Reciprocal adaptation as synergistic support for international secondary students in Canada

Research on international secondary students (ISS) has seldom examined how multilateral caretaker supports shape their intercultural journeys. This longitudinal study explores the praxis of parents, homestay hosts, educators, and international student agents in supporting ISS’ realization of intercultural capital in Canada. Drawing on serial interviews with six ISS from diverse regions (Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, and Vietnam) and in-depth interviews with 17 caretakers, the study applies Pöllmann’s typology of intercultural capital realization and Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s bioecological model to analyze support dynamics. Findings highlight five interrelated themes: caretaker intercultural awareness, disruption of symbolic power, facilitation of group memberships, familial resource capital, and reciprocal adaptation as the mechanism for sustaining effective support and co-constructing intercultural capital. The paper concludes with a synergistic support framework that aligns caretaker praxis through a shared guiding value and a set of prudential principles. • Examines multilateral caretaker roles in ISS intercultural adaptation. • Identifies reciprocal adaptation as key to sustaining effective support. • Highlights five themes shaping ISS realization of intercultural capital. • Proposes a synergistic support framework for ISS caretakers in Canada.