Chapter 9 Mentoring Students through Global Experiences
Transformative Learning Abroad
In: Championing Cutting-Edge 21st Century Mentoring and Learning Models and ApproachesSearch for other papers by Naomi Wilks-Smith in
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Abstract
International teaching practicums and field study for university students are often referred to as “transformative” experiences. This chapter reports on reciprocal teacher-guided global experiences, operationalised in the form of international education practicum and field study courses between Australia and Japan. Focus is placed upon mentoring students through the research-practice nexus as it relates to language education and intercultural understanding. The project sought pre-service teacher participants’ reflections on personal and professional learning whilst undertaking a global experience. Mining students’ journal data, the experiential learning of student-participants from Australia and Japan who took part in short-term teaching practice and fieldwork in the target international context is explored. The project included mentoring and support on several levels, intensive second language teaching experiences, and field study related to learning about context-specific teaching methodology at a selection of host schools. Negotiating such educational experiences in an unfamiliar language and culture played key roles in the experiential development of students. Findings will highlight the transformative experiences that students had, and the important role that mentors played in mediating their overall learning prior to and during the global experience.