Abstract:

This paper is the continuation of INTED 2008 titled: Toward a New European Educational Culture via Student Work Placement 2010. The impact of culinary international internship in the context of the student’s self-identity and experiential learning is further explored. Much of the past and current research related to experiential learning focuses on the development of competences from the two domains: academic (knowing that) and operational (knowing how). What is required was a deeper and broader perspective of the student’s individual growth and development during the internship when living in another country. It is my belief that the development of better understanding and knowledge related to the issues involved with international internships and the student’s development of self-identity as a learner play’s a significant role in the pedagogical preparation of students and the enhancement of their experiential learning. I also believed that through the development of better understanding of the principal issues involved with international internship it will facilitate the structuring of a framework that makes provision for learning that goes beyond the acquisition of work related culinary competence: To that which further enhances the possible development of the student’s self-identity and personal development as a life long learners. This research examined the praxis of experiential learning through international internship. The paper explores literature pertaining to social and categorisation theories and the self-identity of individuals in relation to internship. As this investigation seeks to answer questions relating to self-identity and the development of culinary students during international internship, the use of hermeneutic phenomenology was combined with quantitative research providing a rich source of educational feedback.

Keywords:

Self indenity, experiential learning, internship, categorisation.