Intercultural competence in teacher training: a COIL virtual exchange between Spain and Costa Rica universities

Abstract This study evaluated the development of intercultural competencies through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in 207 pre-service teacher education students from the University of Granada (Spain) and the Distance State University (Costa Rica). Over seven weeks, participants collaborated in mixed international teams to design learning situations integrating 3D printing as a didactic resource in Primary Education. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed, measuring intercultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and multicultural personality using validated instruments. The results showed statistically significant changes in multiple dimensions following the COIL intervention, highlighting relevant increases in Interaction Confidence, Cognitive Cultural Intelligence, Social Initiative, and Open-Mindedness, with small but consistent effect sizes, especially at UNED. However, decreases were observed in Respect for Cultural Differences, particularly at the University of Granada, suggesting that initial intercultural exposure may reveal unanticipated cultural complexities. Inter-university differences in metacognition and cultural cognition diminished after the intervention, suggesting a possible equalising effect of the COIL intervention. These findings suggest the potential of COIL to develop intercultural competencies in teacher education, although they underscore the need to reinforce specific affective dimensions and design longer and more structured pedagogical interventions to maximize their formative impact.