Domestic Students' Engagement in Internationalisation at Home: Devoloping Intercultural, Ethical, Personal, Social, Critical and Creative Thinking Capabilities in Australian Secondary Schools

Abstract

This article explores domestic students' engagement in internationalisation, based on data collected from individual and focus group interviews as part of a longitudinal study across four secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. While the four capabilities, intercultural, ethical, personal and social, and critical and creative thinking, are integral to internationalising teaching and learning practices, little research has explored this connection in the context of domestic students' engagement with internationalisation in the school sector. This article addresses this critical gap in the literature. Using intersectionality as a theoretical framework to interpret domestic students' perspectives, this article focuses on the criterion of intercultural capability as delineated in the Victorian Foundation to Year 10 (F-10) curriculum and identifies areas of overlap with the other capabilities (ethical, personal and social, critical and creative) present in the Australian national curriculum. Recognising the interrelatedness of capabilities is essential, as key skills often emerge at their intersections. These skills include the ability to recognise, accept, and negotiate differences and form better connections while interacting interculturally. The study found that although students engage in extensive discussions about worldwide issues, their critical thinking and literacy skills remain under-developed. Additionally, barriers created by various structural and disciplinary power relationships in schools add to divisions between domestic and international students, preventing them from interacting in more meaningful ways. Based on the findings, the article discusses implications for fostering these interrelated capabilities and supporting innovative internationalisation in teaching and learning practices in secondary schools.