Defining Intercultural Competence (ICC): How Four Preservice Teachers Developed a More Complex Understanding of ICC

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: International Teachers

Abstract

This manuscript explores how four pre-service teachers (PSTs) came to define and understand intercultural competence (ICC) during a short-term student teaching abroad program. As part of a larger exploratory, collective case study, the participants’ voices are highlighted by analyzing their definitions of ICC before, during, and after their experiences in Germany and using their depictions of experiences living and working in German schools. Findings reveal that individuals can develop a more complex understanding of ICC over the course of a one-month international experience. Findings from this study can inform future studies by providing insight into the how and why of ICC development instead of simply focusing on if ICC development occurs.

Author

• Elizabeth Cynthia Barrow, Georgia Southern University