Intercultural Sensitivity as an Indicator to Determine the Level of Intercultural Competence among Graduate Students in the College of Education – Kuwait University

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor - Department of Educational Origins, Faculty of Education - University of Coyte

2 Associate Lecturer - Department of Education Assets - Faculty of Education - University of Coyte

Abstract

      This descriptive comparative research aimed to measure the degree of intercultural sensitivity as an indicator to determine the level of intercultural competence among graduate students in the College of Education – Kuwait University. For data collection, researchers translated and used the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) that consisted of five domains: (Interaction involvement – Respect of cultural differences – Interaction confidence – Interaction enjoyment – Interaction attentiveness). A number of (128) graduate students enrolled in the program of master of education at the College of Education during spring (2017/2018) participated in this research. Descriptive and nonparametric statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Results showed that: (1) overall, participants had medium degree of intercultural sensitivity; and (2) gender, major, travel, and relations with other cultures were found to have significant effects on the degree of intercultural sensitivity among participants. Results were discussed within the social and cultural context of where this research was conducted. Recommendations and implications for future research were included.

References

  1.  

    1. Adler, R. B., & Towne, N. (1993). Looking in/looking out. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
    2. Alred, C., Byram, M., & Fleming, M. (2003). Intercultural experience and education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
    3. Altshuler, L., Sussman, N., & Kachur, E. (2003). Assessing changes in intercultural sensitivity among physician trainees using the intercultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural relations, 27, 387-401.
    4. Aydin, H. (2012). Multicultural education curriculum development in Turkey. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 3(3), 277-286.
    5. Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education (pp. 62-77). Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation. 
    6. Bhawuk, D. P., & Brislin, R. (1992). The measurement of intercultural sensitivity using the concepts of individualism and collectivism. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16, 413-436.
    7. Bullock, D. (2004). Moving from theory to practice: An examination of the factors that preservice teachers encounter as the attempt to gain experience teaching with technology during field placement experiences. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 12(2), 211–237.
    8. Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (1996). Intercultural communication competence: A synthesis. Communication Yearbook, 19, 353-383.  
    9. Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural communication sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3, 1-15.
    10. Chisholm, I. M. (1994). Preparing teachers for multicultural classrooms. The Journal of Education Issues of Language Minority Students, 14, 43-68.
    11. Chou, H. (2007). Multicultural teacher education: Toward  a culturally responsible pedagogy. Essays in Education, 21, 139-162. 
    12. Chory, R., & Hubbell, A. (2008). Organizational justice and managerial trust as predictors of antisocial employee responses. Communication Quarterly, 56(4), 357-375. 
    13. Cohen, E. (2004). Contemporary tourism: Diversity and change. Boston: Elsevier.
    14. Cushner, K. (1986). Human diversity in action: Developing multicultural competencies for the classroom. New York: McGraw-Hill.
    15. Deardorff, D. K. (2000). The identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization at institutions of higher education in the United States. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10, 241-26.
    16. Demir, S., & Kiran, E. S. (2016). An analysis of intercultural sensitivity and ethnocentrism levels of teacher candidates. Anthropologist, 25(12), 17-23.
    17. Dolnicar, S., Grun, B., Leisch, F., & Rossiter, J. (2011). Three good reasons not to use five and seven point Likert items. Paper presented at the 21st CAUTHE National Conference, Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1821&context=commpapers
    18. Fritz, W., Graf, A., Hentze, J., Möllenberg, A., & Chen, G. M. (2005). An examination of Chen and Starosta’s model of intercultural sensitivity in Germany and United States. Intercultural Communication Studies, 14(1), 53-64. 
    19. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.
    20. Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
    21. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligences: Why it can matter more than IQ. London: Bloomsbury.
    22. Graf, A. (2004a). Screening and training intercultural competencies: Evaluating the impact of national culture on intercultural competencies. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(6), 1124-1148.
    23. Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27(4), 421-443.
    24. Hart, R. P., Carlson, R. E., & Eadie, W. F. (1980). Attitudes toward communication and the assessment of rhetorical sensitivity. Communication Monographs, 47, 1-22.
    25. Hiller, G. G., & Wozniak, M. (2009). Developing an intercultural competence programme at an international cross-border university. Intercultural Education, 20(4), 113-124.
    26. Hoopes, D. S. (1981). Intercultural communication concepts and the psychology of intercultural experience. In M. D. Pusch (Ed.), Multicultural education: A cross-cultural training approach (pp. 211-240). Chicago: Intercultural Press.
    27. Kim, Y. Y. (2004). Long-term cross-cultural adaptation. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett, & M. J. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training (3rd ed., pp. 337–362). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
    28. Klak,T., & Martin, P. (2003). Do university-sponsored international cultural events help students to appreciate differences? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 445-465.
    29. Lonner, W. J., & Hayes, S. A. (2004). Understanding the cognitive and social aspects of intercultural competence. In R. J. Sternberg & E. L. Grigorenko (Eds.), Culture and competence: Contexts of life success (pp. 89-110). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
    30. Matveev, A. V. (2002). The perception of intercultural communication competence by American and Russian managers with experience on multicultural teams (published doctoral dissertation). Ohio: Ohio University Press.
    31. McMurray, A. A. (2007). Measuring intercultural sensitivity of international and domestic college students: The impact of international travel (published doctoral dissertation). Florida, University of Florida. Retrieved from: http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/02/12/39/00001/mcmurray_a.pdf
    32. Neuliep, J. W., & McCroskey, J. (1997). The development of a U.S. and generalized ethnocentrism scale. Communication Research Reports, 14(4), 385-398.
    33. Ofer, G., & Durban, Y. (1999). Curiosity: Reflections on its nature and functions. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 53(1), 35-51.
    34. Olson, C. L., & Kroeger, K. R. (2001). Global competency and intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Studies in International Education, 5(2), 116-137.
    35. Omohundro, J. T. (2008). Thinking like an anthropologist: A practical introduction to cultural anthropology. New York: McGraw Hill
    36. Papadopoulos, I., Tilki, M., & Taylor, G., (1998b) Transcultural care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia: F.A. Davies.
    37. Penbek, S., Yurdakul, D., & Cerit, A. G. (2012). Intercultural communication competence: A study about the intercultural sensitivity of university students based on their education and international experiences. Logistics System and Management, 11,(2), 232-252.
    38. Richmond, V. P., McCroskey, J. C., & McCroskey, L. L. (2005). Organizational communication for survival: Making work, work. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
    39. Sarwari, A. Q., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2017). Study of the relationship between intercultural sensitivity and intercultural communication competence among international postgraduate students: A case study at University Malaysia Pahang. Cogent Social Sciences, 3,(1), 1-11. 
    40. Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A triarchic theory of human intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press.
    41. Straffon, D. A. (2003). Assessing the intercultural sensitivity of high school students attending an international school. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27(4), 487-501.
    42. Tamam, E. (2010). Examining Chen and Starosta’s model of intercultural sensitivity in a multicultural collectivistic country. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 39, 178-183
    43. Ting-Toomey, S. (2005). Identity negotiation theory: Crossing cultural boundaries. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication, (pp. 210-233). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
    44. Wiseman, R. L. (2003). Intercultural communication competence. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Cross-cultural and intercultural communication (pp. 191-208). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
    45. Yuen, C. Y. M., &  Grossman, D. L. (2009). The intercultural sensitivity of student teachers in three cities. A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 39(3), 349-365. 
    46. Yurtseven, N., & Altun, S. (2015). Intercultural sensitivity in today’s global classes: Teacher candidates’ perceptions. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 2(1), 49-54.

     

     

     

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics