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