Does intervening in the learning of study abroad students facilitate the development of intercultural competencies?
This thesis explores the effects of intervening in the learning of study abroad students via a class called Skills for International Management. It looks specifically at the development of intercultural competencies, and compares two different methods of assessing those outcomes. Thirty-four study abroad students participating in an international management class in Italy were given pre- and post-tests using The Global Competencies Inventory. Qualitative data were gathered using a reflection paper that the students wrote at the end of the semester. The results showed that the qualitative data were better at reflecting what the students learned, while the quantitative results reflected a slight increase in Overall Global Competency for the group. The results confirmed that intervening in the learning of study abroad students during their sojourn positively impacts their overall levels of intercultural competency and they also supported the contention that multiple assessment methods should be used to assess study abroad learning outcomes.
Multicultural education, Intercultural communication, Foreign study, Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences
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