Tracing paths of development of intercultural competence: Trajectories of academics in international(ised) contexts in Australia

Intercultural competence (IC) is increasingly essential in higher education due to globalisation and growing classroom diversity. While much IC research centres on international students, perspectives of academic staff remain underexplored. This qualitative study addresses that gap by examining how Australian lecturers perceive and enact IC when teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) students. Using Deardorff's (2004, 2006) process model of IC and semi-structured interviews with six academic staff from three Australian universities, it investigates how the staff understand and apply IC, and the institutional support they receive to develop IC. Findings show that IC development largely stems from personal and professional experience, rather than formal training. Participants reported increased awareness of diverse student needs and communicative styles but noted limited institutional guidance, structured reflection, or targeted professional development. The study highlights a set of staff attributes conducive to IC development and characteristics of structured programmes to support staff professional development.