Typology of Inter-Disciplinary Approaches and its Implications in Designing Multi-cultural Curriculum in Higher Education

Subject Areas : Education

A. Araghieh ¹ (عضو هیات علمی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی ،واحد اسلامشهر،گروه مدیریت و برنامه ریزی آموزشی،اسلامشهر،ایران)

Received: 2013-09-15 Accepted : 2013-09-15 Published : 2013-03-21

Keywords: Approach, Inter-disciplinary, Curriculum Planning, Multi-cu¬l¬tural,

Abstract :

Some of the subjects currently discussed in the world of higher education include the issue of higher education internationalization and making provisions to attract international students. Achieving these aims entail different variables including the acceptance of cultural pluralism in the university environments, paying enough attention to the inter-cultural experiences, and the expansion of international relations. However, a study of the higher education in Iran indicates that Iran’s higher education system lacks appropriate patterns and approaches concerning multi-cultural curriculum, the identification of other cultures and inter-cultural experiences. The issue in the form of cultural obstacles has posed challenges in the internationalization of higher education curriculum in Iran. In this research, using qualitative research method (comparative analysis) an attempt was made to analyze the identified approaches in inter-disciplinary programs. The findings of the study suggested that the inter-disciplinary studies, offering comprehensive views, are able to give a special cohesiveness to the experts’ multi-cultural curriculum studies and can play an effective role in the face of cultural obstacles of internationalization higher education curriculum.