The Impact of Study Abroad Students’ Attitudes on Interculturality and Global Competence in Spanish Higher Education

Abstract

Studying abroad has become a unique experience for higher education students. Countries such as Spain have been a popular destination for Erasmus Mundus students as these mobility programs promote academic exchanges around the globe, helping to create social cohesion between countries. Authors such as Boix and Jackson (2021), Coatsworth (2004) and UNESCO (2015), among others, argue for global and intercultural competences to foster cultural awareness and respectful interrelationships in increasingly diverse societies. With these competences to be promoted, they are not without controversies as there is no consensus among experts about how to actually implement them. Moreover, globalization and today’s knowledge economies are posing challenges for education systems, but they can facilitate deep learning and learning strategies for students. Literature (Deardorff, 2004; Abdallah-Pretceille, 2012) suggests competence is comprised of knowledge, skills, and attitudes since other terms like development, awareness, understanding, maturity or capability would be considered more representative of the processes that competences involve.