International Schools as Transnational Spaces for Global Learning and Identity Development

P–12 (pre-school – grade 12) international schools educate increasing numbers of local and expatriate students, who make up a growing proportion of tertiary (university level) international students. Using the transnational social fields framework, this phenomenological study focused on the experiences of 19 students from international schools in China, India, and the United Arab Emirates in order to better understand how these schools contribute to the development of students’ identity and how they experience global learning. Findings include rich examples and narratives of how students gained an appreciation of diversity, found a sense of belonging in differing ways, reflected on their privilege, and developed intercultural understanding through global learning. This study provides further motivation for higher education (university level) institutions to gravitate from a deficit or monocultural perspective of international students, toward acknowledgement of the diverse hybrid identities and knowledge that international students bring to tertiary institutions.