A Case for Travel: Unpacking Teachers’ Perceptions of the Transformative Effects of their Intercultural Experiences

This study explored teachers’ perceptions of long-term personal and professional transformations brought about by teaching overseas. Existing research suggests that educational sojourns have many benefits. To date, however, most studies in the field have involved students and pre-service teachers, often with a specific focus such as language development. The research involved six teachers, working in the English education system, who had travelled to teach overseas earlier in their careers. Their perceptions of the transformative effects of these experiences were explored through the lenses of intercultural learning and transformative learning theory. The methods which were used prioritised participant voice, including stimulated recall interviews and tasks informed by literature from the field. The narrative analysis of the data drew on domains identified through the lenses, categorising the findings into transformations which could be seen as affective, cognitive and behavioural. 

The findings showed that all the participants identified transformations which had benefited them. Although the participants’ sojourns were very varied, they were all seen to have brought about positive and long- term effects, both personally and professionally. These were unique to each individual, but there were also commonalities. Practical changes included becoming more adaptable and developing a more sustainable lifestyle. Participants’ knowledge, understanding and awareness developed, in relation to themselves, other people, their professional role and the wider world. The ways in which their experience had benefited their learners were also identified. The findings of the research suggest that more opportunities for sojourns should be made available to teachers, along with widening awareness of the advantages, so that practitioners, and their learners, are able to benefit.