International mindedness: a revised conceptual framework

Abstract

This paper suggests a revised framework for explaining, developing and assessing international mindedness (IM). A review of the literature – that presents initiatives, challenges, and debates regarding IM – concludes with an overview of selected conceptual frameworks that have been used to develop a shared understanding of IM. When the authors applied one of these frameworks in a previous empirical study, they found during data analysis that some aspects of the framework’s key pillars played a more supportive role and that other components of IM needed further identification. As a result, this paper proposes a revision of the framework that features intercultural competence and global engagement, and identifies more specific components of these attributes, namely knowledge, skills, dispositions, and agency. The paper includes another review of the literature to emphasise how these components are important for the development, implementation, and assessment of international mindedness.