Data Collection

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adaptation was made to incorporate the output from the preceding qualitative data collection and to fit the context of Cambodia's Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP).

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education in general and its international dimensions in particular, paving the way for further data collection process, especially for the proceeding fieldwork at the study site.

The second phase of data collection was directed at gaining comprehensive and profound knowledge and understanding about internationalization process at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), with an emphasis on the perceptions, practices and challenges of internationalization. To realize this goal, multiple qualitative methods including interviews, observations and documentation were employed during a fieldwork conducted in Cambodia, particularly at the three campuses of the RUPP, from early November 2012 to late January 2013. The fieldwork was funded by the Haraguchi Memorial Asia Research Fund and carried out with permission from the academic supervisor, Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS), and the Royal University of Phnom Penh (see Appendix A).

The primary data obtained in this phase of data collection was a major source of information used in data analysis in this study although it was complemented by other sources of information retrieved during the first and third phases of data collection. This was because obtaining reliable secondary data was extremely difficult in the context of Cambodia (Deolalikar, 1999; Ford, 2006). McNamara (1999) contends that the poor quality of data in Cambodia may be due to the country's cultural attitudes to precision of information. The fact that concern about objectivity may be less of a cultural value in Cambodia renders manipulation and distortion of information quite rational behavior (McNamara; 1999). The lack of respect for accuracy in information in Cambodia may partly result from the sense of distrust and suspicion among many Cambodians who have suffered from psychological trauma after going through a long civil war and repeated oppressive regimes. In such context, the qualitative methods of data collection, in which researcher is the main "measurement device" (Miles & Huberman, 1994, p. 6), play significant roles in obtaining reliable information concerning the phenomenon under study. The reliability of information obtained

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from the interviews was achieved through the process of triangulation, in which it was juxtaposed with the information from other sources including documentation and observations.

The observations in this phase were carried out in all the three campuses of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP): the Faculty of Sciences, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Institute of Foreign Languages. Beside the RUPP, the researcher also had opportunities to observe the implementation of internationalization activities in a number of other private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Cambodia. The documentation, on the other hand, encompassed the policy paper and legal documents from the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS) and the RUPP's policy documents.

The documents obtained from the MoEYS included drafts and papers of national policy on research and higher education development. Moreover, some primary data concerning foreign students studying in Cambodian HEIs, Cambodian students studying in abroad, and the numbers of Cambodian HEIs and students were also obtained from various offices at the MoEYS. The documentation at RUPP encompassed mission and vision statement, strategic plan, some primary data related to international dimensions, and other administrative reports such as meeting minutes and committee reports. However, the access to such important documents as financial reports was restricted because it was considered sensitive by the officials responsible for storing the documents. In addition, some primary data and information concerning international dimensions of higher education at both national and institutional levels were considerably incomplete, fragmented, and of limited quality.

Interviews formed the core basis for generating information in the second phase of data collection process. The selection of research participants was based on purposive and snowball sampling methods and a number of criteria including knowledge and experiences of internationalization activities, potential contribution, willingness to participate in the research, and accessibility (for more discussion about sampling methods and selection criteria, see

%&-Creswell, 2003, 2007). The process of participant selection continued until the obtained information reached the point of saturation. Saturation occurs when the information was repeated and more interviews did not lead to further conceptual insights into the issue under investigation (Charmaz, 2006).

The interviews consisted of two types - individual interviews and focus groups. The individual interviews were conducted with faculty members, administrative staff and institutional policy makers and leaders while the focus groups were carried out with the student participants. The use of focus group was useful because it allowed the participants to express their views effectively, engage in meaningful dialogue with their peers, and feel confident (Cohen et al., 2007; Creswell, 2007). In addition, it saved time and resources. As a result, three different group interviews were conducted with ten student participants from the three campuses of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). The focus groups, however, could not be employed with faculty members, administrative staff, and other members of the university due to their conflicting schedules. In addition, the formidable respect accorded to university's lecturers and staff in Cambodian society (McNamara, 1999) along with the barriers resulting from hierarchy associated with their professional ranks and experiences rendered the focus groups inappropriate for them. Therefore, those institutional practitioners and policy makers of internationalization were interviewed individually instead. Apart from the interviews, the researcher also benefited from informal conversations with a number of other key members working at the RUPP, other Cambodian HEIs, and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS), who shared their knowledge and experiences related to internationalization at their institutions as well as in Cambodian higher education sector.

After identifying participants and obtaining their consent, appointments for interview were made at the participants' convenient times and places. Most of the interviews with faculty members, administrative staff and leadership of the RUPP were conducted in their

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offices during their office hours, while the focus groups were administered in reserved classrooms at the Institute of Foreign Languages on Saturday, when the student participants did not have any classes. Each interview was semi-structured and lasted between 40 and 90 minutes. In the individual interviews, the researcher explores the issue under investigation through interactive dialogue with the assistance of interview guide, allowing the participants to freely express their opinions thoroughly and profoundly concerning the issue under investigation. In the focus groups, the researcher played the roles of a coordinator facilitating group discussion and directing the interview process toward achieving the set objectives. Both the individual interviews and focus groups were conducted orally in person and were tapped with the interviewees’ permission. The researcher also took note during the interviews and wrote his reflection after the conclusion of each interview. In total, 45 key members of the university participated in the interviews during the second phase of data collection. The interviewees came from diverse sexes, institutional and departmental affiliations, professional lines, ranks and experiences or year levels (see Table 4.1).

The third phase of data collection process focused on quantitative method. A questionnaire survey was administered during the researcher's second fieldwork in Cambodia from early May to late June 2013. The survey aimed primarily at increasing the generalization of findings from the qualitative data, triangulating information from the other sources, and extending knowledge and understanding concerning the issue under study. During this period, the researcher was also engaged with other data collection activities such as observations, documentation, and informal discussion. Purposive sampling was employed to identify survey respondents so that diverse demographic characteristics including sexes, ages, professional lines, disciplinary and organizational lines, and statuses were present in the research sample.

In addition, a number of lecturers, program coordinators/sub-coordinators, class monitors/sub-monitors, and heads/deputy heads of offices and departments were identified as key

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informants to assist in coordinating the administration of the survey. With the intention to increase the return rate of completed questionnaire, a 1$-worth pen was attached with each copy of the questionnaire delivered to respondents as a token of appreciation for their time and effort spent on filling in the questionnaire. In total, 1052 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the three groups of respondents and 656 valid copies were received, representing a return rate of 62.4 percent. Of the 656 questionnaire respondents, 410 were students, 154 faculty members, and 92 administrative staff (see Table 4.2).