WIP: Navigating Unfamiliar Waters: Enhancing Intercultural Understanding and Academic Self-Efficacy Among Computer Science Students in Japan

Global collaborations have expanded the importance of effective cross-cultural communication in engineering disciplines, with self-efficacy playing a crucial role in developing these skills. This work-in-progress innovative practice paper is a quantitative component of a mixed-method exploratory study investigating the experiences of fifteen computing students from the University of Florida who participated in a nine-week summer study abroad program at Kyoto University, Japan, in 2022. The research aimed to assess the enhancement of cross-cultural engineering self-efficacy and the evolution of students' intercultural understanding. Surveys were conducted at the program's inception and conclusion, allowing for a detailed analysis of students' self-perceived academic capabilities and intercultural awareness over time. Preliminary statistical analysis suggests an increase in students' self-efficacy in cross-cultural engineering by the end of the program, highlighting the impact of the study abroad experience on broadening students' perspectives and enhancing their adaptability in intercultural interactions.