A Study of Faculty Members’ Perceptions of the Effect of the Globalization on Higher Education: The Case of Jordan

Abstract

The purpose of study was to investigate Jordanian higher education faculty members’ perceptions of the phenomenon of globalization and its effect on higher education. The participants in this study were 6 faculty members from a Jordanian university. Four of the participants have leadership positions at the university. Two of them were deans, one of them was vice dean, and the fourth one was a head of department.  Semi-structured interviews were used as research method. The researchers formulated the interview questions based on the purpose of the research. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used to analyze participants’ responses.  Participants’ responses to the interview questions were organized, coded, interpreted, and represented. The findings showed that the Jordanian faculty members are aware of the effects of globalization on the fields of higher education. All the participants believed that globalization have positive effect on higher education. Most of the participants believed that the institutions of higher education should work on facing the negative impact of globalization on the national identity, culture, and heritage. Mixed results were found regarding the challenge of applying the principle of free market on the fields of higher education due to the globalization. Based on the findings, some of recommendations were presented.

Keywords: Globalization, Faculty Perceptions, Jordanian Higher education