This thesis reports on an interpretative case study about student teachers’ and new teachers’ personal interpretations in their teaching practice, during and after an international teaching internship. The main aim of this study was to describe how an international teaching internship interrupts existing, familiar ways of thinking or acting. The findings are an interpretation of how this interruption influences student teachers’ and new teachers’ “personal interpretative frameworks” (Kelchtermans, 2009) during their teacher training programmes and transition from student to teacher. This framework reflects the basis on which a beginning teacher grounds their personal decisions or judgements for action and answers the questions: ‘how can I effectively deal with this particular situation? and ‘why would I work that way?’ (Vanassche & Kelchtermans, 2014, p. 118).
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This study will examine whether voluntary work or an internship in a developing country contributes to the development of global citizenship among young people. For the purpose of this study, global citizenship will be defined as a combination of social awareness and possessing international competencies. For a period of four years, a group of 1000 participants between 14 and 25 years old was followed using online self-administered surveys, surveys conducted within the social environment and a smaller number of in-depth interviews. Data collection took place prior to an internship or voluntary work in a developing country, following their return, and six months after their return. Almost all of the international competencies that according to prior research are required to be able to function effectively when communicating with people from a different cultural background were found to have increased during their their stay abroad. Only reading and writing skills in the local language of the area were shown not to have improved. The greatest amount of improvement occurred in the area of intercultural competencies, namely attitude, knowledge, behaviour and skills. Following their stay abroad, the personal and social competencies of participants were also shown to have increased. Relatively speaking, their international professional and academic skills improved the least. Despite this, following the return from voluntary work or an internship in a developing country, a larger number of participants were shown to be exhibiting a socially responsible attitude with an understanding of interdependence, equality of all people and a shared responsibility for solving global issues, and expressed this more frequently in their behaviour. In addition, an increase in flexibility, cultural empathy, social initiative and emotional stability among participants was observed. What essentially characterises the participants according to the in-depth interviews is the ability they have developed to look through someone else’s eyes at their own culture and living conditions in the Netherlands and to use their improved self-confidence to live a more socially aware life and/or engage in international activities after their return from abroad.
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IntroductionThe Dutch Medical Doctor-Global Health (MD-GH) prepares to work in low-resource settings (LRS) by completing a hybrid postgraduate training program of 2 years and 9 months, with clinical and public health exposure in the Netherlands and a Global Health residency in LRS. The objectives of the program include acquiring clinical skills to work as a physician in a setting with different (often more severe) pathology and limited resources. In public health teaching, emphasis is given, among other, to adapting to a culturally different environment. After graduation, MD-GH work in a wide variety of countries and settings for variable time. As part of a curriculum review, this study examines MD-GHs' perception of the quality of the training program and provides recommendations for improvement.MethodsA qualitative study was performed. Thematic analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 23 MD-GH who graduated between 2017 and 2021.ResultsMD-GHs predominantly worked as clinicians; several were (also) involved in management or capacity building. The clinical training program adequately addressed general skills, but did not sufficiently prepare for locally encountered, often severe, pathology. During the training, adequate supervision with clear learning goals was found pivotal to a positive learning experience. Gaps included clinical training in Internal Medicine (particularly infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases) and Paediatrics. Public Health teaching as well as cultural awareness should be intensified and introduced earlier in the program. The Global Health residency was considered important, but tasks and learning outcomes varied. Teaching, supervision, and capacity building were considered increasingly important key elements of working in LRS. Consensus favoured the current duration of the training program without extension.DiscussionWhile the generalist nature of the MD-GH training was appreciated, the program would benefit from additional clinical training in infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and Paediatrics. Moving forward, emphasis should be placed on structured mentorship, enhanced public health teaching, and standardized residency programs with clearly delineated objectives to better equip MD-GH professionals for their multifaceted roles in LRS. Moreover, future revisions of the training program should incorporate the perspectives of host institutes in LRS and tailor the training needs.
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