Cultural Awareness Scale Research Articles

Enhancing nursing students' cultural awareness through Community of Inquiry-guided online 'Internationalization at Home' strategies-An intervention study.

Internationalization at Home (IaH) strategies play an important role in nursing curricula to enhance nursing students' cultural awareness in the globalized world. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) is a theoretical framework for the optimal design of online learning environments to support critical inquiry and discourse among students and teachers. To optimise nursing students' online cultural awareness learning experiences, it was timely to develop online IaH strategies based on a sound theoretical model. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of CoI-guided online IaH strategies on enhancing the cultural awareness of nursing undergraduates who enrolled in a community nursing course. This was an interventional pre-test post-test study. One hundred and six nursing undergraduates who enrolled in the course participated in the study. The online IaH strategies were developed focusing on the interactions of teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence of CoI framework and they were integrated into the course. A previously validated Cultural Awareness Scale was adopted for pre-post evaluation. Higher scores indicate greater cultural awareness. The results showed that there was a significantly higher total score of cultural awareness of participating students at post-online IaH strategies. To be effective, aligning CoI-guided online IaH strategies with course content, pedagogy and assessment was shown to be significant. The inclusion of technological elements in related strategies was also critical to engage student learning. The positive change on the total score of cultural awareness suggested the effectiveness of the deployed strategies. In this ever-changing educational landscape, it may provide insights to educators regarding considering online IaH strategies with theoretical underpinning for curriculum planning and design.

Examination of the Cultural Awareness Scale for Border Crossers

Abstract Previous studies suggested that long-term Chinese residents living in Japan, instead of identifying as Japanese or Chinese, may have a “superordinate orientation” not characterized by nationality. This study developed a scale to measure cultural awareness of border crossers and evaluated its reliability and validity. To confirm the scale’s reliability, we conducted two online surveys of adult Chinese who had lived in Japan for at least three years at the time of the survey. A 45-item scale was created based on the interview results. The same items were used in both surveys. An exploratory factor analysis (maximum likelihood method, promax rotation) was performed on the valid responses to the first survey. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the valid responses to the second survey. The results showed that the Cultural Awareness Scale for Border Crossers has acceptable reliability and validity.

Cultural competence of undergraduate student nurses: a multicenter study.

to evaluate the level of cultural competence of an undergraduate nursing students' population from four European higher education institutions. a total of 168 nursing students from four different countries were included in our study. The study methodology involved a cross-sectional assessment of cultural competence among undergraduate nursing students from four European universities. Data collection included sociodemographic variables, as well as the following validated tools: the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, the Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (student version) and the Cultural Awareness Scale. our results indicated that students demonstrated a high level of intercultural sensitivity but a moderate level of cultural competence and cultural awareness. Variations existed among students from different countries, suggesting potential differences in educational approaches. Despite expectations that higher-level students would exhibit greater cultural competence, no significant differences were found by year of study, indicating a lack of effective integration of cultural competence into nursing curricula. nurse educators should consider the students' cultural competence before designing related study programmes. Training programmes related to cultural competence should include elements which have been associated with enhanced cultural competence, including language skills, cultural encounter, and opportunities for internationalisation.

Developing and Validating the Cultural Security Awareness Scale for College Students: A Preliminary Study

Developing and Validating the Cultural Security Awareness Scale for College Students: A Preliminary Study

The Effect of the Use of Digital Technologies in Physical Education Lessons on Students' Physical Education Cultures and Attitudes towards the Lesson

Among the main objectives of the 'Primary School Physical Education Curriculum' is to raise individuals with knowledge, skills and behaviors integrated with values and competencies. In addition, one of the important goals of the Kazakh education system is to provide students with 21st century and related digital skills in all lessons. For this purpose, the current study examined the effect of digital technology and face-to-face teaching practices on students' lesson achievement, skills, attitudes, cultural awareness and value perceptions in primary school physical education lessons compared to traditional teaching. The study was conducted with a control group pre-test post-test design. A total of 60 students attending the 4th grade of primary school took part in the study. In the experimental group of the study, digital technologies supported face-to-face education and in the control group, traditional teaching practices were carried out. The research data were collected with 'Physical Education Lesson Acquisition Test', 'Physical Education Psychomotor Skills Test', 'Attitude Towards Physical Education Scale' and 'Cultural Awareness and Value Perception Scale in Physical Education' measurement tools. The experimental applications of the research lasted 8 weeks simultaneously in the control and experimental groups. According to the findings of the study, significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group in physical education lesson outcomes and attitudes. However, no significant difference was found between the groups in psychomotor skills and value perception.

Psychometric Properties of the Cultural Awareness Scale: Northern Cyprus Sample

Purpose: The study was carried out a descriptive-correlational to determine the validity and reliability of the "Cultural Awareness Scale" on nursing students studying in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 
 Methods: The research was carried out with 559 students studying in a Faculty of Nursing located in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus where medium of instruction is Turkish. Data were collected with Cultural Awareness Scale and demographic questionnaire. Data were analysed content validity index, factor analysis, cronbach's alpha, split-half and item-total correlation. 
 Results: The student mean age was 22.38, + 2.67. Of all the students, 71.4 % (n = 399) were female, 85.5% (n = 478) did not take inter-cultural nursing lessons, and 62.3% (n = 348) gave patients from different cultures care. The scale consisted of five subscales accounting for 59.4 % of the total variance. The factor loading of items varied from 0.31 to 0.88. In CFA, all fit indices are greater than 0.90. The RMSEA value is less than 0.08. All factor loading was above 0.30. The Cronbach alpha of co-efficient (CAC) of the overall scale and sub-scales were 0.86, 0.86, 0.89, 0.89, 0.87 and 0.93 respectively. 
 Conclusion: By using this scale; researchers may measure the student cultural awareness levels, may create course curricula, and examine the change in students' cultural awareness over the years. Cross-cultural comparisons and experimental studies can be made using the scale.

Cultural Heritage Awareness Scale: Validity and Reliability Study

Bu araştırmada ortaokul öğrencilerinin kültürel mirasa yönelik farkındalıklarını belirleyebilmek için bir veri toplama aracı geliştirmek amaçlanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda ilk olarak madde havuzu oluşturulmuştur. Oluşturulan 69 maddelik deneme formunda uzmanlardan alınan dönütlere göre düzeltmeler yapılmış ve madde sayısı 48’e indirilmiştir. Ardından 48 maddelik aday form deneme uygulaması olarak 106 ortaokul öğrencisiyle “Sesli Düşünme Yöntemi” kullanılarak seviye ve anlaşılırlık bakımından uygunluğu test edilmiştir. Öğrencilerle yapılan bu çalışmadan sonra 10 madde için tekrar uzman görüşüne başvurularak bu maddelerin çıkarılmasına karar verilmiş, düzeltilmesi önerilen maddelerde ise gerekli değişiklikler yapılmış ve 38 maddelik deneysel form hazır hale getirilmiştir. 38 maddelik ölçeğin taslağı açımlayıcı faktör analizi (AFA) için farklı kademelerdeki 450 ortaokul öğrencisine uygulanmıştır. AFA sonucunda deneysel formun üç faktörlü (X2= 973,619; sd= 592; p<,05; X2/sd= 1,6; RMSEA= ,03; CFI= ,95; TLI= ,94 ve SRMR= ,05) modele uygun olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ölçeğin yapısının doğrulanıp doğrulanmadığı test etmek için 294 ortaokul öğrencisiyle doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA) yapılmıştır. Uygulanan ölçekten elde edilen verilerin analiz sonuçlarının uyumlu olduğu ve önerilen modelin kabul edilebilir (X2= 914,731; sd= 591; p<,05; X2/sd= 1,54; RMSEA=,04; CFI=,92; TLI=,92 ve WRMR=1,1) olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ölçeğin Cronbach Alfa değeri ,87 olarak belirlenmiştir. Ulaşılan sonuçlar KMFÖ’nün güvenilir ve geçerli ölçme aracı olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Ortaöğretim Öğrencileri İçin Anahtar Yetkinlikler Envanteri Geliştirme Çalışması

The aim of this research is to develop a measurement tool that will measure the high school students' 8 Key Competencies developed by the Turkish Qualifications Framework and included in the high school education lesson plans since 2018. These competencies are Communication in mother tongue, Communication in foreign languages, Mathematical competency and basic competencies in science/technology, Digital competence, Learning to learn, Social and civic competencies, Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, and Cultural awareness and expression. In this context, 4 different measurement tools have been developed in a single inventory framework, adhering to the definitions of key competencies in the programs. The developed scales are Communication Skills Scale, Mathematic Scientific and Digital Competencies Scale, Learning to Learn Scale, Cultural Awareness, Citizenship and Entrepreneurship Scale. Each scale measures different competencies. Scales can be used individually or together to measure all 8 Key competencies.

ULTURAL AWARENESS AND XENOPHOBIA LEVELS OF HEALTH TECHNICIAN CANDIDATES: EXAMPLE OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

The aim of the study was to examine the cultural awareness and xenophobia levels of health technician candidates studying in the health programs of a vocational school. The universe of the descriptive study consisted of all students enrolled in health programs in vocational schools (n=180). The research was completed with students (n=155) who were actively studying in the programs without making a sample selection. "Health Technician Candidate Information Form", "Intercultural Awareness Scale" and "Xenophobia Scale" were used as data collection tools. The analysis of the data was evaluated in a statistical program, and descriptive statistics, Independent-t Test and One Way ANOVA test were used. The students' cultural awareness levels were found to be 20.64±6.55 moderate levels, and their xenophobia levels were 51.86±12.73/high. In the study, it was determined that there was a significant relationship between the students who like to be together with people from different cultures and the cultural awareness scale (p<0.05). In the city where he studied; A significant correlation was found between the students who are not disturbed by the presence of immigrants/refugees and providing health care/service to them and the xenophobia scale mean score (p<0.05). In the study in which the relationship between students' cultural awareness levels and xenophobia was evaluated by correlation analysis, a negative and significant relationship was found (r=-0.025; p=0.002). As a result; It was determined that the cultural awareness of the health technician candidates was at a medium level and their xenophobia perception was at a high level.

The association between students' emotional intelligence, cultural competency, and cultural awareness

IntroductionEmphasis has been placed on health professionals' employment of social and behavioral skills to negotiate complex patient-clinician relationships. One example is a professional's ability to provide culturally appropriate care. This study evaluated the relationship between pharmacy students' cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and their ability to engage in appropriate cross-cultural interactions as measured by a cultural competency scale. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in first-year pharmacy students using three distinct survey instruments to measure cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and cultural competence. Demographic characteristics assessed included gender, race, ethnicity, and previous cultural competency training. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize performance on each survey instrument. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the statistical significance of associations observed between the variables measured within the study. ResultsForty-four students responded, of which 34% had previous cultural competency training. No statistically significant associations were observed between overall cultural competence, emotional intelligence, or cultural awareness. The self-cultural scale (part of the cultural awareness scale) was significantly related to higher overall emotional intelligence scores (P = .02). Previous cultural competency training was associated with significantly higher scores on the cultural competence scale (P = .004). Previous cultural competency training was also associated with enhanced ability to perceive one's own emotions as measured by the emotional intelligence scale (P = .02). ConclusionsPrevious exposure to cultural competency training impacts cultural competence scores most significantly.

Cultural awareness and competence of pharmacy educators and learners from the perspective of pharmacy students at Qatar University: A mixed-methods approach.

BackgroundSince healthcare professional educators and practitioners in Qatar are culturally diverse, the impact of this diversity on the education and training of healthcare students should be evaluated. This study, therefore, aims at examining pharmacy students’ perspectives on the level of cultural awareness and competence of pharmacy educators and learners at Qatar University and the influence of cultural diversity on pharmacy education in Qatar.MethodsA convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. The Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) was utilized in the quantitative phase, which was administered on 122 pharmacy students at Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU CPH), of whom 70 responded. The qualitative phase comprised four focus groups with a total of 23 students. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, and the results were integrated.ResultsThe findings suggest that the QU CPH is an institution of a culturally diverse community. Educators and students alike are generally culturally aware and sensitive; however, demonstration of a holistic awareness was hindered by a few barriers. This study suggests curricular changes to reinforce cultural competence, cultural inclusiveness, and the preservation of Qatar’s cultural identity and values in the educational environment.ConclusionsThe internationalization of pharmacy education in Qatar has inspired students and educators alike to achieve new dimensions of cultural awareness. To infuse passion and enthusiasm in learning while maintaining Qatar’s cultural values and identity, healthcare professional educators, researchers, and policymakers are required to collaborate to promote culturally sensitive pharmacy education.

Psychometric properties of a modified cultural awareness scale for use in higher education within the health and social care fields

BackgroundCultural awareness and cultural competence have become important skills in higher education as populations continue to grow in diversity around the world. However, currently, there are few instruments designed to assess student awareness of the aspects of culture, and the existing instruments need further development and testing for use with different target populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) for use in higher education within the health and social care fields.MethodsA modified version of the CAS was developed, which was tested psychometrically using cross-sectional data. In total, 191 undergraduate students from different health and social care undergraduate programs in Sweden and Hong Kong responded to a call to test the modified instrument.ResultsThe results showed that the modified CAS is a four-factor measure of cultural awareness and possesses satisfactory internal consistency. Results also support the use of the modified CAS as a generic tool to measure cultural awareness among students in higher education within the health and social care fields.ConclusionThe modified CAS showed satisfactory psychometric properties and can be recommended as a generic tool to measure cultural awareness among students in higher education within the health and social care fields. However, further psychometric testing on the effectiveness of the modified CAS as a tool to evaluate the efficacy of cultural awareness interventions is required.

Internationalization at Home: An Occupational Therapy Synchronous Collaboration Between Cyprus and the United States.

Designing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of sustainable Internationalization at Home programs will support the development of cultural competence among occupational therapy students. To explore potential sustainable, effective methods for enhancing cultural competence in occupational therapy students through cross-cultural online collaborations. Pretest-posttest, parallel mixed-methods design. An online collaboration using video conferencing technology and classrooms at the European University Cyprus and the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Bachelor of science and master of occupational therapy students at the European University Cyprus and the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, respectively. Online video conferencing collaboration between occupational therapy students in which students discussed their perspectives and experiences regarding social injustice and occupational therapy's role in working with vulnerable populations. Each campus participated in focus groups, and students completed individual reflections. Themes were derived from the qualitative information gathered. Quantitative data were collected using the Cultural Awareness Scale for Occupational Therapy Students (CASOTS). CASOTS did not reflect changes in cultural awareness. The qualitative measures identified students' desire to participate in more frequent and culturally diverse experiences. Challenges included length of preparation and actual communication time. Inclusion of prior asynchronous sessions and methods to overcome the language barrier was suggested for future implementation. Synchronous cross-cultural collaborations may enhance occupational therapy student's cultural awareness and may be more attractive than traditional in-class teaching. Further development is necessary to overcome challenges. Documenting the benefits and barriers of implementing Internationalization at Home experiences will allow academic institutions to create sustainable methods for enhancing occupational therapy students' cultural competence. Recommendations to further enhance Internationalization at Home experiences provide opportunities for increased cultural collaboration.

Measuring Cultural Awareness Among Slovene Nursing Student: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Measurements of nursing students' cultural awareness are needed to evaluate education that intends to improve nurses' cultural competency skills. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of cultural awareness held by undergraduate nursing students. Method: A nonexperimental, cross-sectional design was applied to a purposive sample of 149 undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected based on the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS). Results: The results show that the nursing students had a moderately high level of cultural awareness for all CAS subscales (M = 194.0). However, no statistically significant differences were seen between the students' demographic (gender and age) and other data (year of study and religion) related to the overall CAS score (p > .05). Discussion: Building on the satisfactory results obtained from this study, in the future, both the transcultural nursing contents as well as various strategies for teaching cultural competencies should be carefully evaluated.

Using a Program Based on Mobile Computer - Supported Collaborative Learning and Social Media Applications in Developing Student Teachers' EFL Creative Reading Skills and Cultural Awareness

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using a program based on mobile computer - supported collaborative learning (MCSCL) and social media applications in developing EFL creative reading skills and cultural awareness among student teachers at the Faculty of Education. The design of the study was a mixed research methodology. It combined both quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting data. The participants of the study were sixty (N= 60) students enrolled in third -year English section at the Faculty of Education, Benha University, Egypt. They were tested before and after the treatment. They were taught through using a program based on mobile computer -supported collaborative learning (MCSCL) and social media applications. The instruments of the study included an EFL creative reading skills test, an EFL cultural awareness scale and a semi-structured interview. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the study participants in the pre and post administrations of the EFL creative reading skills test and cultural awareness scale in favor of the post administrations. These results were ascribed to mobile computer - supported collaborative learning (MCSCL) and social media applications.

INTERPROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND CULTURAL AWARENESS OF STUDENTS CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MULTIPLE CHRONIC CONDITIONS

Based on rapidly increasing numbers of older adults and growing populations of culturally diverse citizens, we developed and provided an interprofessional education program for graduate nursing and social work students that focused on the delivery of care to older adults and veterans with multiple chronic conditions. The students participated in multiple activities together over a year long period. Activities included an introductory IPE day with all students together and simulated patient cases that had required roles for the students’ specialties. Knowledge and skills of interprofessional collaborative practice were measured with the Interprofessional Self Assessment Competencies (IPEC) and Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS). We also measured attitudes toward cultural differences using the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS). The entire project was repeated a second year with a second cohort of students. Overall, our students were better able to understand and work collaboratively with other health care professionals after participating in this program. Regarding cultural awareness, both NP and SW students were more aware of and comfortable with cultural differences after participating in the program. After one year of experience, we wanted to know more about our students’ skills and attitudes. Focus groups were added to the design to dive deeper into the students’ perceptions about which activities were most impactful and recommendations for future IPE activities. This paper will describe these data and implications for future planning of more effective interprofessional and cultural programming for students caring for older adults and veterans.

Factors affecting the cultural competence of visiting nurses for rural multicultural family support in South Korea

BackgroundWith the recent growth of multicultural families in the Korean society, the importance of the role of qualified visiting nurses in the delivery of culturally sensitive health care has grown dramatically. As the primary health care provider for multicultural families enrolled in public community-based health care centers, the cultural competence of visiting nurses is an essential qualification for the provision of quality health care for multicultural families, especially in rural areas. Cultural competence of visiting nurses is based on their cultural awareness and empathetic attitude toward multicultural families. This study aimed to examine the levels of cultural competence, empowerment, and empathy in visiting nurses, and to verify the factors that affect the cultural competence of visiting nurses working with rural multicultural families in South Korea.MethodsEmploying a cross-sectional descriptive study design, data from 143 visiting nurses working in rural areas were obtained. Data collection took place between November 2011 and August 2012. The measurement tools included the modified Korean version of the Cultural Awareness Scale, the Text of Items Measuring Empowerment, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index to measure the level of empathy of visiting nurses. Analyses included descriptive statistics, a t-test, an ANOVA, a Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, and a multiple linear regression analysis.ResultsThe cultural competence score of the visiting nurses was 3.07 on a 5-point Likert scale (SD = 0.30). The multiple regression analysis revealed that the cultural competence of visiting nurses was significantly influenced by experience of cultural education, empathy, and scores on the meaning subscale of the empowerment tool (R2 = 10.2%).ConclusionsInstitutional support to enhance visiting nurses’ empowerment by assuring the significance of their job and specific strategies to enhance their empathy would be helpful to improve the cultural competence of visiting nurses. Additionally, regular systematic education on culturally sensitive care would be helpful to enable visiting nurses to provide culturally sensitive care for multicultural families.

Cultural Awareness in Nursing is a Progressive Growth

During the past four decades, researchers have developed strategies used in nursing programs to promote cultural awareness. Minimal research has focused on the graduating associate degree-nursing students to determine if a relationship existed between the use of an integrated cultural curriculum and the nursing student’s level of cultural awareness. The associate degree-nursing program accreditation, statistical and benchmark reports mandated the integration of diversity content, local, national and worldwide perspectives in the curricula. Additionally societal and cultural patterns must be integrated across the entire nursing school curricula. In this study, a correlational approach was implemented to determine if relationships existed between the integrated cultural curriculum and level of cultural awareness in graduating associate degree nursing students in a large metropolitan area, such as in Los Angeles. In addition, the focus was to determine if differences existed in the level of cultural awareness among the graduating associate degree-nursing students based on demographic factors (gender, ethnicity and age). The Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) was used during this study. Based on the results of the 51 participants surveyed in this study, the cultural awareness level may be attributed to several factors, including the integrated cultural curricula. The nursing student’s learning style, perception of faculty, personal experiences and cultural encounters may also contribute to the cultural awareness level.

Test-retest reliability evaluation of the Escala de Conciencia Cultural para Estudiantes de Terapia Ocupacional en América Latina (ECCETO) Cultural Awareness Scale for Occupational Therapy Students in Latin America

Introduction: Cultural awareness is an important consideration in healthcare, particularly in occupational therapy. Personal values are often challenged in service provision. Culturally relevant scales are needed to evaluate this across the professional education. Evaluation of psychometric properties is a critical issue in scale development. The test – retest reliability of the Escala de Conciencia Cultural para Estudiantes de Terapia Ocupacional en America Latina (ECCETO), (Cultural Awareness Scale for Occupational Therapy students in Latin America) has not yet been evaluated. Objective: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the ECCETO. Method: The Svensson’s method was used to evaluate the ECCETO responses of 10 newly graduated Chilean occupational therapists and 26 occupational therapy students from four Latin American countries. Results: The scale had test-retest reliability, based on a reduced number of items presenting systematic disagreement, and showed good internal consistency. Conclusion: There were differences in the scale’s categories and between the study phases. Using the scale in larger groups of students may support reflective opportunities that promote early development of cultural awareness. Cultural awareness should be included in occupational therapy education in Latin America and worldwide. Adaptations of the ECCETO, should carefully consider the local practice context to preserve the cultural relevance in different regions.

Cultural awareness scale: Psychometric properties of the Turkish version

BackgroundCultural competence, a relatively new concept in the world of healthcare professionals, has garnered an increasing global attention over the last 20 years. An accurate assessment of baseline knowledge, skills, attitudes, strengths, and limitations of the students in delivering culturally congruent nursing care appears to be a key component in designing teaching strategies. AimThe current study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Turkish language version of the Cultural Awareness Scale and to determine any possible similarities between the compositions of the Turkish version and the original scale. MethodsThis methodological study included a sample size of 197 undergraduate nursing students. The research data were collected using a sociodemographic form and the Turkish language version of the Cultural Awareness Scale, which contains 36 items designed to address five different factors using a 7-point Likert response format. FindingsThe Turkish language version of the scale comprised 36 items under four different subscales. The scale was found highly reliable, with an internal consistency estimate of reliability at 0.897 for the total scale, which ranged from 0.751 to 0.868 for the subscales. The item-total correlation test showed that there was a significant correlation between each item and the remaining items, with correlation coefficient values ranging from 0.147 to 0.647. ConclusionsThe results of the analyses showed that the Turkish language version of the Cultural Awareness Scale was a highly valid and reliable instrument; therefore, it might prove a valuable asset for use in various healthcare disciplines.