Intersections of Intercultural Competence Research in Two Secondary Education Study Abroad Programs: The Need for Multilevel Reform

• In Event: Social and Emotional Dimensions of Study Abroad Programs: Autoethnographies of Leadership and Student Support

Abstract

Objectives
This paper addresses the pressing need for instructor intercultural competence as a vital component of short-stay study abroad programming. Through an autoethnographic lens, the paper examines the intersection, and sometimes contentious, roles of international educator and intercultural researcher in two short-stay study abroad programs. An examination of the author’s experiences with program participants, and in particular the interactions with the programs’ co-leader, revealed an urgent need to develop intercultural competence capabilities of educators complemented by curricular and programmatic revisions in order to create engaging intentional intercultural learning experiences.
Perspective/Theoretical Framework
Scholars in international education have turned their focus towards the purposeful design of study abroad programs and learning outcomes especially in regards to developing and assessing potential changes in the intercultural competence of participants (Savicki, 2008; Vande Berg, Paige, & Lou, 2012). Bolstered by the growth of scholarship in the field of intercultural relations with the development of robustly validated constructs and related assessment instruments to explain and measure individuals’ intercultural attitudes and behaviors, study abroad programs are striving to move away from the typical cultural tourism approaches of the past to programs which focus on measureable learning.
Currently within the vast field of intercultural relations there are over 30 intercultural models with 300 related constructs (Leung, Ang, & Tan, 2014). This paper utilizes Cultural Intelligence (CQ), a robustly validated four-factor capabilities model rooted in multidimensional concepts of intelligence model that explains how individuals function in new intercultural settings (Ang & Van Dyne, 2008). Recent scholarly evaluations (Matsumoto & Hwang, 2013; Leung, Ang, & Tan, 2014) point to CQ’s extensive empirical research base, applicability across cultures, and strong predictive power that lend confidence for its use in research within international education and study abroad.
Methods and Evidence
This paper utilizes autoethnographic methods to gain insight into the varied roles of instructor intercultural competence within the larger context of short-stay study abroad programs. The paper’s autoethnographic analysis encompasses two secondary school short-stay study abroad programs. The programs took place in the winter and spring of 2014 in southern Africa and South Asia. Each program consisted of eight to 12 students with the paper’s author and a secondary school teacher serving as co-leaders for both programs. Data for the paper was taken from the author’s notes and journals during the programs, reflective conversations with co-leader following the programs, and reflective writing upon return to the United States.
Scientific or Scholarly Significance
The growing popularity of study-abroad at the tertiary level, especially in short-stay study abroad programs, and recent calls to improve American primary and secondary students’ international and intercultural competence as part of 21st century skills from myriad business, education, and policy groups present a need to examine how students are prepared for intercultural learning and research into how to develop qualified trained teachers to guide their learning. This paper utilizes autoethnography through a CQ lens to illustrate significant areas for professional development and teacher preparation in study abroad and international education.

Author

• Douglas Paul Kennedy, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities