New Approaches to Developing the Global Skills and Intercultural Competence of Future Teachers (Virtual Exchange and Blended Intensive Programs as Possibilities for Future Research and Higher-Education Internationalization)

Abstract

In a dynamic world, pedagogically oriented universities which are educating future teachers for different types of schools (elementary, middle, high schools) must also adapt and be flexible to the fast-changing environment: cultural, social, religious, political, economic, etc. A new scientific discussion is therefore needed in order to reevaluate the methodologies and ways of collecting data in tertiary education in line with the internationalization of teacher training university education. In the current context of global unrest and uncertainty, it seems inevitable to leverage the potential of current generation of young people – the future teachers in our case and prepare experiential opportunities for them in order to support their global skills (critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration, self-regulation and wellbeing, digital literacies, etc.) and intercultural awareness together with soft skills. The aim of the contribution is to reflect on two virtual exchange programs (VEPs) and one blended intensive program (BIP) which were released at Matej Bel University and subsequent methodology that academics in charge used in order to collect and evaluate data from their projects. Multidisciplinary research is a challenging endeavor in pedagogically oriented disciplines, however, it can bring sustainability to initial teacher training. Virtual exchange programs (VEPs) require the teacher/researcher to apply new or modified approaches and gain knowledge which spans multiple research areas.