Why do we teach what we teach? Perspectives from Asia's hospitality and tourism program directors

This study investigates the forces shaping curriculum design of hospitality and tourism undergraduate programs in Southeast and East Asia. The topic has received little attention in the past. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 hospitality and tourism program directors from 8...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of teaching in travel & tourism 2017-10, Vol.17 (4), p.281-299
Main Authors: Oktadiana, Hera, Chon, Kaye
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asia
Curriculum design
hospitality and tourism
international contrast
program directors
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Summary:This study investigates the forces shaping curriculum design of hospitality and tourism undergraduate programs in Southeast and East Asia. The topic has received little attention in the past. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 hospitality and tourism program directors from 8 regions in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines) and East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea). The results indicated that the industry as one major stakeholder has strong influences on curriculum in multiple ways. This can be seen in the way industry commentary shapes the objectives of the programs, graduate competencies, and the subject material favoring employability for the hospitality and tourism industry. Accreditation was viewed as more essential in designing a curriculum for the higher institutions in the Southeast Asia compared to East Asia. The availability and expertise of staff were viewed as the least important forces in shaping the curriculum.
ISSN:1531-3220
1531-3239
DOI:10.1080/15313220.2017.1396945