The United Kingdom (UK) is becoming increasingly diverse (Office for National Statistics, 2013). Educational psychologists in the UK will need to feel competent in providing services to an increasingly multicultural population. This research study used a mixed method, two-phase, sequential, explanatory study design to explore the self-perceived intercultural competence of UK educational psychologists and trainee educational psychologists (EP/Ts). The study also explored EP/Ts experiences of working with culturally diverse populations. The first phase of this research study used an online adapted version of the MCCTS-R (Holcomb-McCoy & Myers, 1999; Munoz, 2009), and the second phase built upon the first phase with follow-up semi-structured interviews, analysed using Braun & Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. The results of this research study present a breadth and depth of information. EP/Ts generally perceived themselves to be competent to work cross-culturally with particular areas of competence including knowledge of assessment bias, poverty effects, and positive attitudes towards diverse cultures. EP/Ts also reported areas of lower competence including theories of racial/ethnic identity development, limited experiences of community work and limited knowledge of community resources. However, EP/Ts perceptions about development needs depended upon their awareness. The process of participating in the study raised awareness of gaps in knowledge and limitations in practice. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for the practice of EP/Ts.

[pt] Favorecidas pelos avanços tecnológicos digitais, as universidades que buscam excelência estão investindo cada vez mais em redes de cooperação, na internacionalização do ensino, e em programas de mobilidade internacional, como uma forma de produzir conhecimento. Esta dissertação se propõe a estudar o tema das trocas culturais entre estudantes de intercâmbio internacional oportunizadas por tecnologias digitais e tem como questão: como o Design pode facilitar experiências interculturais entre estudantes de intercâmbio internacional por meio de tecnologias digitais? Nesse contexto, é trazido como objeto de estudo o projeto Brother Carioca, uma iniciativa que se forma na PUC-Rio, e que tem como propósito ajudar no processo de adaptação e integração dos alunos internacionais e nacionais da universidade em situação de intercâmbio e fomentar trocas culturais. A pesquisa adotou metodologia descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. Após uma revisão de literatura: Design de Serviços, práticas interculturais, Geração Z e impactos da convergência das mídias na sociedade contemporânea, ponderações foram elaboradas e uma pesquisa de campo realizada junto aos integrantes do projeto Brother Carioca. Essa pesquisa forneceu subsídios para a elaboração de um experimento piloto, uma dinâmica capaz de proporcionar experiências interculturais entre os membros dessa rede, num ambiente digital. A articulação entre os conceitos teóricos observados nessa dissertação e a análise do experimento proposto tem relevância para as discussões sobre as possibilidades de contribuição do Design para a sociedade, e para a formação de indivíduos mais aptos a lidar com a complexidade do mundo em que vivemos, onde os encontros culturais acontecem em profusão, e no qual as interações sociais realizam-se cada vez mais mediadas por tecnologias digitais. As considerações finais da pesquisa indicam que o Design pode atuar de muitas formas para facilitar experiências interculturais entre estudantes de intercâmbio internacional por meio de tecnologias digitais, e que esse é um campo fértil que se abre para futuras investigações. / [en] Favored by digital technological advances, universities that pursue academic excellence are increasingly investing in cooperation networks, in the internationalization of education, and in international mobility programs, as a distinguished way to produce knowledge. This research is dedicated to the study of cross-cultural exchanges among international exchange students, made available by digital technologies and was guided by the question: how can Design facilitate cross-cultural experiences among international exchange students through the use of digital technologies? In this context, it is brought as the object of this study the project Brother Carioca, an initiative that emerged at PUC-Rio, which aims to assist in the process of adaptation and integration of international and local students that are going through a period of academic exchange, and foster cultural exchanges. The research adopted a descriptive methodology, with a qualitative approach. After a literature review on Service Design, intercultural practices, Generation Z and the impacts of media convergence on contemporary society, considerations were made and a field survey was carried out with the members of the Brother Carioca project. This research offered data that grounded the elaboration of a pilot experiment, a dynamics thought to provide intercultural experiences to the members of this network, in a digital environment. The articulation between the theoretical concepts addressed in this dissertation and the analysis of experiment conducted has relevance in the realm of discussions about the possibilities of Design s contribution to society, and for the formation of individuals better prepared to deal with the complexity of the world in which we live, where cultural encounters take place in profusion, and in which social interactions are increasingly mediated by digital technologies. Final considerations of the research indicate that Design can act in many ways to facilitate intercultural experiences among international exchange students through digital technologies, and that this is a fertile field that opens up for further investigations.