Intercultural competence: does a short-term international educational trip matter?

ABSTRACT This study explores the effects of international short-term educational trip experience on intercultural competence, specifically intercultural interest and effectiveness. Surveys and interviews with undergraduate educational trip participants from Macao, China, were conducted to measure the differences in intercultural competence and to investigate the reasons for its perceived differences between pre- and post-trip. The results support overall enhancement of both intercultural interest and effectiveness after the trip, while insignificant improvement for some students were found mostly because their intercultural competence was already high before the trip. This study suggests the utility of short-term international educational trips in enhancing intercultural competence in tertiary education, thus providing implications on intercultural education through tourism.