University Educators’ Experiences of Teaching Abroad: The Promotion of Cross-cultural Competence

Abstract

As university classrooms become increasingly culturally diverse, how can educators learn to meet the needs of all of their students? Teaching abroad is an immersion activity that creates spaces which promote growth-producing experiences for faculty. The participants in this qualitative study reflected on their experiences of teaching abroad and discussed how it can help foster the development of cultural competency. Within this meta-theme, four subthemes emerged. The participants in this study discussed the personal dispositions and skills they think promote becoming culturally competent—the capacity to (a) adapt, (b) be interested in students and treat them as individuals, (c) embrace challenges, and (d) be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Teaching abroad is an effective professional development activity, one that should be supported by universities.