Internships as Intercultural Learning: A Thematic Analysis of Taiwanese Design Students in Japan

Abstract

This study examined 42 Taiwanese design students' crosscultural learning during internships in Japan's creative industry firm, funded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education under the "Dream-Building Study Abroad" program. Through thematic analysis and expert-rated intensity scoring (0--5 scale), six themes emerged. The highest-rated themes were policy feedback (M = 3.45, SD = 0.17), workplace challenges (M = 3.33, SD = 0.19), and language & culture (M = 3.31, SD = 0.21). The comic students rated policy critique significantly higher than the animation students did (p < .001). The study combined qualitative coding with quantitative comparison to propose improvements in cultural briefings, language training, and post-internship reflection.