The Design of an Internship-Based Teacher Education Study Abroad Program

• In Event: Critical and Narrative Perspectives on Intercultural Teaching

Abstract

Objectives: In this presentation, we discuss findings from a study of a semester-long, internship-based teacher education study abroad program in an urban context, with the goal of communicating what we have learned over the past ten years regarding the design of such programs.
Theoretical Framework: Work on international teaching experiences, such as study abroad programs, have been proposed as an important educational means to impact pre-service intercultural development. This study is further grounded within a constructivist-developmental view of intercultural learning (Bennett, 2004).
Methods and Data Sources: This investigation is an exploratory qualitative study, using documents collected longitudinally across several years of engagement in the study abroad program under investigation. This archival research further builds on data collected continuously from the program’s inception, including survey and interview-based data.
Results: There are many different types of study abroad programs, each with different learning goals. The urban semester-long program seeks to influence students’ intercultural development, particularly to improve their capacity and commitment to effectively communicate and work within domestic intercultural educational contexts. As we will describe in our presentation, the findings of our study underscore how this type of international program relies on the involvement of many professionals, both domestically and abroad, who understand and are committed to providing the types of challenges and support needed to help foster students’ intercultural learning. Indeed, we will argue that it takes a village - a global village - to facilitate an international experiential program with the goal of preparing culturally responsive, socially just, and globally minded teachers.
Scholarly Significance of the Study: In this presentation, we will display how internship-based teacher education study abroad programs are a powerful vehicle in promoting pre-service teachers’ intercultural competence. Significantly, in the years to come, teacher education will continue to face pressure from external forces that may hinder innovative program models. Scholars and teachers committed to pre-service teachers’ intercultural development must actively resist such efforts, deepening research based on the design and influence of international experiential programs, and advocating policies and practices that offer transformative intercultural learning experiences within their teacher education programs.

Authors

• Helen Marx, Southern Connecticut State University

• David M. Moss, University of Connecticut