Broadening the mind: Beneficial effects of sojourn experiences and contact with visiting international students on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior

Opportunities for intergroup contact are particularly important for prospective teachers because they bear responsibility for an ethnically diverse student population. Using data from a sample of 330 students inscribed in Austrian university colleges of teacher education, we investigated the long-te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of intercultural relations 2016-01, Vol.50, p.89-95
Main Authors: Thomas, Almut E., Pflanzl, Barbara, Völkl, Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Behavior modification
College students
Colleges & universities
Contact theory
Ethnic groups
Exchange programs
Foreign students
Friendship
Intercultural experiences
Intergroup contact
Intergroup relations
International students
Intervention
Long term
Motivation
Multicultural education
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Prejudice
Prejudice reduction
Professional training
Social contact
Student teacher relationship
Studies
Teacher education
Teachers
Undergraduate students
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Summary:Opportunities for intergroup contact are particularly important for prospective teachers because they bear responsibility for an ethnically diverse student population. Using data from a sample of 330 students inscribed in Austrian university colleges of teacher education, we investigated the long-term effects of international student exchange on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior (MAPB). Both sojourning and domestic students’ friendships with visiting international students (VIS) were evaluated as potential instances of naturally occurring intergroup contact that can affect students’ MAPB. Sojourning students had an increased MAPB even nine months after returning to their home country. No effect was found for domestic students’ friendships with VIS. Possibly, the quality of these friendships was insufficient to result in long-term prejudice reduction. Implications of these results are discussed, and the need to advance interventions that are appropriate to improve domestic students’ contact with VIS is ascertained.
ISSN:0147-1767
1873-7552
DOI:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.12.005