From Learning to Teaching: Incorporating Cultural Familiarity to Enhance GTA Support for International Students' Learning

Abstract

The Inclusive Education Model (IEM) is stated as one of the priorities of the Education Strategy at the University of Warwick, and is aimed at enhancing students’ learning experience. Although significant progress has been made in the development of inclusion in education, there are still challenges to overcome to ensure that all students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, abilities, or circumstances, have equitable access to quality education and are fully included in the learning environment. To better support inclusive education, the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) scheme at Warwick was implemented with the aim of providing various types of teaching support to postgraduate taught (PGT) students. While carrying out our GTA jobs, the authors noticed that the international postgraduate taught (PGT) students in Education Studies were experiencing some challenges during their studies, often caused by the mismatch/incompatibility between students’ previous education experiences in their home countries and the pedagogical approaches adopted in the UK context. Arguably, these challenges could lead to various barriers that might hinder the students from the current educational environment. Through this critical reflection, we aim to raise awareness of hidden/invisible challenges that may have been overlooked. As international students are among those who may not feel fully included when pursuing studies in a host country, our objective is to raise awareness of hidden or invisible challenges that might have been overlooked through critical reflection. Our intention is to contribute to establishing an equitable and supportive educational experience for international students with diverse needs and backgrounds. We intend to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and supportive educational experience for international students with diverse needs and backgrounds.