| Summary: | Many educational institutions in Hong Kong are committed to the promotion of students' intercultural understanding, global awareness, respect for different beliefs and cultures, international mindedness, and the nurture of global citizens or inter-culturally competent students. There are a number of research studies on intercultural learning which were conducted in a range ofcontexts with a variety of student groups. Most ofthese studi.es focus on the intercultural learning experience of sojourners (international students) in a host country. Far less is known about the intercultural learning experience ofhosts (native/domestic students). This research study investigates pre-university students' intercultural competence as a possible outcome of an international education in Hong Kong. Students' intercultural competence was assessed based on four interdependent areas of intercultural learning, which included intercultural awareness, intercultural understanding, foreign/second language appreciation and ability, and adaptability. The study uses a multi-method research design based on an application of the social cognitive theory to understand intercultural competence by emphasising the environmental and social context together with personal elements. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was used, namely, student questionnaire, student interviews, teacher questionnaire and documentary analysis. AIl the first year students (131) ofthe international school were invited to participate in the questionnaire and a sample of 10 students participated in the interviews. In addition, 31 students from local secondary schools were invited to participate as the control group. Research findings indicated that students of the international school demonstrated a higher degree of intercultural competence and a higher measure. of self-efficacy than students studying in local schools. Noticeably, findings revealed the importance of a supportive multicultural learning environment and a curriculum committed to the promotion of intercultural understanding for the development of students' intercultural competence. The research further suggested that the experience benefited student sojourners as well as hosis, and girls were found to score slightly higner than boys. Two directions for 'future work are recommended. First, although the student questionnaire was validated 119 participants, further efforts should be made to validate and test the psychometric properties of the leeS with other populations. Second, future research should incorporate other international schools to further investigate the relationships between intercultural competence, self-efficacy, and the environmental context. Keywords: intercultural competence, self-efficacy, international school, pre-university students
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