Individual experiences that affect students’ development of intercultural competence in study abroad

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify what individual experiences contribute to the development of students’ intercultural competence in study abroad contexts and how these experiences positively or negatively impact their intercultural development. Fifty-one students completed the IDI both before and after their year-long sojourn abroad. Upon their return, twenty-six students participated in focus group debriefing sessions in which they answered questions regarding their personal growth and intercultural development while abroad. Thirteen categories of experiences—ten related to intercultural gains and three intercultural regressions—were identified and further abstracted into three broad themes (cognitive, behavioral, and affective). These findings partially confirm existing frameworks describing intercultural competence but add more nuance and complexity. Through the exploration of both the positive and negative learning outcomes by focusing on students’ experiences at the individual level during study abroad, this study answers key questions of why study abroad experiences can lead to positive changes in intercultural competence for some students but negative ones for others.