Students’ Perceptions of International Faculty Members in Higher Education

This paper investigates university student perceptions of international faculty members in the context of an Irish higher education institution. Though international student numbers are rising in Ireland, classrooms continue to predominantly comprise Irish and EU students. However, the faculty has growing number of non-EU lecturers due to many economic and social factors. This study uses a quantitative survey method with a sample of business students from TU Dublin. The survey, based on the study by Yao et al. (2012), employed a 7-point Likert scale to explore student perceptions of their interactions with international faculty members in both online and offline classrooms. The results suggest that students generally have positive perceptions of international faculty members. Factor analysis revealed three key factors: language and understanding, teaching methods and rapport building, and approachability and overall experience. The responses also suggest that students do not perceive international faculty members as using difficult terminology or examples and find them to be approachable. Students also reported that cultural differences do not pose a significant barrier in their interactions with international faculty. Overall, the findings indicate that students benefit from the diverse perspectives brought by international faculty members and that their presence enriches the educational experience.