Embedding Internationalization at Home – What do Irish HEIs need?

In Irish higher education, only four percent of learners have benefited from mobility opportunities. Whilst mobility continues to be accessible to a limited few, Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly realize the need to engage in 'Internationalization at home (IaH)' to provide international experiences to all learners. However, as evident from the literature review, IaH has been underdeveloped and understudied to date in the Irish context. Grounded in organizational and curriculum design and change management theories, this study critiques the development of IaH and suggests strategies to embed a culture of IaH in Irish HEIs. It adopts a constructivist-interpretivist methodology that examines IaH from different stakeholder perspectives utilizing qualitative focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The preliminary findings reveal the conceptual confusion, fragmented implementation and the need for a top-down, bottom-up approach to IaH. This study provides a unique theoretical lens for embedding IaH holistically. In oideachas tríú leibhéal na hÉireann, níor bhain ach ceithre faoin gcéad de mhic léinn leas as deiseanna soghluaisteachta. Cé go bhfuil an tsoghluaisteacht fós inrochtana do bheagán teoranta, tuigeann institiúidí ardoideachais na hÉireann (HEIanna) níos mó an gá atá le dul i mbun ‘Idirnáisiúnú sa bhaile (IaH)’ chun eispéiris idirnáisiúnta a sholáthar do gach mac léinn. Mar is léir ón athbhreithniú litríochta, áfach, níl mórán forbartha déanta ar IaH agus tearc-staidéar déanta air i gcomhthéacs na hÉireann. Bunaithe ar dhearadh eagraíochta agus curaclaim agus ar theoiricí bainistíochta athraithe, déanann an staidéar seo critic ar fhorbairt IA agus molann straitéisí chun cultúr IA a leabú in Institiúidí Ardoideachais na hÉireann. Glacann sé le modheolaíocht tógachaíoch-teangach a scrúdaíonn IaH ó dhearcaí éagsúla geallsealbhóirí ag baint úsáide as fócasghrúpaí cáilíochtúla agus agallaimh leath-struchtúrtha. Léiríonn na réamhthorthaí an mearbhall coincheapúil, an cur i bhfeidhm ilroinnte agus an gá atá le cur chuige ó bhun aníos i leith IaH. Soláthraíonn an staidéar seo lionsa teoiriciúil uathúil chun IaH a leabú go hiomlánaíoch.