Are we graduating global citizens? A mixed-methods study investigating students' intercultural development and perceptions of intercultural and global learning in academic settings

Demographic shifts have brought changes to the Canadian higher education landscape. Increased cultural diversity is the result of increased access for and intentional recruitment of a wide range of domestic, Aboriginal, new Canadian, and international students. In addition, these students will live and work in increasingly diverse and globalized contexts. There is much rhetoric regarding the supposed outcomes of internationalization activities producing global citizens. This study sought to understand whether students completing programs in culturally diverse, internationalized institutions were developing intercultural and global competencies, and if their educational experiences influenced this learning. This mixed method study investigated the intercultural development scores and perceptions of intercultural and global learning of upper level students in British Columbian regional universities. Specifically, the study sought to determine the levels of students' (N=178) intercultural development scores and if demographic factors were related to intercultural development scores as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory. The IDI results together with student perceptions of the influences of curriculum and pedagogy on intercultural and global learning in academic settings provide educators working in culturally diverse, internationalized institutions with data to consider enhanced strategies to prepare students to live and work effectively in multicultural, international, and global contexts.