Exploring exchange students’ global minds in a study abroad project

Abstract

This study was conducted in the context of an international exchange project which introduced the participating students to curricular and instructional aspects of global education and to the diversity of school systems. The aim of the research was to investigate how the exchange students constructed and re-constructed their cultural and intercultural skills, knowledge, beliefs, and identities. The research data were collected using interviews, an online survey, and students’ messages posted on a Facebook group. Semi-structured interviewing was used as a major data gathering method as this made it possible to better explore the extent and qualities of the students’ sense-making and learning about their exchange experience. Six themes emerged indicating that the exchange students used a range of approaches to interact and communicate with people to gain intercultural perspectives. They made sense of educational systems, and developed their selfhood and social identities in a framework of negative and positive experiences.