The impact of study abroad students’ attitudes on interculturality and global competence in spanish higher education

Abstract

Twenty-first century learning skills call for tertiary mobility students to be prepared with global skills, interculturality and global competence. Study abroad programs offer a context in which tertiary mobility students can potentially learn about global competence and intercultural communication. This research investigates bilingual and study abroad college students’ intercultural attitudes and their understanding of global competence throughout various universities in Spain. To achieve this goal, an ad hoc questionnaire was developed based on the OECD framework for global competence. This study was conducted via survey model. Results suggest that bilingual and study abroad students seek to understand others correctly, they show interest in how people from various cultures see the world and are informed to be able to explain global issues such as climate change and pandemics. These results have potential implications for universities to continue promoting mobility programs which indicate students’ attitudes and awareness to be prepared for a multicultural, global and inter-connected society.