Intercultural peer tutoring competences as a part of learning development in an international higher education context

Abstract

In the framework of the internationalisation of Higher Education (HE), this case study exposes the innovative concept of training intercultural peer tutors, and its implications. We will argue which skills are considered as specific intercultural peer tutoring competences and why these are important for the learning development in internationalised learning contexts. After a short description of the intercultural peer tutoring training at the European University Viadrina (EUV) and its theoretical basis, we will present the findings of a study accompanying the beginning phase of the training, which will demonstrate what kind of competences intercultural peer tutors develop in addition to those associated to classical peer tutoring. The paper will show that this specific training, focusing on intercultural peer tutoring, has a considerable impact on students’ own intercultural learning progress and also substantially prepares them to support the learning development of fellow international students.

Keywords

• international
• international students
• intercultural peer tutoring
• intercultural competences
• learning support