Investigation of Communication, Social Intelligence and Intercultural Sensitivity Competencies of Teacher Candidates in Sustainable Education by Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

It has become increasingly important to provide equal educational opportunities to all students for quality and sustainable education in classrooms with rapidly increasing diversity. In this context, communication skills, social intelligence and intercultural sensitivity are important competences that can affect teacher performance and efficiency in classrooms. Despite the importance of these competencies, empirical studies examining the relationships between these variables are scarce. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between teacher candidates’ communication skills and their intercultural sensitivity and social intelligence levels through the application of structural equation modeling (SEM). The participants were selected from among the teacher candidates studying at Kütahya Dumlupınar University, a public university in Türkiye, using simple random sampling method. The results indicated that teacher candidates had high levels of communication skills, intercultural sensitivity and social intelligence. In addition, while there was a significant positive relationship between communication skills and intercultural sensitivity level and social intelligence level at low level, there was a significant positive relationship between intercultural sensitivity and social intelligence level at medium level. Furthermore, communication skills and intercultural sensitivity were found to be significant predictors of social intelligence and intercultural sensitivity had a partial mediating role in the relationship between communication skills and social intelligence. In the study, it was concluded that teacher candidates’ communication skills predicted social intelligence through intercultural sensitivity.