failing to meet expectations and current initial teacher education programmes appear to be unsuccessful in providing the necessary professional competencies for student teachers in various aspects. Several recommendations are made including considering the modern international trends in teacher education, supporting student teachers’ creativity and novelty, enhancing their awareness of international diversity, and finally acknowledging the diverse educational problems and challenges (Almofarej et al., 2007; Yousef and Almahbob, 2006).

Further to these local challenges, similar to most parts of the world, Kuwait is encountering different international challenges due to the globalization phenomenon which makes educational reform a challenging process. This challenging process includes the diffusion of information technologies, rapid social change, changing geopolitical and economic relations, and most importantly, cultural and linguistic diversity which represents a chief challenge for current and future teachers. In Kuwait, the cultural challenge is acknowledged; ‘The National Report on Development of Education 2004–2008’ states that:

The cultural challenge is one of the most serious challenges because it is simply related to thoughts, values, and trends. We are facing rapid and dangerous changes which we began to feel in our lives regardless of the school. Based on that we seek to create leading and serious curricula about upholding national identity and consolidating all the positive values and the renunciation of negative ones taking advantage of everything that is new and useful in cultures and global developments, because we do not want to be separated from the world, at the same time we do not want to lose our identity. (MOE, 2008: 23–24)

This means preparing future teachers to cope with the current cultural diversity, be knowledgeable about different educational contexts, be open to learning from different educational experiences and be equipped with multiple tools such as other languages and cultural backgrounds.

Internationally, there have been growing calls to engage teacher education programmes to address the needs of an increasingly interdependent and global world (Levine, 2010; Shaklee and Baily, 2012; Tatto, 2011; Zhao, 2010). It is argued that it is the contemporary challenge to the national focus of educational systems brought by globalization that requires a fundamental reappraisal of the nature and role of comparative and international education (CIE) teaching (Tikly and Crossley, 2001). The imperatives of this situation require that teacher colleges should reconsider the potential of comparative education as an intrinsic part of their programmes to help to face these challenges (Planel, 2008). This is asserted by the United Nations which highlights that:

Institutions of teacher education fulfil vital roles in the global education community; they have the potential to bring changes within educational systems that will shape the knowledge and skills of future generations. Often, education is described as the great hope for creating a more sustainable future; teacher-education institutions serve as key change agents in transforming education and society, so such a future is possible. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 2005: 12)

In contrast to the current international move towards the revival of comparative education and internationalization of education (Acedo, 2012), it appears that in Kuwait, the potential of this field in general and in relation to initial teacher education, in particular, has not received enough attention; in fact, this is the case in most Arab countries as expressed by Abdulgani (2006). As a person who has been involved in the educational sector for more than 15 years and who is currently a faculty member in the College of Basic Education, one of the two teacher colleges in Kuwait, I have noted that although teacher colleges play a vital role in teacher preparation, they are unable to connect to the rapidly shifting needs of the Kuwaiti society. Additionally, while the focus on globalization has gained ground in local educational circles, the emphasis on initial teacher education as a way to address it has been a more recent development.

With these tensions and expectations for teacher education, this paper addresses the role of CIE in initial teacher education in a time of globalization. The main argument of this paper is that CIE is marginalized in initial teacher education and receives little attention in the Kuwaiti academia. It is argued that the inclusion of CIE in initial teacher education would improve teacher education programmes and henceforth enhance teachers’ performance. To this end, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

What is the importance of incorporating international pedagogy and knowledge in teacher education programmes?

To what extent is CIE considered in initial teacher education in Kuwaiti teacher colleges?

What are the opportunities for integrating CIE in these programmes?

CIE and teacher education

Comparative education, as Jones asserts, means what it says: ‘a comparative study of education’ (Jones, 1971: 149). It is seen as an engagement in making a comparison in education as a cultural phenomenon in two or more national educational systems. Tikly and Crossley (2001) maintain that the term CIE canon refers to the ‘body of literature that is recognized by teachers and practitioners of comparative and international education as encompassing the major areas of knowledge, issues, axioms, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies that define comparative and international education as a field of study’ (Tikly and Crossley, 2001: 564).

Early and current comparatists have argued that a comparative perspective should be part of teacher preparation. This is for several reasons such as understanding and appreciating domestic experiences as pointed out by Sadler (1900; cited in Bray, 1999), learning about other systems of education counteracts teachers’ insularity and helps them deal with modernity (Trethewey, 1976; Watson, 1982), and increasing teachers’ understanding of education in general (Trethewey, 1976). Furthermore, many authors have recommended that pre-service teachers should study abroad, embrace global perspectives (Kissock and Richardson, 2009), and apply international pedagogies to classroom practice (Reagan, 2005). Previous research in different educational contexts provides evidence that incorporating aspects of CIE in initial teacher education would enhance teacher performance (i.e. O’Sullivan et al., 2008; Wilson, 2005), and that comparative pedagogy would help not only in preparing teachers to respond to diversity in multicultural classrooms, but also developing a critical perspective on their learning and teaching practices (Planel, 2008).

Nationally and internationally, changing conceptions of what it meant to know and what knowledge was valued in teaching had led to debates about the effectiveness of traditional teacher education programmes and how to reform them (see Darling-Hammond, 1998; Delors, 1996; Levine, 2010; Shaklee and Baily, 2012). This is an important issue given that the opportunities to learn provided by teacher education programmes impact what future teachers know and believe when they leave their teacher education programmes (Tatto, 2011). In her presidential address to the Comparative and International Education Society, Tatto (2011) comments that there is a gap created by the lack of comparative knowledge about the effectiveness of teacher education which makes it difficult to understand macro and micro-level dynamics, such as how the global diffusion of knowledge affected schools of education, schools, and classrooms (Tatto, 2011: 497).

In this era of globalization, traditional models of initial teacher education are no longer convenient, and student teacher programmes would be incompetent if we continued to follow these models. Teacher preparation programmes will need to focus on the changing ways to increase the dispositions of good teachers in the twenty-first century. Under current circumstances, new definitions of good teaching are necessary. This means moving away from scripted curriculum and test preparation manuals and focusing more on knowing and managing disciplinary content, helping students develop intellectual tools, and making them aware of their intellectual capacities (Tatto, 2011). This would help in supporting what Merryfield calls the ‘globally competent teacher educator’ who manifests

cross-cultural experiences, knowledge of diverse cultures, and an understanding of globalization, perceptual, interpersonal, and communication skills that enhance their abilities to work with and learn from people different from themselves and certain shared beliefs and values that support diversity, equity and global interconnectedness.

(Merryfield, 2001; cited in Shaklee and Baily, 2012: 7)

A theoretical framework for teaching CIE

Historically, there is an interrelated association between comparative education and initial teacher training, but paradoxically, as comparative education has developed as a discipline, this strong association has declined, and comparative education has increasingly become an academic subject whose practical application has been limited to international education and development (Planel, 2008).

The literature indicates that there is a decline of comparative education in initial teacher education. This decline is not confined to developing countries such as Kuwait but can also be found in Western countries such as the UK and US (Kelly et al., 1982; O’Sullivan et al., 2008; Planel, 2008; Tikly and Crossley, 2001; Watson, 1982). Watson (1982) has reported a decline in taught courses in comparative education in English higher education institutes, and Wilson (2005) claims that out of some 140 initial teacher training providers in England only about a dozen included CIE. One reason for this historic decline goes back to the increasing national and inward-looking focus for educational studies in systems of education (Tikly and Crossley, 2001). However, this decline is not a global phenomenon, and comparative education continues to be taught in teacher education programmes in South East Asia, in countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, such as South Africa, and a number of East European countries (O’Sullivan et al., 2008). More recently, calls for increasing the international dimension in teacher education programmes and focus towards the globally competent teacher have come to the forefront in the US (Zhao, 2010).

In their contribution to the development of an improved conceptual framework for teaching CIE, Tikly and Crossley (2001) examined three broad models (approaches). Two of these models, specialization, and integration, more closely reflect existing practices, while one, transformation, is essentially heuristic in nature and points to an alternative strategy for the future.

Under the specialization model, distinct courses and programmes with an international and/or comparative flavour are organized. This model would help CIE expertise within a department of education to work collaboratively with colleagues to simultaneously internationalize broader curricula components and also to learn from emerging priorities and perspectives in other specializations. On the other hand, the integration model involves incorporating comparative education more firmly into other courses and programmes of study within departments of education where teachers with CIE knowledge could best use their expertise in developing international and comparative perspectives within other programmes of study in their institutions. Tikly and Crossley (2001) argue that neither model in its pure form deals effectively with contemporary challenges and certain aspects from both models are essential in meeting these challenges. For that reason, they suggested a third model which can be seen as complementary to both previous ones and a model which can draw attention to supercomplexity and change for CIE. This third model is the transformation model. It mainly considers university departments as learning organizations which are seen by Morrison as

one that is continually expanding its horizons and capabilities through the development of its employees, both individually and collectively, in order to achieve individual and organizational goals…it is not an organization that is changing but an organization that is developing and enhancing its capacity to change. (Morrison, 1998; cited in Tikly and Crossley, 2001: 576)

The authors cautioned against adopting an overly managerialist conception of the learning organization in which educational institutions and departments are seen as equivalent to businesses and made use of Barnett’s three conditions for a learning university, namely, the knowledge condition, the interaction condition, and the condition of communication (Barnett, 2000). As for the implications of these conditions for the transformation model of teaching CIE, they argue that when the knowledge principle is applied to the departmental level and to the challenges of teaching CIE, it suggests that departments could learn much from auditing the nature and extent of their international expertise and the international content of curricula. This can be done by different mechanisms such as curriculum review teams, peer reviews, student feedback, appraisal, self-evaluation, and staff development in international dimensions. The second condition is the interaction condition which promotes greater cross-disciplinary interactions not only within the departments but also could include bridging within the field itself and across faculties. This would help in developing the field of CIE and disseminate it more widely. Helpful mechanisms and activities that could promote such interaction can include teaching and research teams, seminars, conferences, reading groups, and staff development days. The final condition is the effective communication that is needed to achieve the previous two conditions. This involves sharing information with fellow members of staff about new research, teaching, or consultancy opportunities within the field of CIE; in other words, enhancing the information-flow capability (information channels) of the institution which is described by Coleman as ‘social capital’ (Coleman, 1988; cited in Tikly and Crossley, 2001).

The intention of Tikly and Crossley (2001) is to present a formulation of a threefold theoretical framework to help others engaged in the documentation, analysis, and reconceptualization of the teaching of CIE but, at the same time, to inform and advance more empirical studies in similar and different educational contexts, as is the case in this study. In this regard, this study is informed by this analytical framework and considers its potential in analysing the collected data as discussed below.

Data collection and analysis

This study follows a qualitative method, combining documentary and textual analysis with content analysis. Researchers usually refer to content analysis as an alternative to numerical analysis of qualitative data, but it can also describe the relative frequency and importance of certain topics as well as evaluate bias, prejudice or propaganda in printed materials (Cohen et al., 2011). However, unlike naive quantitative forms of content analysis, as described by Silverman (2001), in this study, analysis goes beyond counting instances of terms used in the text and aims to show how the theoretically-defined categories or elements of CIE are assembled and laminated.

In order to examine the current context of CIE in initial teacher education in Kuwaiti teacher colleges, a contemporary review of pre-service teacher programmes, departments’ missions and goals, and major sheets was conducted. This included consulting relevant primary resources such as colleges’ documents, mission statements, reports, records, prospectuses, and bulletins to ascertain the current situation and to avoid problems of reliability in infrequent updating of websites. A pragmatic selective approach was employed for sampling the collected documents, and 35 relevant documents were selected.

Based on the earlier discussion, a number of recurrent themes emerged, and the content of the documents obtained is analysed with the purpose of finding some evidence (indications) regarding the following categories:

(1) the extent of consideration that CIE receives in Kuwaiti student-teacher programmes at the macro, meso, and micro-levels; and

(2) the elements of CIE that are represented or left unaddressed in these programmes. This includes the themes of multiculturalism and cultural diversity, global knowledge, and international dialogue, and comparative inquiry and thought.

Discussion

CIE in initial teacher education in Kuwait

Initial teacher education in Kuwait is offered in two public teacher preparation colleges: one is the College of Education (COE) at Kuwait University (KU), and the other is the College of Basic Education (CBE) at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). The academic initial teacher preparation, both theoretical and field training, is carried out in these two institutes which provide student teachers with professional knowledge in the following topics:

(1) educational foundations and leadership;

(2) educational psychology;

(3) aspects of cognitive education;

(4) teaching methods; and

(5) field training.

In these colleges, student teachers complete a four-year BEd degree in (19) specializations in KU and (18) specializations in PAAET. Despite the continuous calls and research proposals for more teacher professionalism (Almofarej et al., 2007; MOE, 2008) and launching teacher’s licensure (Yousef and Almahbob, 2006), there are still no national standards or curricula that regulate teacher preparation programmes in Kuwait (Alkandary and Almahbob, 2003). Each teacher college has its own goals, values and standards that stemmed from the national educational goals stated in ‘the National Strategy for Education 2005–2025’ and the institution’s wide-missions. Both colleges have a stated mission of assuring quality academic preparation leading to the enhancement of knowledgeable and competent teachers. For example, the mission statement of the CBE at PAAET concerns:

Preparing teachers and specialists in the field of education, as well as training them to be qualified as educators in the age of knowledge and technology by means of offering programmes that integrate theory and practice and meet the needs of the labour market in the age of knowledge economics in a way that develops the Kuwaiti individual in all humanitarian areas. (College of Basic Education (CBE), 2007: 6)

The Kuwaiti educational context seems to be open to considering aspects of internationalism, comparative ideology, and global knowledge. In fact, these issues are reflected in national and stately speeches at the highest level. In the last national conference of education which was held in February 2008, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait asserted that:

In this important conference, I urge you to review the Kuwaiti educational profile, to avoid its shortcomings in order to build a clear educational strategy with explicit working agenda enlightened by experiences and knowledge of the developed world and compatible with our national and local needs and demands…. (Cited in College of Education (COE), 2011: 92)

Additionally, data analysis shows that themes such as diversity and multicultural consciousness, international mindedness, international dialogue and interaction, and global educational knowledge are considered in the educational goals and principles at the national and institutional levels. For instance, the national educational strategy (2005–2025) comprises the following objectives:

Raising the awareness of learners with the importance of globalization and information technology and modern communication….

Acquainting the learners with the skills of positive interaction with the other cultures, tolerance, and coexistence with others.

Contributing to the achievement of interaction with the current age requirement of freedom of thought and response to the dynamics of change without conflict with the cultural specificity of the society. (MOE, 2008: 47–48).

Similar concepts are found at the institutional level. For example, the standards of the CBE state that college graduates should be:

Able to define the content, skills, new trends related to the curriculum. (CBE, 2007: 13)

While these goals do not ensure the actual implementation of CIE pedagogical components in these colleges, in particular with the absence of a central teacher preparation national framework, they serve as guidelines which these colleges follow in revising or developing their courses and programmes. However, this leaves room for various interpretations by practitioners, and in this case, they are likely to be interpreted as an option rather than as required actions.

On the other hand, the analysis shows that there is a disparity between this macro national perspective and the micro departmental one. Content analysis demonstrates that, at the under-graduate level, CIE has never been offered as a compulsory module in initial teacher education. Actually, it is non-existent in KU initial teacher programmes, whereas in PAAET, a single module entitled ‘comparative education’ exists as an elective module assigned for candidates of one programme only; that is the programme of computer teacher education. However, this module is rarely being taught. As an academic member in PAAET, personal experience and oral communication with colleagues revealed that this module had been taught only once in the last two decades depending on the availability of a lecturer with an interest and background in the field. Thus, the specialization model for teaching CIE is absent in these colleges.

Paradoxically, data show that CIE forms an area of study within graduate and master’s programmes at KU which aim particularly at practicing educators, administrators, and managers. It seems that these programmes tend to provide, on average, more opportunities to learn about other educational systems and experiences than undergraduate programmes. This finding thus reflects what seems to be a cultural norm, namely, the idea that teachers who are expected to teach in schools do not need much global educational background and information, or in other words the ‘intercultural competence’, and that teaching is a profession that can be mastered through practice and experience and not a profession that requires special preparation and training (Almofarej et al., 2007). However, the growth of interest at the postgraduate level is not local, and there is some evidence that the status of comparative education has improved in postgraduate programmes internationally (Tikly and Crossley, 2001).

Elements of CIE

Although comparative education is not studied per se, as a separate module in all programmes either in PAAET or at KU, content analysis reveals that elements of CIE, as listed earlier, are subsumed in a number of courses and modules.

The theme of multiculturalism and cultural diversity can be found in nine modules only in both programmes: five vocational subject courses (the structure of education, modern methods of teaching, philosophy and history of education, methods of assessment, and policy studies and governance in education); two general subject courses such as human rights and environmental issues; in addition to another two major courses that are relevant to the areas of specialization such as modern concepts in mathematics and international trends in teaching science. This reflects the Tikly and Crossley (2001) integration model of comparative education discussed earlier which involves incorporating CIE into other courses and programmes of study within departments of education. Such a model can make use of the comparative and international expertise of educators in developing international and comparative perspectives within other programmes of study in their institutions. However, it is argued that this access to these topics and themes are rather limited as clarified below.

Nevertheless, it seems that these themes have a distinctive interpretation in the Kuwaiti educational system, similar to what Levy (2007) described in the US context as a traditional domestic view of multicultural education, focusing primarily on issues of race, class, tribe, and ethnic group. Analysis shows that most programmes and departments in the two colleges concentrate on the local form of diversity rather than the international, multicultural perspective. Issues such as individual differences, local learners from different societal, tribal, and religious backgrounds, and learners with special needs, are the centre of attention. In the primary school teacher programme at the COE, it is articulated that this programme prepares candidates to:

Respect diversity among learners and their individual differences in this critical developmental life stage, particularly, learners with special needs. (COE, 2011: 110)

Similarly, the standards of the CBE state that college graduates should be:

A teacher and an educator capable of being aware of their pupils’ abilities and behaviourism, as well as their individual differences. (CBE, 2007: 13)

This narrow interpretation of diversity is expected in the Kuwaiti context where the tensions within the various Kuwaiti groups are more significant than the tensions between Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis. At the moment, Kuwait is witnessing a steady movement of intolerance and prejudice due to the long unstable local and regional political conflicts, as well as competing interests of political parties. Such challenges are acknowledged and the COE states that:

Kuwait similar to other Gulf states is facing cultural challenges reflected in values like racialism, discrimination, and prejudice which developed due to the current regional conflicts. Therefore, education has to provide structural educational programmes that reinforce values like national unity and cultural diversity, enhance feelings of social belonging and national identity, and refute discrimination, racism, and violence…. (COE, 2011: 87)

Regarding the theme of global knowledge and interaction, data show that only a few of the programmes and departments in both the CBE and COE have articulated aspects of global knowledge in their goals and descriptions. Also, courses that work in developing candidates’ knowledge about global perspectives, and competencies for establishing a classroom and school climate that values international dialogue and interaction do not exceed seven courses. For example, the Islamic studies programme at the CBE aims, among other objectives, at:

Identifying contemporary issues and problems, and the position of Islam towards them, as well as how to deal with them.

Recognizing the Muslim’s duty in building and developing the world … . (CBE, 2010: 32)

But examining the major sheet of this programme reveals that only three out of a selection of 87 (general, vocational, and major) courses on offer incorporate issues of internationalism in their contents; these courses are titled as follows: contemporary issues; Islam and the issues of the present age; and modern educational trends. This means that the teacher candidate has a chance of 3.4% to examine, understand, and to learn about these themes during the whole preparation programme, or probably less than that since all these courses are optional and not compulsory. In this case, it seems that the programme is not incorporating a global curriculum that enables candidates to accomplish the above goals.

Also, in the COE at KU, the programme for preschool and kindergarten teachers appears to be the only programme that considers this theme overtly in its objectives; it was stated that this programme aims to:

Prepare educators who respect diversity in the society and appreciate that we are part of a global village through retaining their own cultural identity which calls for openness and interaction. (COE, 2010: 18)

Raising awareness in the progressive historical dimensions of education and teaching profession, and exploring lessons from the past for present and future development. (COE, 2011: 100)

Nonetheless, such objectives are not especially reflected in the courses on offer. Examining the specifications of these courses shows that only a tiny percentage of them have sought to incorporate a global curriculum for new teachers.

Developing candidates’ skills of comparative inquiry and thinking is also realized in the objectives of the same department. Examples of these objectives include:

Supporting the preparation of a critical thinking candidate who can explore weak and strong features in the organizational structure of the Kuwaiti educational system and be able to suggest solutions for these problems and challenges.

Developing candidates’ creative abilities by bringing up-to-date the changes in the educational theories to assist their ideological and practical transformation, and to move from stagnation to innovation in their performance. (COE, 2011: 100)

To attain these goals, it is expected that candidates would have the opportunities to study and examine various educational systems, identify their characteristics and features, explore their successes and failures, and then, be able to make objective comparisons in order to make thoughtful decisions and choices. However, this kind of involvement does not appear to be fundamental in these programmes. Findings show that opportunities for candidates to learn about different international educational systems and experiences are rather limited. Similar topics are introduced in a general notional approach where comparative and international components are embedded in learning about current educational theories and concepts in different subjects. For example, in the ‘modern teaching methods’ course, student teachers study different methods of teaching and curriculum development in a general approach without analysing the interconnected elements of the educational process they work with. As regards this, Mazurek et al. (2000) maintain that courses in comparative education have at least two characteristics: they describe education systems in different nations; and they examine how elements of education systems interact with other components of the social structure, and what functions they serve. Accordingly, what this programme is offering cannot be described as having comparative and international components. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that since educators of these courses do not have sufficient expertise in international and comparative education, the courses are not taught using the comparative conceptual tools for interpreting educational practices and assumptions, and consequently, they do not develop skills for comparative analysis and comparisons among candidates.

Conclusion

Learning for the twenty-first century and engaging in a global perspective cannot happen if current teacher education programmes are stuck in the old paradigm. The previous discussion highlights that initial teacher education programmes in Kuwait can be described as inward-looking, nationally oriented, and narrow. It is argued here that if Kuwaiti colleges wish first to achieve their goals mentioned earlier, and second to be learning organizations that are expanding their horizons to cope with the continual rapid change, they should reconsider the comparative and international dimensions in their work.

As clarified, the specialization model of teaching CIE does not exist in Kuwaiti teacher preparation programmes. In fact, this area of specialization is not considered (totally ignored) as a distinct part of the educational sphere. On the other hand, the integration model does exist in these colleges but not exactly a typical integrative model as explained by Tikly and Crossly (2001); rather in a different form where themes of CIE are embedded in some courses but offered by instructors with little or no knowledge or background in this area. Therefore, under these pressures and challenges the transformation model informed by Barnett’s three conditions of knowledge, interaction and communication (Barnett, 2000) appear to be more convenient.

Accepting internationalism as a metacognitive topic is important to the Kuwaiti educational field. However, this is an iterative and developmental process that requires systematic planning and implementation. The Ministry of Education should take a leadership role in this direction by explicitly launching national standards on teacher certification and programme accreditation and making sure that elements of CIE are met in these programmes.

Teacher colleges can also lead such an effort by critically examining the current goals, principles, and programmes on offer and revising them to be outward-looking and more internationally oriented. Developing modules with CIE content either as separate or integrated modules is also crucial. This is widely feasible and compatible with future plans for introducing a preliminary year for all student-teachers’ programmes in Kuwait. The point is that it is a task that needs a cross-disciplinary interaction and collaboration and can only happen throughout a programme when there is a critical mass of faculty, commitment, and intentionality. However, the lack of expertise in the CIE field has emerged as a key factor in this direction. This will require having the right faculty within these colleges. In this case, widening postgraduate studies in CIE is necessary. Moreover, creating forms of communication between the CBE and COE and with the external environment is also considered pivotal.

Further exploration of faculty perceptions towards incorporating CIE in teacher education programmes is definitely required. Also, empirical research around student teachers’ experiences and perceptions of CIE and what motivates them to its study are crucial once this subject is taught. It is worth mentioning that although these proposals are based on the Kuwaiti context, they can be illuminative in other parts of the world, especially in the Gulf States where they share a lot of similarities with Kuwait.

Footnotes

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

Author biography

Suaad Alshebou holds a PhD in adult comparative education from the University of Nottingham, UK. She has a long experience in higher education systems as she worked at Kuwait University from 1993–2003. She also worked as a visiting Professor at the Centre for International Education based in George Mason University, US, during the academic year 2012. At a national level, Dr Alshebou worked as a consultant in a number of educational projects managed by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education from 2010–2014. Her research interests include comparative and international education, adult and continuing education, lifelong learning, professional development and family learning. She has also participated with and published papers in national and international conferences and journals.

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