Staging the International Classroom in Problem-Based Learning: Staff and Students’ Performance and Perceptions

European higher education has become increasingly international. Proponents argue that internationalisation exposes students to diverse perspectives, cultivating intercultural skills through interactions with peers from different countries. However, critics have raised concerns that internationalisation may adversely impact students’ academic success. We engage with this debate by building on findings from a large-scale quantitative study at an international Dutch university, which concluded that the international classroom at Bachelor’s level tends to have a positive effect on students’ academic success in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) environment. We specifically explore how first-year students navigate the international PBL classroom. Taking cues from constructivists views of learning, which highlight the interactive nature of knowledge construction and the role of diversity therein, we conducted 22 international classroom observations and 21 semi-structured interviews. We find that students treat each other as individuals with complex identities, of which nationality is only one aspect. Tutors and leading students can create space for diverse perspectives as part of the collaborative construction of knowledge in the international classroom. Yet, this requires purposeful design of the curriculum, as well as proper training of staff and students.