An Autoethnographic Study: Perspectives and Insights of a Cross-cultural Educator on Curriculum and Pedagogical Variation in Internationalization of Higher Education

This auto-ethnographic inquiry utilizes autobiographical narrative to delve into my experiences and narratives as a cross-cultural educator simultaneously teaching at a Chinese and Canadian university. The aim is to ponder the interconnections, differences, and challenges within formal cross-cultural curriculum design and pedagogy, informal curriculum, and hidden curriculum and engage with academic environments and broader communities. Specifically, the study will examine the content, teaching methodologies, student learning, assessment practices, and the learning environment based on my experiences in an intercultural educational setting, as well as my coping strategies. The constructivist paradigm serves as the theoretical framework to explore my perceptions and understanding of these lived experiences. Data is drawn from my journals, memories, teaching materials, chats, emails, and memos written during my teaching experiences. Through my reflections, this study aims to reveal motivations, knowledge, and organizational discrepancies encountered in cross-cultural education as cross-cultural educators, proposing strategies to promote effective cross-cultural and cross-racial educational practices in the internationalization of higher education.