Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Intercultural Competence And Personality In Study Abroad Students, Wilkes W. Jones

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to replicate and extend on previous research demonstrating that international study-abroad experiences can alter a plethora of culturally related views and attitudes associated with intercultural competence. Moreover, studying abroad has been shown to make students more knowledgeable of, compassionate toward. and skilled when working with people from other cultures. Additionally, previous research has provided evidence that some Big Five personality traits can predict scores on intercultural competence measures, suggesting that some individuals may be more open to the potential benefits of studying abroad more than others. For this study, I hypothesized that from before to after studying …

Evaluating The Effects Of Cultural Immersion On Counselor Trainees' Multicultural Development And Intercultural Competence: A Metasynthesis Of Qualitative Evidence, Ben C.H. Kuo, Nada Hussein, Nadeen Makhzoum, Pinky Sabhnani, Matthew Zvric

Psychology Publications

This metasynthesis critically surveyed and evaluated the learning impacts on counselor and psychology trainees’ multicultural development and intercultural competence through participating in cultural immersion (CI), based on published qualitative research evidence. Accordingly, this metasynthesis identified and assessed the characteristics, the methodological strengths and qualities, and the thematic findings of 33 qualitative and mixed-methods CI studies resulting from exhaustive database searches. Using a directed content analysis technique, a six-domain analytical framework was applied to code and analyze the themes reported in these studies. The results point to CI intervention as a multifaceted and versatile instructional apparatus that impacted and contributed to …

A Phenomenological Pre- And Post-Reflective Comparison Of Graduate Student Intercultural Competence From Agricultural Service-Learning Experiences, Kim E. Dooley, Catherine E. Sanders, Leslie Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual …

Lecture Interculturelle: Décodage De L'Implicite (Inter) Culturel, Brigitte Lepez, Abdelouahed Mabrour, Hassan Ennassiri

Dirassat

The cultural decoding or the discursive communication requires a complex strategy of multiple readings on the explicit and implicit levels. However, this cultural implicitness becomes a problem when it relates to a culture which is not shared. Indeed, errors in decoding the cultural implicitness can be sources of misunderstanding or even conflict in the relationship between people of different cultural contexts, the implicitness being this hidden dimension which is not immediately identifiable for those who do not share the same cultural framework.

This study focuses on intercultural decoding of the cultural implicitness, that is to say trying to understand texts …

An Examination Of Chinese Private College Students’ Intercultural Competence, Li Li

Education (PhD) Dissertations

With globalization being a focus of the 21st century, the primary approach for responding to global challenges for higher education institutions is to adopt an internationalization strategy and accelerate the internationalization pace. To cultivate “global-ready” graduates, developing students’ intercultural competence (IC) has become one of the core missions of international and Chinese higher education institutions. Given the scarcity of quantitative studies on Chinese private college students’ IC and inconsistent findings on the relationships between foreign language capability, international experience, and IC in the extant literature, a quantitative study was conducted in a Chinese private college to explore 1,983 undergraduate students’ …

Using Byram's Five Savoirs To Measure The Development Of Intercultural Competence In The Covid-19 Era During An Engineering Sojourn Abroad, Lars Erickson, Sigrid Berka, Iñaki Pérez-Ibáñez, Niko Tracksdorf, Michelangelo La Luna

Journal of International Engineering Education

This paper investigates the intercultural learning of students during a sojourn abroad that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and their resulting return to the U.S. To measure students’ intercultural development and to characterize students’ comments about their experience abroad, the researchers used Michael Byram’s Intercultural Communicative Competence model and its five savoirs. The comments were elicited at four different moments using different elicitation tools. Comments were evaluated by the researchers who determined their applicability to any of Byram’s five savoirs. The results show that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, intercultural learning took place and students made gains in intercultural competence. …

Study Abroad And School Psychologists’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Competence, Alexa M. Irwin, Nicole A. Oberhelman, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This study investigated perceived influence of study abroad experiences on intercultural competence in school psychologists and school psychologists-in-training. This exploratory descriptive qualitative analysis involved semi-structured interviews with a purposively sampled group (n = 20) of school psychologists (n = 10) and school psychology graduate students (n = 10) who studied abroad during their undergraduate or graduate programs. Participants responded to questions about their study abroad experience, how it affected them, what they learned about other cultures, and how it affected their career or career preparation. Four themes were identified: (1) awareness of cultural similarities and differences; (2) recognition of privilege; …

Identity Negotiation And Construction Among Saudi Learners Of English As A Second Language, Nouf Aljasir

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

This qualitative longitudinal phenomenological study was conducted to investigate identity negotiation and construction in a second language (L2) learning environment. Data were collected from 35 Saudi learners of English in the United Kingdom over a one-year period using a background information questionnaire, three sets of in-depth interviews, which were carried out before, during, and after the study abroad (SA) program, and monthly reflective journals. Data analysis revealed several opportunities and challenges that the participants encountered during their SA period. The findings also showed that most learners succeeded in negotiating and constructing an intercultural identity, which allowed them to actively seek …

An Integrated Developmental Model And Measure Of Intercultural Competence, Natasha S. Dumerville

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study presents a synthesized model of intercultural competence, the Integrated Developmental Model of Intercultural Competence (IDMIC), based on six existing constructs and models of intercultural competence commonly used in postsecondary education. The IDMIC Index is a scenario-based instrument designed to measure intercultural competence as depicted by the developmental model. Undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed during the Spring 2019 semester. Data was collected and analyzed using quantitative techniques. Results of data analyses did not provide evidence to support the hypothesized unidimensional structure of the IDMIC Index; however, there was evidence to support the measurement reliability and validity of the …

Intercultural Competence Among Early Childhood Educators, Sara Fanous

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess and develop intercultural competence among birth through kindergarten teachers. Intercultural competence is an integral part of creating a welcoming environment for all students in a classroom. It is not only the acknowledgement of individual differences, but the acceptance and celebration of what makes each person an individual and member of a cultural group. This project assessed the intercultural competence of 24 birth through kindergarten teachers and staff at a child development center in the mid-south. Participants completed the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) as pre- and post-assessments. In between assessments, our team conducted …

Attending To Conditions That Facilitate Intercultural Competence: A Reciprocal Service-Learning Approach, Rachel M. B. Collopy, Sharon Tjaden-Glass, Novea A. Mcintosh

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Although service-learning can support the development of intercultural competence, it has also maintained power differentials, reinforced privileged perspectives, and strengthened deficit thinking. Recent research has investigated the conditions within service-learning associated with positive change in diversity-related attitudes. We extend that work, conceptualizing a reciprocal service-learning (RSL) approach that integrates conditions posited by contact theory and the process model of intercultural competence into service-learning’s core features of reflection and reciprocity. In an RSL approach, transformational reciprocity at the participant level supports cultural awareness, interdependence, and parity between participant groups. We created an RSL experience and measured change in three attitudes fundamental …

Impact Of Intercultural Competence On Communicative Success In L2 Environments(With Reference To Missionaries Of The Church Ofjesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints), David Milford Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of cultural competence on success in completing key missionary tasks. Qualitative survey results are supported by data from an intercultural effectiveness assessment and a Mandarin Chinese listening proficiency test to describe themes related to missionary communicative success and to explore correlations between intercultural effectiveness and listening proficiency. Missionary communicative tasks are clarified into themes:"obtaining referrals,"obtaining teaching opportunities," and"helping people make and keep commitments." Factors perceived as associating with communicative success include"feeling and communicating love" and receiving"spiritual guidance." The effect of training on intercultural competence is also described. The intercultural effectiveness subcategory of positive regard is …

Building The Nest: How Native English Speaking Teachers (Nests) In The Tefl Field Develop Intercultural Competence, Emily S. Kraus

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The role of an English foreign language teacher requires expertise in the English language and pedagogical skills to make the learning process approachable for a variety of students. There are certain characteristics that make a person ostensibly suitable for the role such as patience, intelligence, trustworthiness and creativity. However, the development of teachers is often shaped by their certification preparation, experiences in the field of education and the lessons they learn from their students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how native English speaking teachers (NESTs) in Costa Rica teaching English as a foreign language develop …

Unpacking Global Service-Learning In Developing Contexts: A Case Study From Rural Tanzania, Ann M. Oberhauser, Rita Daniels

Ann Oberhauser

This article examines intercultural aspects of global service-learning (GSL) focused on gender and sustainable development in rural Tanzania. The discussion draws from critical development and postcolonial feminist approaches to examine how GSL addresses globalization, social histories, and political economies of development. The empirical analysis is based on a program that is designed to develop global awareness, intercultural competence, and critical thinking among students and communities. The relationships, discourses, and actions of the participants are examined through written assignments, a focus group discussion, and observations of activities and the community. The findings of this study contribute to broader debates concerning experiential …

Definition Of Intercultural Competence (Ic) In Undergraduate Students At A Private University In The Usa: A Mixed-Methods Study., Lioba Gierke, Nadine Binder, Mark Heckmann, Özen Odağ, Anne Leiser, Karina K. Kedzior

Touro College Berlin

Introduction

Intercultural competence (IC) is an important skill to be gained from higher education. However, it remains unclear what IC means to students and what factors might influence their definitions of IC. The aim of the current study was to qualitatively assess how students at one higher education institution in the USA define IC and to quantitatively test for relationships among IC components and various demographic characteristics, including intercultural experience and study context. A further aim was to descriptively compare the IC definitions from the US sample with the definitions obtained from another sample of university students in Germany.

Materials …

Promoting Intercultural Competence In Diverse U.S. Classrooms Through Ethnographic Interviews, Ekaterina Arshavskaya

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

To meet the demands of contemporary society, students needs to develop the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures. To advance this goal, a project involving ethnographic interviews was introduced to an intercultural communication course. Participating students' attitudes toward other cultures were measured on a Likert scale at the beginning and end of the project. The findings show that through the interviews, the students developed greater awareness of their own cultures and of themselves within their culture and deepened their knowledge of other cultures. Yet, the majority of the students did not show greater interest in learning a …

Collaborating In (Mis)Translation: Opportunities Lost And Found During A Multi Year Exchange Program Between Canada And China, Terry Sefton, Glenn Rideout, Jonathan Bayley

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Three Canadian education faculty, who collaborated with Chinese Canadian colleagues in leading trips to China during a multi-year exchange program discuss their perceptions and experiences. Storytelling and photo elicitation are used to build a visual and textual narrative. Narratives are used to map areas of familiarity, uncertainty, obstacles, and discovery. Photographic images provide a framework for examining social practices and interpreting personal experience through visible traces of teaching within physical and cultural spaces. A discussion on the role of translation is particularly important, to understand both opportunities grasped and opportunities missed. One of the primary goals of exchange programs between …

Bringing The 21st-Century Governance Paradigm To Public Affairs Education: Reimagining How We Teach What We Teach, Nadia Rubaii

Nadia Rubaii

Effective governance in the 21st-century demands a different set of competencies than prior generations, with greater emphasis on collaborative leadership, global intercultural competence, and the ability to respond nimbly to rapidly changing circumstances. Many public affairs programs have changed curriculum content to place greater emphasis on these topics. Given the extent to which such changes are altering how public issues are defined, how policies are adopted, and how programs and services are delivered as much as what those problems, policies, and programs are, then how we teach is arguably as important as what we teach. This article argues that current …

Bringing The 21st-Century Governance Paradigm To Public Affairs Education: Reimagining How We Teach What We Teach, Nadia Rubaii

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

Effective governance in the 21st-century demands a different set of competencies than prior generations, with greater emphasis on collaborative leadership, global intercultural competence, and the ability to respond nimbly to rapidly changing circumstances. Many public affairs programs have changed curriculum content to place greater emphasis on these topics. Given the extent to which such changes are altering how public issues are defined, how policies are adopted, and how programs and services are delivered as much as what those problems, policies, and programs are, then how we teach is arguably as important as what we teach. This article argues that current …

Intercultural Competence Development Through Civic Engagement, Ruta Shah-Gordon

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Today, the field of intercultural communication is becoming even more important.People are increasingly interacting more with others from around the globe, whether for work or recreation.Globalization is creating an increased interdependency between nations; it is critical that institutions of higher education develop leaders who are competent in cross-cultural awareness and practice, have a solid understanding of cultural differences and their effects on leadership performance, and are culturally sensitive to different perspectives (Northouse, 2010).Since many studies of intercultural competence development focus on study abroad experiences, this dissertation focuses on developing intercultural competence in college-aged students through civic engagement experiences.Through a mixed …

Approaches To Teaching Latin American Culture Through Film: Children’S Plight In Poverty- And Violence-Ridden Countries, Delia V. Galvan Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

Students at the beginning levels of foreign language study have many borders to cross and many challenges to negotiate. This paper reports the results of a preliminary study involving the use of full-length films to engender intercultural sensitivity and understanding among two groups of first-year students of Spanish. Both films depict hardships of children in Spanish-speaking countries—as a result of conscription or as a result of child labor. The paper discusses the contextualization of the films for the students, the students’ responses to questionnaires, portions of classroom discussion that indicate growth in the areas of focus, and implications of the …

Intercultural Communicative Competence: Literature Review, Lee F. Wilberschied Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is a cluster of capabilities that will become even more essential, not only to negotiate borders of many dimensions as globalization proceeds, but also to enhance the ability to maneuver one’s way in a world that changes by the minute. The process of developing ICC prepares the learner to manage and appreciate border crossings on many levels. This brief review of the literature offers a summary of the components of ICC, how it is similar to and different from other competences, and recommendations on how to assess it. This overview may be helpful when considering the …

Understanding Arab Culture Through Cinema, Abed El-Rahman Tayyara Ph.D.

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

The article examines the use of cinema as a tool for teaching about Arab culture and assesses the process in which learners acquire a higher level of intercultural communicative competence. The essay draws primarily on multilayered class activities and students’ responses to pre- and post- screening surveys related to eight Arab films. The article reveals that the evaluation of the learners’ intercultural competence and their familiarity with Arab culture in particular is a long process that filled with misunderstandings, gaps, inconsistencies, and contradictions on the part of the learners. To successfully conduct this type of teaching, the article also points …

Gendered Pronouns In The Classroom (August 24, 2015)

Center for Faculty Enrichment

Gendered Pronouns in the Classroom- Monday 8/24 4-5pm in Gävle Room 1

Last spring, the college community asserted that it will be inclusive of people of all genders. Since this affirmation, members of the campus community have requested professional development about the basic ideas in this discussion ("What is the difference between sex and gender?") as well as techniques for being inclusive ("How can I avoid misgendering a student or respond when others do?"). In this session, we will share foundational vocabulary, develop strategies for inclusion around gendered pronouns, and hold a Q&A with a couple of students about …

Multicultural Shared Leadership: A Conceptual Model Of Shared Leadership In Culturally Diverse Teams, Alex J Ramthun, Gina S. Matkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This conceptual article reviews relevant literature to develop propositions forming a model of multicultural shared leadership. First, an examination of the definitions of culture finds consensus on culture as a system. Second, a review of the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity introduces the concept of intercultural competence. Third, an exploration into the theoretical foundations of vertical and shared leadership develops primary themes. Finally, the formation of propositions and a conceptual model invites researchers to study the moderating impact of intercultural competence on culturally diverse teams and shared leadership. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and recommendations are discussed.

Intercultural Competence: A Journey To Understanding And Assessing, Conducted By The Intercultural Development Inventory, Nicole Ryks

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to first identify the most accurate definitions of intercultural competence by the examination of other representative works on the topic, then to elaborate on the different characteristics and articulate the theoretical underpinnings of the intercultural development inventory (IDI) used to assess intercultural competence. Strategies for implementation of information learned from the IDI instrument are presented along with results of the writers own assessment in order to create a more personalized, detailed study. This study was a first step in the process of understanding intercultural competence and the IDI was used as a starting point …

A Formative Experiment For The Development Of Intercultural Competence In Students Engaged In Undergraduate Travel And Tourism Studies, Cinzia Mancini-Cross

All Dissertations

Globalization is reaching impacts never thought of before and intercultural competence, once the prerogative of restricted circles, has become a necessary attribute for all of those who intend to be successful in the world of enterprise including the travel and tourism sector. Yet, travel and tourism academic institutions face systemic shortcomings in offering intercultural education and training for their students. This research examined how an educational approach called a Formative Experiment (Reinking & Bradley, 2008) helped undergraduate college students develop intercultural competence. The purpose of the Formative Experiment was to design and evaluate an instructional intervention aimed at facilitating the …

Acculturation And Depression Among Hispanics: The Moderating Effect Of Intercultural Competence, Lucas Torres, David Rollock

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

In the present study the authors examined the relative contributions of typical acculturation indicators, general coping, and intercultural competence in predicting depression among 96 Hispanic adults. The results indicated that intercultural competence served to moderate the relationship between acculturation and depression. The combination of high acculturation and high intercultural competence was associated with fewer symptoms. General coping accounted for significant amounts of variance in predicting depression, over and above traditional acculturation variables alone, suggesting that an active problem-solving style was associated with a healthier outcome. The findings are discussed within the context of integrating competence-based variables into psychological conceptualizations of …