Effect of Pre-Departure Culture Preparation Courses on Student Learning during International Fieldwork

Abstract

This paper examined the effect of two pre-departure culture preparation courses on student learning during their International Fieldwork in Asia. These courses are designed to develop Anglo-European origin Australian students’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Asian societies, cultures, etiquettes, education and political systems, together with Asian problem solving and living styles. The courses further foster student skills in intercultural communication with people from Asia. A group of students completed the training and travelled to China for fieldwork. Their evaluation and feedback, together with their written assignments, were collated and analyzed. Results indicated that the two courses are effective in assisting students’ cultural adaptation to the host country environment and engaging in higher culture learning during their fieldwork.