From Pre-Freshman Abroad to Freshman On-Campus: Examining Intercultural Competence Development Through an Extended Journey

Abstract

As students transition from high school to college, their abilities to adapt and adjust are put to the test. This study examines the outcomes of a multi-stage study abroad program targeting first-year college students. The authors investigated student intercultural competence levels prior to matriculation, their development while abroad, and their continued expansion by means of a post-travel, on-campus component. Mixed-methods data collection and analyses indicated that students gained significant intercultural competence development through participating in a short-term overseas experience, which stretched into their transition to college life. This research contributes to the study abroad and intercultural learning literature by investigating the effect of an innovative program model and the understudied population of pre-freshman students. The findings provide practical implications for designing and assessing intercultural programing overseas and on campus.   Abstract in Chinese 在由高中升入大学的这一过程中，学生的适应调节能力受到了考验。本文旨在检验以大一新生为目标群体的多阶段海外学习项目的成果。作者研究了学生在不同阶段的跨文化能力水平的发展过程，包括入学之前的水平，在海外学习时的能力进展，以及回国之后、通过继续参与该项目的校园阶段学习而取得的能力扩展。采用混合方法（定量和定性）的数据采集和分析表明，学生通过参与短期海外学习，以及过渡到大学生活，他们的跨文化能力得到了显著的提高。本研究通过调查针对大一预备生的创新项目模式的成效，为海外学习和跨文化学习的文献做出了贡献。该研究发现为设计评估海外及本土的跨文化项目提供了实践性参考。