This case study explored examples of pre-service teachers’ learning when experiencing discontinuity and (re)positioning themselves in various professional communities and cultures during an international teaching internship. Pre-service teachers’ experiences of discontinuity were defined as boundary experiences, when challenging or problematic socio-cultural differences significantly influenced their (inter)actions. Pre-service teachers’ attempts to (re)position themselves in the unfamiliar professional and cultural contexts are described as a state of continuity and examples of boundary crossing. Learning mechanisms of identification, coordination, reflection and transformation in the theory of boundary crossing were used to analyze 15 boundary experiences. The four learning mechanisms provided insight into how a multi-level approach (including personal, professional and cultural aspects) gives a more nuanced perspective on the dominant adjustment paradigm. The value of a boundary experience for preservice teachers’ learning during an international teaching experience resided mostly in raising awareness of existing, often taken-for-granted, personal and professional beliefs and their ability to switch between cultural and professional perspectives. The 15 boundary experiences in this study suggest that educators could focus more on pre-service teachers’ coping strategies, existential questions and cultural negotiation when they experience discontinuity, in addition to the current focus on learning outcomes, transformations, or cultural fit.
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In this study it was hypothesized that collaborative learning in international higher education contributes to the development of intercultural competence. Two hundred and fifty-two students of an international business and management study programme of a Dutch university participated in two surveys on collaboration in a group learning activity and one survey on their development of intercultural competence. Additionally, three groups of four to six students took part in focus group interviews. The results indicated that when students perceive that the group process improves, the quality of the collaboration in terms of verbal interaction and equal contribution will also improve. Furthermore, the results revealed that a higher perceived quality of the collaboration relates to an increasing development of intercultural competence. The findings are discussed and related to implications for the use of group learning activities in international higher education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319826226
This paper concerns an on-going study aiming at finding evidence for the assumption that a study abroad episode with active intervention in the students engagement and reflection as part of intercultural learning will result in higher intercultural competence development scores than a study abroad without such intervention. The findings show that almost half of the students score substantially different on intercultural competence after their stay abroad than before. However, this applies to both intervention and non-intervention groups. Moreover, the changes are both positive and negative. Positive developmental scores relate to high scores on four specific competences: intercultural sensitivity, intercultural communication, building relationships, and managing uncertainty. Developmental scores also relate to the factors curiosity, care for cultural difference, time lived abroad, age and gender. Factor analysis of all 13 study variables supports the idea that an intrinsic desire for cross-cultural interaction and an ability to communicate sensitively moderate intercultural learning. Further study is required to test these factors as moderating factors, and how this relates to effective intervention.
