Abstract:

Undergraduates studying in agricultural fields must be prepared to navigate in a global society. In this environment, intercultural competence skills are crucial characteristics sought by employers. Study abroad programs using deliberate intercultural interventions provide opportunities to develop such skills. A learning community-centered study abroad program was developed for incoming first-year and second-year agricultural undergraduate students. Nineteen students visited Italy for 10 days in July 2018 with the intent of becoming familiar with global animal production practices. Following the in-country portion of the course, students met throughout the fall (2018) semester completing intercultural-related assignments. To assess intercultural competence of students throughout the course, the Intercultural Development Inventory was administered three times: one week prior to travel, week one of the semester, and the final week of the semester. Group intercultural competence did not significantly increase though there was stage progression on the Intercultural Development Continuum. Despite limited group growth, a wide range of individual movement was observed. Individually, 42% of the students advanced meaningfully on the continuum and 26% of the students progressed to a new developmental stage. Results indicate that students respond to cultural interactions differently, which emphasizes the need for intentional support throughout study abroad programs.