The Influence of Cross-Cultural Experiences &amp; Location on Teachers’ Perceptions of Cultural Competence

Christopher Murphy,Solange Lopes-Murphy

doi:10.14434/josotl.v16i3.19331

The Influence of Cross-Cultural Experiences & Location on Teachers’ Perceptions of Cultural Competence

Christopher Murphy, Solange Lopes-Murphy

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v16i3.19331

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Abstract

The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in academic settings necessitates greater cultural competence on the part of teachers, which in turn necessitates a greater understanding of both the level of cultural competence among teachers and the experiences that enhance cultural competence. Teacher educators and pre- and in-service teachers from two geographic regions in the U.S. completed a cultural competence survey, and their responses were used to construct a cultural competence score. Cultural competence scores were higher in the East location than in the Midwest location, and scores of participants were positively related to the extent of three cross-cultural experiences (speaking a foreign language, having been abroad, and having friends from other cultures). ANCOVA revealed an independent effect for teacher group and cross-cultural experiences, but not for location. The results of this study highlight the the need to improve teacher training in cultural competence and the importance to institutions of higher learning of understanding the cross-cultural experiences typical of the regions from where they draw their students.

Highlights

The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity among students presents a challenge for teachers in their efforts to ensure that each student meets the rigors of the academic world (DarlingHammond & Bransford, 2005; Keengwe, 2010)
Cultural competence scores were higher in the Mid-Atlantic location than the Midwest (Mann-Whitney test, U (1) = 3,987, p = .004, teacher groups combined), whereas there was no significant differences among teacher groups
Cross-cultural experience scores varied across locations and teacher groups, from an average score of 50.8% for Midwest in-service teachers to 84.4% for MidAtlantic teacher-educators (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity among students presents a challenge for teachers in their efforts to ensure that each student meets the rigors of the academic world (DarlingHammond & Bransford, 2005; Keengwe, 2010). The expectation that all students assimilate and adjust to the American system and its values is considered an obsolete and outdated practice (Taylor, Gillborn, & Ladson-Billings, 2015), and today’s teachers must understand their students and their cultures, develop relationships and connect with their students, and provide them with the educational experiences they need (Kumashiro, 2015) Such culturally relevant pedagogy is important to the academic success of students, as evidenced by a number of studies that have linked the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogies to increased test scores and to positive impacts on affective domains (e.g., motivation, interest, confidence) that are correlated with higher achievement (Aronson & Laughter, 2015). They have the desire and motivation to pursue opportunities for cross-cultural interactions and relationships (Ang, Van Dyne, Koh, Ng, Templer, Tay, & Chandrasekar, 2007) They examine closely the norms, practices, and values that characterize other cultures and how those cultures compare to one another (Crowne, 2008; Van Dyne et al, 2009; Lopes-Murphyf, 2014; McCrea & Yin, 2012). They are able to adjust their verbal and non-verbal behaviors appropriately in diverse cultural contexts (Crowne, 2006; Gullekson & Tucker, 2013; Molina, 2013)

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