Lärarstudenters erfarenheter av två veckors utlandspraktik – en möjlighet till utveckling av interkulturella perspektiv

Abstract

To increase internationalisation in higher education and especially teacher education has been an important issue for a long time. The focus is often about students’ opportunities to acquire knowledge about learning from an intercultural perspective so that they can operate in a globalized and multicultural society. There are research results indicating the effects a few months or a year’s international exchange, but there is a lack of studies about the outcomes of shorter international exchanges. In this study, written reflections of student teachers’ twoweek internships at primary schools in Uganda have been collected to describe students’ experiences and how these could enable the development of intercultural perspectives. Through a qualitative content analysis, three themes emerge: cultural, didactic and personal. The cultural dissonance that arises in relation to these three themes when students are involved in a new culture challenges their understanding, with positive as well as negative aspects. A short internship abroad has a potential to contribute with experiences important for developing intercultural knowledge so that they can operate in a globalized and multicultural society.