Exploring the efficacy of an international immersion program towards building cultural competence for health and physical education teachers: Australia and Samoa

This situation-based chapter will explore the notion of international immersion programs withinHealth and Physical Education Teacher Education (H)PETE) aimed at addressing multipleinternational stake holder driven outcomes. Focusing firstly on an Australian regional baseduniversity, this chapter will examine the contributing factors behind the adoption of an immersionprogram (known as the Samoa Sports Outreach Program, SSOP) as a way to develop increasedlevels of cultural competency, unpacking the perceived benefits of utilising such an approach. The chapter will also consider what is required for sustainable continuation of such immersionprograms in the future including the exploration of the need to develop authentic partnerships notonly benefit the Australian participants but also provide meaning and benefits for the host nation.To help understand the impact of a program such as the SSOP the chapter will draw on the workof Health and Physical Education (HPE) academics from Samoa, to provide an increasedunderstanding of the regional issues impacting the population of the Island nation justifying thechoice of Samoa to base such an immersion program. The chapter will then look to the future topresent some potential HPE theoretical models and a specific target population group based onthe presented situational analysis (increased female participation) that could be adopted to supportfuture programs cognisant of the needs of both the Australian and Samoan stakeholders.