Enhancing the Cultural Competency of Prospective Leaders via a Study Abroad Experience

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an experiential learning opportunity, specifically a study tour experience, would improve the cultural intelligence of prospective educational leaders and would challenge them to expand their own cultural understanding and behavior. Several prospective leaders who enrolled in a graduate program in Educational Leadership volunteered to attend a study abroad program that was intended, in part, to enhance their cultural competence. They were then asked to complete a survey that measured the four domains of cultural intelligence, namely metacognition, cognition, motivation and behavior. They were also asked to respond to prompts about how the experiential learning experience impacted their own cultural understanding and behavior. The results indicated that the study tour participants were cognizant of their cultural intelligence and that they compared and contrasted the norms of their own culture and those of the study tour country. In essence, participants acquired substantial cultural intelligence and reflected on how their leadership behavior should change to meet the needs of others.