The Role of Pedagogical Variables in Intercultural Development: a Study of Faculty-led Programs

Abstract

This study investigates the intercultural development in several semester-long study abroad programs at the undergraduate level, using the Intercultural Development Inventory, or IDI. Our faculty-led cohort model utilizes a study abroad seminar incorporating an experiential learning project to provide pedagogical supports and cultural interventions to students during their sojourn. Our study compares mean IDI scores of various cohorts across multiple personal, contextual and pedagogical variables. While no correlation was found between English vs. foreign language contexts, housing types or academic program types, we did find differences between programs based on the type of experiential learning project used in the course. Our findings indicate that service-learning projects are associated with greater intercultural gains than other types of experiential learning projects.