The Development of Personal, Intercultural and Professional Competence in International Field Experience in Initial Teacher Education

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

A qualitative case study examines professional learning experiences of four preservice student teachers in an international field experience programme within a PGDE(Primary) language and cultural immersion context in Hong Kong. Two participants complete placements in Australia and Canada, while two undertake non-local field experience in mainland China. Results show growth in personal and intercultural competence through action, socio-professional, and supervisory contexts, supported by reflective practice, with recommendations for programme improvement and future research directions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Student Teachers’ Experiences in International Field Experience

International Field Experience in Initial Teacher Education

International Field Experience Situated in ITE Programmes

Asia Pacific Education Review Copyright 2004 by Education Research Institute 2004, Vol. 5, No. 1, 50-63. The Development of Personal, Intercultural and Professional Competence in International Field Experience in Initial Teacher Education Sylvia Yee Fan Tang Pik Lin Choi Hong Kong Institute of Education Hong Kong, China This paper reports a qualitative case study of four preservice student teachers’ professional learning experiences in an international field experience programme situated in the language and cultural immersion component of a PGDE(Primary) Programme in Hong Kong. Two of the student teachers undertook the international field experience in Australia and Canada. The other two had their “non-local” field experience in mainland China1. The findings reveal student teachers’development in personal and intercultural competence in cross-cultural experiences. Their professional learning experiences in the action context, socio-professional context, and supervisory context of the cross-cultural school settings, and their reflection upon these experiences constituted the development of their professional competence. Suggestions for improvement of the international field experience programme and implications for future research are discussed. Key Words: initial teacher education, international field experience, student teachers, student teaching, professional learning “Second language use in cross-cultural instructional settings is a means of preparing preservice teachers for teaching in the 21st century” (Ward & Ward, 2003, p. 536) .“To meet the needs of the 21st century, schools must successfully teach many more students from increasingly diverse backgrounds while preparing them for a much more complex, interdependent world that most teachers themselves are not familiar with. Consequently, the nature of teacher preparation and the settings in which students learn to teach must undergo substantial change.”(Cushner & Mahon, 2002, p. 45). International field experience, ranging from a few days’ Sylvia Yee Fan Tang, Lecturer, Department of Educational Policy and Administration, the Hong Kong Institute of Education; Pik Lin Choi, Lecturer, Department of Educational Policy and Administration, the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Department of Educational Policy and Administration, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic mail may be sent to stang@ [ied.edu.hk](ied.edu.hk). experience to a year-long internship, offers preservice student teachers professional learning experiences in settings beyond the culture of their home country. This paper attempts to explore student teachers’ learning experiences in international field experience in the context of a language and cultural immersion programme. The review of relevant literature on cross-cultural experiences, international field experience and student teachers’ professional learning infieldwork sets a framework for the exploration of student teachers’ experiences in familiar and unfamiliar cultural settings. It is hoped that this examination of student teachers’development of personal, intercultural and professional competence during international field experience will contribute to the ongoing academic discourse on international field experience in the literature on teacher education. Student Teachers’Experiences in International Field Experience In broad terms, international field experience in initial teacher education (ITE) refers to the process in which a student International Field Experience in Initial Teacher Education teacher gradually becomes a competent teacher through cross-cultural experiences (including school experiences) in settings beyond the culture of his / her home country. Areview of the relevant literature on the features of international field experience programmes, and the presentation of a the

FAQs

What setting does the study focus on for international field experience in initial teacher education?

The study focuses on an international field experience programme located in the language and cultural immersion component of a PGDE(Primary) programme in Hong Kong.

Where did the four preservice student teachers complete their international/non-local field experiences?

Two student teachers undertook international field experience in Australia and Canada, while the other two completed their “non-local” field experience in mainland China.

How did student teachers develop personal and intercultural competence according to the findings?

Development occurred through professional learning experiences in action, socio-professional, and supervisory contexts within cross-cultural school settings, together with their reflection on these experiences.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda