‘People are people’. An investigation of long-term impacts of an international practicum

Study abroad programs and international practicums are considered an effective way of developing intercultural competence and global awareness among students. Most studies on international practicums are based on fieldwork and interviews with the students during and/or just after the international experience, while there are few studies on the long-term impacts of the teaching abroad experience. In this study we examine the long-term effects of an international practicum in Zambia for Norwegian student teachers. We have interviewed six teachers that had and international teaching practicum during their studies five to ten years ago. The material was analyzed in an inductive manner and the findings are discussed in light of transformative learning theory.