Intercultural competence for students in international joint master programmes

Abstract

The paper reports on the study focused on the identification of intercultural competence (IC) related learning needs of students enrolled in Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees. International joint master programmes pose multiple intercultural challenges for students (and those working with them). Such programmes, therefore, present a unique opportunity for IC development, given appropriate pedagogical support. Limited research on the students' learning needs specifically related to intercultural competence in this context has been undertaken prior to the current study. 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, graduates, academics and administrative staff from four Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees. Data on the context and nature of intercultural challenges faced by students was analysed and synthesised using thematic analysis. The main finding reported are intercultural challenges faced (their nature and context) and the IC learning needs elements. IC elements identified were structured around the IC building blocks (knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes-KASA elements), and emerging elements of supporting capacities (intercultural critical reflection and intercultural emotional intelligence) and meta-capacity (developing IC). The paper proposes an IC theoretical model for this particular target group. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of IC through confirming the KASA perspective from previous research and further developing the understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of IC by linking the supporting and meta-capacities as relevant considerations. The findings contribute to the practice of developing IC and related training and support for students, firstly in the joint degrees context but also for other educational programs involving international mobility. The study reported formed a part of the Erasmus Mundus Intercultural Competence (EMIC) project funded by the European Commission.

A Quantitative Assessment of Japanese Students’ Intercultural Competence Developed Through Study Abroad Programs

“…study abroad programs have on students. These components are exemplified by interculturality (Jackson, 2018), cultural resistance (Lemmons, 2015), independence and self-confidence (Walsh & Walsh, 2018), cultural competency (Hermond, Vairezm, & Tanner, 2018), awareness of cultural diversity (Wooldridge, Peet, & Meyer, 2018), intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2009;Yarosha, Lukic, & Santibáñez-Gruber, 2018), self-efficacy and cultural intelligence (Nguyen, Jefferies, & Rojas, 2018), contact with host-society (Matera, Imai, & Pinzic, 2018;Rodriguez & Chornet-Roses, 2014), cultural adjustment (Basow & Gaugler, 2017) and acculturation process (Lee & Negrelli, 2018). This study differs from these existing studies by using a different perspective to focus on the impact of study abroad programs on developing one's intercultural competence.…”

Learning the Language of Instruction in Ukraine: International Students’ Attitudes

“…Four main topics are discussed from the quantitative survey findings: organisation of educational process, attitudes towards learning the Ukrainian language, students' satisfaction with the result of learning the Ukrainian language, and the difficulties that can affect the quality of language acquisition. Other authors were more interested in class participation and identity construction in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms (Lin, 2018), acculturation, language and learning experiences of international students (Mitchell, Del Fabbro, & Shaw, 2017), intercultural competence (Yarosh, Lukic, & Santibáñez-Gruber, 2018), etc.…”

Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK

“…In line with these findings, Peters (2010), Robertson et al (2000), and Yarosha et al (2018) argued that international students studying in foreign cultures are often confronted with linguistic challenges, which in many cases, negatively affect their academic performance.…”

“…One of the lofty objectives of HE is to develop students and make them complete human beings (Braskamp et al, 2009). Learning and development in HE is not only concerned with the academic and intellectual development of students, but also their intercultural competency/global learning and their moral, social, and physical 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 Colleges and Universities, 2007;Musil, 2006;Yarosha et al, 2018;Cao et al, 2018). It has been argued that this holistic focus is the added value of HE, particularly in the UK (Braskamp et al, 2009).…”