ERIC Number: ED216603
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1982-Mar
Pages: 15
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Multinational Comparison of Terms in Higher Education.
Mauch, James
The meaning of terminology in higher education, particularly terminology that is multinational in its use and often confusing or misunderstood, is examined. It is suggested that graduate students as well as other scholars and researchers need to define terms. A term used in a statement of a problem or in a dissertation that may be variously interpreted must be defined in the way it is to be used. If a term is unfamiliar to the reader or if there is not a standard definition, or if there are many definitions, or if a term is used in a very specific meaning, the researcher is expected to define terms. For example, writers tend to use terms (e.g., civic university) that are not widely understood outside of one cultural context. Other terms are familiar, but misunderstood across cultures (e.g., bachelor's degree). Some terms are so ethnocentric that they communicate nothing to others (e.g., accreditation). The confusion hinders communication, obstructs the translation of academic work across national systems, and makes it difficult to appropriately place foreign students in reputable institutions of higher education. It is concluded that it is possible to be precise about terminology in higher education, even when studying the subject comparatively and using concepts from a number of different national systems. Works in the field of comparative education that would be helpful to the researcher seeking to understand or define terms or concepts are identified and described. Specialized dictionaries, guides to the education systems of foreign countries or regions, classification schemes, and other sources of information are identified. (SW)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Opinion Papers; Reference Materials - Directories/Catalogs
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New York, NY, March 19, 1982).