Level Of Intercultural Competence Research Articles

Intercultural studies in the university community in the focus on social cohesion development

The present article continues the cycle of social cohesion re-search in education and society. In order to research the main principlesof organized society, the main foundations of social cohesion and their ap-plications in the educational sphere are very important. The main goalof the article is to consider the intercultural aspect of social cohesion andto provide intercultural study in the university community. This studystarts with the 눿rst diagnostics of the cognitive focuses of interculturalcommunications in the university community of the National PedagogicalDragomanov University. Cultural diversity is considered the foundationand the central part of intercultural studies. The purpose of the study isto provide a conceptualization of cognitive focuses in intercultural commu-nications, to determine the actual level of intercultural competence, to testthe author’s questionnaire, and to determine the further steps for enhanc-ing intercultural communications in the educational community. Methodsthat were used in the study are the author’s questionnaire, math analyt-ics, etc. There were 272 persons interviewed at the National PedagogicalDragomanov University, namely 230 students and 42 teachers. Accordingto the research results, the level of intercultural competence of studentsand teachers is relatively high, and all indicators are above average, whichpositively characterizes the attitude of students and teachers of the uni-versity to other cultures, their perception of other cultures, tolerance andwillingness to cooperate and combine cultural activities. This is impor-tant at this time, because Ukraine is on the path to European integration,bravely defending its own choice, where one of the main values is respectand acceptance of cultural diversity.

Intercultural Competence and Study Abroad Programs-A Mixed Method Study

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the intercultural competence (IC) level of college students, explore whether there is a statistically significant difference in the IC level between students with study abroad (SA) experience and those without SA experience, and examine their attitudes, ideas and experiences about SA programs and intercultural communication. Data collected from online questionnaires and Zoom interviews were examined through the lens of Hall’s the Iceberg Analogy of Culture and M. J. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), which were also used as the conceptual framework in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated the IC level of college students was high, reaching up to the acceptance stage or/and adaptation stage of Bennett’s DMIS. Quantitative study showed that the IC level of students who participated in SA programs was higher than those who didn’t.

The development of program of experimental research on the formation of intercultural competence of higher military educational institutions cadets during foreign language training

In accordance with the European and world tendencies of professional training of military personnel, it is mandatory to emphasize the problem of forming the intercultural competence among cadets of higher military educational institutions. The process of formation of such a competence should be experimentally approved.
 The general approaches to the structure of the experimental research program are analyzed and the necessity of a systematic approach to the formulation of the principles of scientific research, which are a means of proving the research hypothesis, is substantiated.
 The program of the pedagogical experiment, aimed at testing the hypothesis, is described, which assumes that the level of intercultural competence of cadets of higher military educational institutions increases under the condition of involvement in the process of active communication by means of intercultural dialogue in the process of learning foreign languages, which reproduces the substantive and social content of professional competences in the process of mastering cultural knowledge and communication skills during reproductive, cognitive-exploratory, research and creative activities.
 Tasks, stages, methods of experimental research are characterized. The stages and directions of introduction of the author's model of formation of intercultural competence of higher military educational institutions cadets in the process of foreign language training in accordance with structural components (motivational-value, cognitive-linguistic, communicative-strategic and evaluative-reflexive) are revealed.

The role of intercultural competence, in the relationship between intercultural experiences and creativity among students

We studied the interplay of intercultural competence, intercultural experiences, and creativity among Russian students from Moscow (N = 272). We expected the students from culturally diverse groups, attending the courses on cultural issues, to be more creative. We based our expectation on the idea that cultural diversity and cultural learning are associated with a higher level of intercultural competence that might contribute to students’ creativity. We measured the intercultural experiences by cultural diversity of study groups (a number of foreign students in the groups and the intensity of friendly contacts with them) and by cultural learning (a number of culture-related courses that students attended). We measured creativity by the “Many Instances Game” from the Runco Creativity Assessment Battery (rCAB). We measured intercultural competence by the adapted scale of Fantini and Tirmizi. We discovered positive associations of intercultural experiences in the university with students’ creativity. Such components of intercultural competence as attitudes and skills (the adaptability of behavior), played an important role in the students’ creativity. The attitudes were positive and the skills were negative, related to the creativity. We also revealed that these two components of intercultural competence mediated the relationship between the intercultural experiences and creativity of students. Based on the results, we discussed the factors of the educational environment which may enhance or prohibit creativity.

Developing Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence through Online Learning

In a rapidly globalising world, every modern person needs a sufficient level of intercultural competence (IC). An increasing part of communication is carried out through the online environment, and it becomes more natural to acquire communication skills in it. However, representatives of non-linguistic specialities may not be aware of the importance of this phenomenon. The primary purpose of this research is to identify the attitude of representatives of a non-linguistic speciality to IC through online learning. To collect information, semi-structured interviews were conducted among students of medical and linguistic specialities, for which online learning is practiced. It is crucial to find out how diverse the attitude towards IC is among the representatives of various fields of activity. Bachelor students of state universities took part in the semi-structured interview. All the respondents are in the fourth year of study. The survey included 370 students aged 20-21. The difference in the specialities was one of the most important criteria for selecting respondents. As the results show, representatives of a non-linguistic speciality are indeed less aware and interested in increasing IC in online learning. Several solutions were proposed to solve this problem: increasing interest in interculturalism by spreading information in an educational institution's online environment; teachers’ help to students to develop such a competence; using the online environment; providing additional online materials; participation in international online events and exchange programmes.

RETRACTED: An examination of the effectiveness of virtual reality technology for intercultural competence development

Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) technology as an innovative learning platform in developing intercultural competence, including intercultural knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. The research was based on data from undergraduate STEM students in a first-year technology course at a large public university in the Midwestern U.S. (n = 101). Online questionnaires measuring the universality-diversity dimension, tolerance of ambiguity, intercultural sensitivity, and cultural knowledge were used to collect pre-posttest data pre- and post-intervention. Paired sample t-tests assessing various components of intercultural competence yielded mean score increases from directly before (T1) to two weeks after (T2) the VR intervention. Furthermore, the study tested the specific relationship of participants’ Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) scores to intercultural competence measures. A linear regression revealed that students’ pre-training IDI and cultural knowledge scores were significant predictors of their MGUDS score change, controlling for demographic variables such as gender, ethnicity, international student status, travel, and life history. Since objective measures of knowledge increased while self-report instruments such as the MGUDS showed mean decreases, the VR-based learning environment seems to have encouraged learners to develop a more realistic self-assessment of their level of intercultural competence. Results from this study suggest the importance of immersion (even when mobility is not possible) in developing intercultural competence and the potentials of VR technology in advancing intercultural learning. Implications for research and practice of intercultural competence development are discussed.

First steps towards intercultural education in Vietnam: exploring primary education teachers’ level of intercultural competence (Primeros pasos hacia una educación intercultural en Vietnam: explorando la competencia intercultural de los maestros de primaria)

ABSTRACT Improving teachers’ intercultural competence is one of the keys for successful implementation of intercultural education. This paper explores Vietnamese primary education teachers’ level of intercultural competence as one of the first steps towards intercultural education in this country. The ISS-15 questionnaire was used to collect data from 70 teachers working in different schools and English centres in Hanoi City. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics: one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results show homogeneity although teachers’ backgrounds and working contexts are varied. Teachers show high degrees of interaction engagement and enjoyment as well as respect for cultural differences. However, their levels of interaction confidence and attentiveness are moderate. Our conclusions suggest that teachers need to develop their intercultural competence (IC), especially in terms of practice skills. They demand to implement intercultural education (IE) in Vietnamese schools, as well as to help citizens realize its outstanding role for the necessary socioeconomic changes of the country nowadays.

Impact of Intercultural Educational Space on the Formation of Intercultural Competence of Future Teachers at a Pedagogical Higher Education Institution

The proposed research is directed at studying the impact of the intercultural educational space on the formation of intercultural competence of future teachers at a pedagogical higher education institution. To determine the levels of intercultural development, the authors adopted the Intercultural Maturity Model by P. King and M. Baxter Magolda. Having identified the initial, intermediate, and mature levels of intercultural development, the authors analyze the process of completion to the full development of intercultural competence. Experimental research was conducted in 2019 at the Institute of Pedagogics and Psychology at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University, Ukraine. To conduct the study the authors opened the Intercultural Communication Center, whose activity was aimed at modeling and implementation of intercultural educational space at this university. The participants in this study were 63 future teachers (third-year students of the University). The pedagogical experiment included the following stages: preparation, diagnostics, formation, and control. The authors identified the intercultural orientation of the goals of the educational process and tasks at each stage. The following methods were used: analysis, survey, interview, conversation, methods of observation. During the pedagogical experiment, attention was focused on the formation of students’ intercultural abilities according to the content and structure of intercultural competence. The study showed a redistribution of respondents in groups – a significant decrease in the percentage of students on the Initial Development Level (the difference is 55.6%) and an increase on the Intermediate Development Level (the difference is 20.6%) and Mature Development Level (the difference is 34.9%). Statistics allow us to assert the significant dynamics of changes in group indicators by levels of intercultural competence at the beginning and end of the study. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the creation of the intercultural educational space at the higher education institution has a positive effect on the process of intercultural competence formation.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME ON THE UDMURT LANGUAGE AND CULTURE FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN A POLYETHNIC REGION

The paper discusses the issues of teaching nationality languages of Russia to preschool children, taking the Udmurt language and culture as an example. The relevance of the study is dermined by the scientific data according to which ethnic stereotypes in behaviour are formed most intensively in preschool age. Getting acquainted with new cultures and languages is particularly important for preschool education in multinational regions as it prevents the development of ethnocentric personalities. The paper aimed at a detailed analysis of the didactic and substantive content of the educational programme “Zarni bugor” (“Golden ball”) (hereinafter referred as the Programme) with the elements of teaching the Udmurt language to children from 4 to 7; the Programme is to be realised within three years in the Russian group of kindergarten № 5 in the town of Agryz, Republic of Tatarstan. The novelty of the Programme lies in introducing the Udmurt language (along with Tatar and Russian) into the educational process of the kindergarten. The research methods are theoretical (the study of academic literature on the problems of intercultural education in a multi-ethnic region) and empirical (observation and behavioral analysis of preschoolers). The system of exercises included into the Programme, its content, the forms and methods of teaching preschoolers present a consistant didactic material for teaching the Udmurt language and culture in this age group. The programme is expected to provide a high level of intercultural competence corresponding to the age of children, it is supposed to arouse their interest in the Udmurt language and culture, make them open for perception of other cultures.

Comparison of pre-intervention IDI results from STEM and non-STEM undergraduate students

The emphasis on intercultural competence is more prevalent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors as the world shifts towards a more globalized economy. When entering higher education, students have differing levels of cultural interaction due to varying peer interaction, family experiences, international travel, and social media experiences. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) has been used to develop an understanding of how students view others and the level of skills they have to interact and adapt to other cultures. Using published data focused on pre-intervention assessment, researchers compared it to data obtained from STEM students preparing for an international experience and studies that already exist to learn more about both student populations and to gain an appreciation of their cultural competencies. As institutions look to prepare their students for jobs in a global workplace, an understanding of where STEM students place according to the IDI in comparison to their non-STEM peers may aid educators wishing to focus on developing these skills in their students. The results of the comparison between Purdue STEM students and other non-STEM students showed STEM students fell into more ethnocentric levels of intercultural competence. This may be explained by the traditionally male-dominated nature of STEM majors, as males have been shown to fall in more ethnocentric orientations.

Developing the intercultural competence of early childhood preservice teachers: preparing teachers for culturally diverse classrooms

ABSTRACT This research reports on studies conducted in two early childhood education (ECE) teacher preparation programs focused on increasing preservice teachers’ intercultural competence through intercultural teaching and learning and diverse US and international field experiences. Study 1 took place at a large U.S. Midwestern university with the first cohort (n = 43) of preservice teachers to have completed the revised internationally focused program. Study 2 took place at a midsized rural university in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region with preservice teachers (n = 9) who completed an eight-month university-led program with Nepal field experience. The researchers used the same instrument to measure preservice teachers’ intercultural sensitivity – the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) – before and after completion of the respective programs. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for the analysis of the IDI scores of participants; paired samples t-test yielded individual and composite results. IDI pre and post results showed statistically significant increases in the composite scores for preservice teachers’ levels of intercultural competence for most participants. Attributes of movement away from trivializing other cultures and toward recognizing cultural similarities, appreciation of and curiosity about cultural differences, and the ability to interpret phenomena taking place in a cultural context became evident.

The intercultural competence of a new Ukrainian school teacher as an important factor of effective pedagogical activity

The article substantiates the urgency of the problem of increasing the level of intercultural competence of teachers of the new Ukrainian school in the conditions of diversity of the ethno-cultural space. The multifunctionality and many dimensions of the teacher's intercultural competence have been proved; structural components and criteria for determining their formation are substantiated: value-ethical (value attitude to pedagogical activity, understanding of peculiarities of ethno-cultural communities, worldview position, adherence to ethical norms of pedagogical activity, person / child-centrism); theoretical-cognitive (special professional knowledge, ability to think (thinking), intellectual ability); personality-psychological (professionally important qualities of the personality - attentiveness, observability, sensitivity to the emotional state of the interlocutor, empathy, emotional stability, altruism, consistency, justice, demandingness); linguistic and communicative (linguistic, communicative, cultural, personality listening and hearing, tolerance, tact); procedural activity (mastery of teaching methods, skills and competences, organizational abilities, speed of reaction and decision making, responsiblity, capacity for reflection and self-improvement). The vision of the teacher's intercultural competence as a special integrative internal education is defined, which ensures the teacher's readiness for the professional activity in the conditions of modern ethno-cultural diversity of the educational environment and is based on humanistic, moral-ethical, spiritual values, epistemological and philosophical positions. The question of formation of the intercultural competence of teachers in higher education institutions and its improvement in institutions of postgraduate pedagogical education is considered in the context of ideas of self-education, self-development on the basis of fundamental approaches: systemic; cultural; the ways and methods of increasing the effectiveness of pedagogical activities are outlined. It is also noted, that the level of development of the intercultural competence of specialists’ personality not only increases the efficiency of their professional activity in Ukraine, but also increases the likelihood of labor migration of highly-qualified specialists. The ways of minimizing, if not preventing, the brain drain, labor migration from our Ukraine in connection with the processes of civilization globalization of the world space are offered

THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE ON WORK PRODUCTIVITY OF VOLUNTEERS IN RESPECT TO AGE AND LENGTH IN VOLUNTEERING

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of emotional intelligence and intercultural competence on the effectiveness of volunteer work with respect to the age and length of volunteering. 174 volunteers who have volunteered or are volunteering under the Erasmus + European Voluntary Service participated in the survey. The results of the study are presented as answers to the following problematic questions: Does higher emotional intelligence and higher intercultural competence increase the effectiveness of volunteer work? Does intercultural competence increase due to higher emotional intelligence? Do older volunteers have higher intercultural competence and higher emotional intelligence? Do volunteers with greater volunteering experience have higher intercultural competence and emotional intelligence? Do people with longer volunteering experience at the European Voluntary Service (EVS) have a higher level of intercultural competence and emotional intelligence? Based on the results of the study, factors that have a significant impact on the productivity of internationally active volunteers were identified.

Assessing intercultural competence (IC) of state junior high school English teachers in Yogyakarta

Intercultural competence (IC) is a concept which has gained importance in recent years. It seems to be transparent, accepted as well as used both in formal and informal situations. This concept can be defined as an individual’s capability to communicate effectively and appropriately with other people who have different cultures, norms, and values. In order for a person to be labeled as an intercultural speaker with intercultural competence, s/he should have the competence of intercultural attitude, skill, and knowledge. However, this competence has not been noticed and assessed comprehensively inside and outside academia, particularly in the setting of English language teaching. Hence, this study aims to assess and determine the level of intercultural competence of state junior high school English teachers in Yogyakarta. This study involved 260 participants taken using cluster random sampling from the whole population of 790 state junior high school English teachers. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire. Afterward, the data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Kruskal Wallis test along with prerequisite of normality. This study revealed that the level of IC of state junior high school English teachers in Yogyakarta was high. Moreover, it has been found that their level of intercultural attitude (IA), intercultural skill (IS), and intercultural knowledge (IK) were categorized as high. In other words, these results indicate that the state junior high school English teachers in Yogyakarta have a capability to mingle with diverse people using a language effectively and appropriately. Importantly, this study showed that there were no significant differences in their IC level according to where they teach in four districts and one city. These mean that the locations where they teach do not affect their level of intercultural competence.

Attitudes towards People and Things from Other Cultures (APTOC): Development of a Scale that Measures Intercultural Competence of Syrians Who Reside in Germany

The aim of the study was to develop and validate a scale that measures the level of intercultural competence of Syrians who reside in Germany in order to shed light on patterns and behaviours that are practiced by them in a different culture. The starting point was Cushner’s 32-item Inventory of Cross-cultural Sensitivity, which in its original form includes 5 subscales. Based on Cushner’s ICCS, a 20-item scale, here referred to as Attitudes towards People and Things from Other Cultures (APTOC), was constructed and tested with 308 respondents. After factor and internal consistency analyses, the 20-item scale APTOC was reduced to a 15-item scale consisting of 3 subscales, namely Openness to Other Cultures (5 items, alpha = .73), Global Mindset (5 items, alpha = .83) and Narrow Mindset (5 items, alpha = .70). It is recommended to conduct similar procedures following the same approach when choosing a different population than Syrians who reside in a European nation.

ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНІ АСПЕКТИ ФОРМУВАННЯ МІЖКУЛЬТУРНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ ФАХІВЦІВ БОЙОВОГО ТА ОПЕРАТИВНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЗА КОРДОНОМ

The article deals with the organizational aspects of formation of intercultural competence of future specialists of combat and operational support abroad. The basic forms, methods and teaching techniques of these specialists are analyzed. The problem of formation of intercultural competence of future servicemen is relevant in their professional training, not only in Ukraine, but in the process of training these specialists from other countries. The method of analysis and generalization was used for theoretical substantiation of organizational aspects of formation of intercultural competence of mentioned specialists. At the present stage, there is widespread cooperation between military experts from NATO member countries within peacekeeping missions and joint exercises. The level of intercultural competence of future military specialists in foreign countries should be high. Servicemen must have certain ability, knowledge and skills. For this purpose, certain methods of teaching, forms of organization and teaching techniques are used in the educational process abroad. So, intercultural competence of future specialists of combat and operational support is defined as a set of knowledge, skills and abilities that help them to conduct effectively their professional activities and communicate freely with partners of other cultures under conditions of international integration and on the basis of understanding and respect. Intercultural competence is a significant component of the professional competence of future specialists of combat operational support, because it is based on a set of key, linguistic, sociocultural and discursive competencies. The key characteristics of intercultural competence are: multifunctionality, supersubjectiveness, interdisciplinarity, multidimensionality, consideration of diverse thought processes and intellectual skills. Components of intercultural competence of future specialists of combat operational support are: language skills: lexical, grammatical, spelling, etc.; multicultural knowledge; cognitive knowledge and skills; ability to analyze the speech situation; the ability to control their actions during communication, in particular, the ability to overcome fear; etc.

The Relationship Between Intercultural Interactions At University And The Creativity Of Russian Students: The Role Of Intercultural Competence

This research studies the relationship between home country intercultural experience, intercultural and creativity among Russian students. We assume that students from culturally heterogeneous groups or/and students having a course dedicated to intercultural issues are more creative, as cultural diversity and cultural learning are associated with a higher level of intercultural competence, and intercultural may be positively related to creativity. The sample of the first study included 72 students and the sample of the second study included 272 students of HSE University. Creativity was measured by the indicators of creative thinking (fluency, flexibility, and originality) via Many instances game from the creativity test battery of Runco; intercultural was measured using Assessment of intercultural competence of Fantini & Tirmizi. Home country intercultural experience was operationalized via the presence of students from other countries in the study groups and via the inclusion of a Cross-Cultural Psychology course in the students’ curriculum. The results of the first study show that cultural learning in the home country institution leads to higher levels of creativity, while the cultural heterogeneity of the groups is associated with an increase in creativity only when cultural learning was applied. The results of the second study show such components of intercultural as attitudes and the adaptability of behavior play an important role in the creativity of Russian students: attitudes are positively and the adaptability of behavior is negatively related to creativity.

METHODICAL APPROACHES OF THE INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FORMATION OF FUTURE ECONOMISTS

The paper represents the results of conducted experiments on the formation of intercultural competence among undergraduate economics students of Kazan Federal University (Russia). Aimed at describing the advantages of the intercultural competence formation approach, the article focuses on the evidence of competence-based approach’s effectiveness in the formation of intercultural competence. The business games, projects, discussions, brainstorming, and simulation games were used as the methods of the formation of the intercultural competence. Both a linguistic and a cultural components have become increasingly important in the personality of an international level modern economist. In addition to knowledge in the professional field, future economist needs to possess cultural, sociocultural knowledge and skills that allow him to adequately represent himself in situations of intercultural communication. This problem is widely discussed these days due to the active growth of theoretical and practical interest in issues of intercultural communication. The introduction of a two-level education system (bachelor's and master's degrees) in Russia entails a considerable number of changes, including creating courses related to the world economy in a foreign language. These programs must be compiled in accordance with the federal state standards of the generation 3+ and must be implemented in the professional training of future economists at the Institute of Management, Economics and Finance of the KFU. Hence, there is a need to increase the level of intercultural competence of future specialists in the economy field and the need for pedagogical theory and practice in the formation of intercultural competence of students in the process of teaching a foreign language at a university.

Perceptions of intercultural competence and institutional intercultural inclusiveness among first year medical students: a 4-year study

BackgroundThis study sought to examine the awareness/perception of intercultural competence and institutional intercultural inclusiveness among first year students at an Australian medical school over four consecutive years (2014–2017); to identify existing gaps in the curriculum and proffer recommendations.MethodsThe study employed an adapted 20-item questionnaire for data collection. The reliability and interrelations of the survey items were examined. Descriptive statistics was used to examine students’ perceptions, while Mann-U Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess items scores in relation to participant characteristics.ResultsOver the 4 years of study, there were 520 respondents with between 53 to 69% response rates per year. Cronbach’s alpha for the instrument was 0.88 and factor analysis showed all items loading strongly on two components. Participants’ mean score on self-reported intercultural competence levels ranged from 3.8–4.6 out of 5; indicating relatively high awareness, valuing and understanding of cultural differences among this group of students. However, their mean scores (3.4–4.2) for institutional intercultural inclusiveness were slightly lower.ConclusionThe instrument used in this study is effective in assessing level of intercultural competence among medical students. However, the results highlight the need for increased institutional support and professional development for faculty members to foster institutional intercultural inclusiveness.

The Differences between the Military Field and the Civilian Fields in Terms of Intercultural Competence

Abstract This study aimed at investigating significant differences in the level of intercultural competence of students before attending an internship of international mobility by the intermediary of the Erasmus Plus program, depending on their field of study. The three areas of study that imply the students attending the research are: military, exact science and humanities. The research was processed by a questionnaire measuring the level of intercultural competence, the items being structured on the three dimensions of intercultural competence: knowledge, attitudes and abilities. The results indicate that significant differences exist only at the level of the attitude’s component, the highest average being registered for the field of exact sciences.