NSYSU launches international teacher education cooperation and joins hands with Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia to expand to middle and high school campuses
2024-10-08
To deepen international teacher education exchanges and cooperation, the Institute of Education, the Center for Teacher Education, and the International Graduate Program of Education and Human Development (IGPEHD) at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) and Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia jointly organized "The International Teaching Program 2024" to enhance the cross-cultural teaching abilities of pre-service teachers from both sides. The program invited Dr. Frida Unsiah, Dr. Syariful Muttaqin, Dr. Widya Caterine Perdhani, Ms. Scarletina Vidyayani Eka, and 11 English-specialized pre-service teachers from Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia to NSYSU for exchanges and learning. Faculty and students from both universities also went to middle and high schools in Kaohsiung to experience the teaching practice on-site.
IGPEHD Program Chair Hsueh-Hua Chuang at NSYSU emphasized that future teachers need to possess "global mobility." Through international exchange, students can enhance their cross-cultural knowledge, language skills, and literacy, expand their macro perspective in teaching and research, and improve their employment competitiveness in the global market. This collaboration provided a platform for pre-service teachers from both sides to learn and exchange together and also positively contributed to the internationalization of teacher cultivation.
"The International Teaching Program" lasted for two weeks. The program focused on teacher training exchange on both sides and designing cross-cultural full-English courses, covering multicultural experiences and cross-cultural course design in Indonesia and Taiwan. The Center for Teacher Education of NSYSU specially invited Taiwanese senior high school teachers to share the education situation on the Taiwan campus with Indonesian faculty and students and assist pre-service teachers in further adjusting lesson plans to meet the needs of Taiwanese campuses. Assistant Professor Yu-Hui Chang of the Center for Teacher Education also discussed the full English and bilingual teaching experiences with Indonesian faculty and students, sharing how cross-culture combines local elements through practical teaching cases, allowing the pre-service teachers from Indonesia and Taiwan to have mutual observation and collaborative lesson preparation experiences.
Additionally, pre-service teachers from Taiwan and Indonesia also went to Kaohsiung Municipal Ling Ya Junior High School, Shoushan Junior High School, Yancheng Junior High School, Siaogang Senior High School, and Chungshan Senior High School for field teaching, bringing Indonesian educational concepts to Taiwanese campuses and conducting open classes and exchanges with local teachers. Through courses such as Javanese Wayang kulit and Indonesian fruit salad making, middle and high school students experienced Indonesian snacks, music, dance, and costumes, feeling the impact of different educational cultures, which broadened the international horizons of faculty and students and enhanced their educational professionalism.
Teachers from Universitas Brawijaya expressed their gratitude for the valuable opportunity provided by NSYSU and the assistance and companionship throughout the program, allowing Indonesia's future teachers to successfully practice teaching in Taiwan and understand how to apply their knowledge in actual classrooms. Through co-learning with NSYSU faculty and students, Indonesian pre-service teachers deepened their understanding of Taiwanese culture and the education system. This cross-cultural teaching experience was an unforgettable and precious experience for every participant.
Pre-service teachers at NSYSU observed the cross-cultural literacy of Taiwanese middle and high school students and actively participated in cultural courses with attitudes of equality, respect, and care. Through co-created courses and practices with Indonesian pre-service teachers, they learned about the importance of cross-cultural teaching and how to engage students in full English teaching classrooms, which substantially improved the language, culture, and teaching capabilities of both sides.