Gross, Diana, & Mancel, Corinne. (2026). Storytelling in a multicultural setting: intercultural collaboration between Austrian and French student teachers through eTwinning. Journal of Advanced Education Studies, 8(1).
International collaboration in teacher education plays an increasingly significant role in preparing future educators for culturally diverse classrooms. This article presents a collaborative project conducted between Austrian and French pre-service primary teachers, also called student teachers, who worked together to create multicultural picture-story versions using the digital platform eTwinning. The aim of the project was to initiate intercultural learning processes through collaborative digital storytelling while promoting teaching skills in the field of foreign language teaching. 25 students (12 from Austria, 13 from France) from Private University College of Teacher Education Augustinum (PPH Augustinum) in Graz (Austria) and Teacher Training Institut (INSPÉ) of University of Picardie Jules Verne in Laon (France) took part in their university courses. The student teachers worked together in binational groups and developed French versions of picture stories on the German literacy website Amira-lesen. The evaluation was conducted using a questionnaire and qualitative feedback from the students. The results show that the collaboration fostered intercultural awareness, collaborative competence, and reflection on cultural similarities and differences. Student teachers reported gaining new insights into communication across cultures, pedagogical creativity, and teamwork in multilingual environments. At the same time, the results highlight challenges, particularly regarding language barriers or different working styles. The experience demonstrates how storytelling and digital collaboration can serve as powerful pedagogical tools for intercultural teacher education and for personal development.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 