Self-Interest and ethical praxis agendas in an International teaching practicum

For decades now, globalisation and technological advances have promoted the interaction of peoples, practices and cultures across national and international borders. This interaction has sometimes facilitated education projects where culturally diverse groups have been able to work together to address local and global issues (Isar 2014; Samuel and Mariaye 2014; UNESCO 2011). For more culturally homogeneous groups, though, increased interaction with diverse ‘others’ has sometimes generated distrust and fear, as seen in the rise of political movements founded upon nationalistic rhetoric and/or xenophobia (Wodak 2015). In the face of these disturbing developments, governments across the world have urged highe reducation institutions to play a role in developing greater transcultural understanding and appreciation of difference in their graduates (de Wit et al. 2015).