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The purpose of this study was to deepen the knowledge of international exchanges in a school

context, focusing on what effect the exchanges have for mainly the students involved, and in connection

to this deepen the knowledge of the key theories and concepts that are applicable in this

context. The legitimacy of the study has arised from the increasing interest in international exchanges,

particularly in the school context, and the focus of globalization and international issues in the curriculum

for the Swedish school.

The work has been realized through a systematic literature review of previous research on the

subject and a review of the theories and concepts used in the previous research. The research of the

effects of international exchanges arrive at different conclusion, and it is difficult to draw any clear

definitive conclusions. International exchanges in the school context can provide positive effects on

students' academic studies, identity construction and other skills, but it requires that the arenas for

learning are created and that the pupil is active. If not the intercultural learning, often considered to be

the main goal, can be lost and instead the exchanges can have the opposite effect.

The previous research relates mainly to the theories and concepts of globalization, human interaction

and interculturalism, which allows themto move in both a sociologically and psychological

field. In addition, some of the studies relate to a educational science and it is clear that international

exchanges can affect students in numerous ways: their relationship to society, to other people and to

themselves