1. Pedagogic Research The Nature of Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning
Dr. Alison Morrison
University of Strathclyde

2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT & IMPLEMENTATION
Overall project management: Dr. Alison Morrison, Director of Research
Research Principal: Dr. Dennis Nickson, Iran Programme Manager
Research Principal: Bill Johnston, Centre for Academic Practice

3. PROJECT BACKGROUND
In 1999 The Scottish Hotel School (SHS) established an offshore higher education provision in Tehran
Students complete a two-year diploma devised by SHS delivered by Iranian lecturers
SHS personnel deliver the third year in Tehran leading to a BA Hotel & Hospitality Management degree

4. PEDAGOGIC ISSUES Quality assurance Cross-cultural dimensions
Offshore challenges
Geographically volatile environment
Politically charged following 1979 Islamic Revolution
Current Iraq war situation

5. PROJECT AIMS
Investigate the impact of cross-cultural features at a micro-level within the context of the learning & teaching environment
Examine the implications of widening participation in higher education cross-culturally
Analyse appropriate innovative & effective learning & teaching practices

6. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Culturally align learning & teaching approaches that achieve stated educational objectives
Formulate learning & teaching strategies that explicitly recognise & address the diversity of cultural profiles
Provide an evidence-based example of innovative & effective learning & teaching methods with reference to QAA frameworks

7. PROJECT METHODOLOGY:Phase 1
Review associated documentation:
Course design
Class outlines
Teaching packages
QAA evaluation reports
Samples of student coursework
Minutes of review boards etc.

8. PROJECT METHODOLOGY:Phase 2
Fieldwork Tehran
Focus groups with the total first cohort of 38 student
In-depth taped interviews with a sample of 5 of the students
Focus groups with Iranian lecturers & senior staff within the educational institute

9. STUDENT EXPERIENCE ‘The induction programme in my opinion was
very good – professional and it made us think
that Strathclyde really cared about us..’
‘They taught us how to be more in control of what
we learn through asking questions and being more
active in and out the classroom to find out information
to help our studies.’

10. STUDENT EXPERIENCE Our teacher was different from Iranian teachers..
if I wanted them to help me out of class, I could
run to them with a question and they would spend
time helping me to understand things’
‘I was used to memorising the lessons and then come
to the exam and just write like a parrot and this
escapes from your mind very easily’

11. PROJECT METHODOLOGY:Phase 3
Fieldwork SHS
Taped in-depth interviews with all SHS staff who had been involved in the management & delivery of the programme in Tehran
Written reflections from each of these persons reflecting on the key issues & challenges they encountered following the ‘surfacing’ of trains of thought in the interview
Focus group to discuss findings from two stages above & to consider implications for future

12. TEACHER EXPERIENCES
‘..one of the issues is the challenge to professionalism
…I was a female teaching in a very male dominated
environment…personnel seem determined to undermine
professionalism’
‘There was excellent social interaction within the group
which didn’t have a gendered image’

13. TEACHER EXPERIENCES ‘Using teaching materials of western origin didn’t
cause a problem, in fact the students were perhaps
more interested because I was a foreign teacher
rather than someone perpetuating what was
happening in Iran.’
‘It is a culture of an intelligent nation that has gone
through turbulent times. There is an extremist
approach to organising society but what you see now
is the emergence of a generation that is questioning
these values.’

14. PROJECT METHODOLOGY:Phase 4
Analysis, synthesis, conclusions & recommendations
Currently this is on-going

15. SOME EARLY FINDINGS
Professionalism in course design & practice of teaching & learning as important as staff/student cultural background
Fundamental human aspects of the ‘learning alliance’ such as rapport, trust, reliability, commitment & ambition appear to have been significant in achieving a genuine breaking down of cultural barriers
Attention to the practical and pedagogical features of offshore micro culture & context is crucial

16. SOME MORE EARLY FINDINGS
The nature of critical thinking & its explicit positioning in offshore, cross-cultural teaching programmes may provide a major focus in future development of teaching & learning strategies
Given the nexus of global, international, regional and local relationships represented in the discipline of hospitality management it would seem essential to develop a strong sense of cross cultural influences in teaching the socio-political dimensions of the field of study

17. EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Development of teaching & learning strategies & practices that are transferable & generalisable within wider international HE environment
Enhancement of learning & teaching methods within HLST subject specific areas
Understanding & knowledge contribution to the nature of cross-country & offshore teaching