INTERCULTURAL ABILITIES AND LEARNING PROCESSES OF BASIC EDUCATION STUDENTS: A BASIS FOR A SPECIAL PROGRAM ON ASEAN STUDIES

Abstract

With the demands of transnational education and increasing student mobility, universities use education as a platform for global citizens to become responsive. Relatively, in the sphere of global citizenship, intercultural competence has been formed notably especially so that a great deal of research has delved on students' cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills towards global learning. Reviewed literature show few accounts on students’ skills and attitudes vis-a-vis options on learning process. As a result, there is a lack of explanation on the alignment of students' baseline abilities to the delivery of a curricular program on international studies. The researcher considered this particular space as a potential niche to occupy, with the aim of investigating global learners' intercultural abilities and learning processes; thereby developing a program on ASEAN Studies. The study employed Mixed Sequential Explanatory Research Design, involving 59 students who have been involved in international programs of the university. Based on the findings, the students generally practiced their intercultural abilities to a great extent. Moreover, students revealed their desired learning processes, emphasizing on international tour/immersion activities, use of online platform, and the approaches on gamebased and task-based instruction. The results served as an offshoot to the development of a special curricular program on ASEAN Studies for primary and secondary exit levels.