A research project funded by PH Zug and PH Zürich

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Mobility experiences and international internships for pre-service teachers are often unquestioningly seen as beneficial, while research has shown that these expectations are often not met in the assumed way. The research project «Learning through mobility experiences» therefore investigates what kind of learning takes place during international internships that last four to five weeks, and what this learning is being influenced by, how it is being supported, limited or prevented.

The investigation pursues a qualitative-hermeneutical approach with data generated by group discussions and a data analysis by the Documentary Method.

The analysis reveals two typical structures:

• In the first structure, the students learn from contrasts. This kind of learning has two different subtypes as the students perceive and interpret irritating situations with either a high or low level of differentiation. Those who perceive and interpret in a rather undifferentiated way have a significantly more negative experience with a low level of learning.
• In the second structure, the students are dealing with great challenges. Here again, two subtypes are found. In this case, they are distinguished by the degree of self-efficacy that the students experience. Those who experience a low level of self-efficacy are significantly less capable of dealing with the challenges and less supported in their learning.

On the basis of these insights, this project identifies ways to facilitate beneficial learning experiences and guide students through their international internships.