Cultural Competence and Its Influence on the Teaching and Learning of International Students
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CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Claudia P. Nieto A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2008 Committee: Margaret Zoller Booth, Advisor Patricia Kubow Sheri Wells-Jensen © 2008 Claudia P. Nieto All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Margaret Zoller Booth, Advisor The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which one’s level of cultural competence impacts the teaching and learning process for both instructors and students at the university level. Specifically, this study examined whether there is a difference in the level of intercultural sensitivity between university instructors and ESL students, whether ESL instructors and non-ESL instructors vary in their levels of intercultural sensitivity, and the extent to which gender impacts cultural competence. Finally, an investigation was conducted to explore the relationships between the instructors’ level of intercultural sensitivity and the challenges they face in instructing international students, in addition to the relationship between students’ level of intercultural sensitivity and the challenges they face while pursuing a college degree in the United States. A mixed methodology, using Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (Chen & Starosta) found that instructors in this university reported a higher level of intercultural sensitivity than college students at the same institution; a significant difference between ESL instructors and non-ESL instructors in the area of interaction engagement was revealed; and, that females scored higher than males. Finally, while instructors revealed that culture and language were the challenges most faced in teaching international students, those same students did not reveal them to be significant challenges. iv Dedication: This is dedicated to my loving mom, dad, family and friends. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the many friends, relatives, and supporters who have made this happen. Dr. Margaret Booth for her patience and support, Dr. Patricia Kubow, Dr. Sheri Wells- Jensen, Dr. Timothy Jurkovac, Jeffrey Jurkovac, Annette de Nicker, Esther García-Tió, Mandy Miller, Andrea Van Vorhis, Dr. Erin Curran, Bill and Karen Thompson, professors and classmates in my classes at BGSU, colleagues in the office, and all the participants who helped me by participating in this study. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .... ....................................................................................................... 1 LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................................................. 4 Cultural Competence............................................................................................. 4 Teaching Students from Various Cultures.............................................................. 9 Teaching Implications for a Second Language Classroom ..................................... 11 Gender Factors ...................................................................................................... 13 Language Acquisition............................................................................................ 14 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 18 Site Selection and Description ............................................................................... 18 Participants ....................................................................................................... 19 Data Sources ....................................................................................................... 20 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................... 22 RESULTS .................................................................................................. 23 Levels of Intercultural Sensitivity ......................................................................... 23 Understanding the Challenges of Teaching............................................................ 24 Teachers’ Perceptions ................................................................................ 24 Students’ Perceptions................................................................................. 27 Understanding the Challenges of Learning ............................................................ 28 Teachers’ Perceptions ................................................................................ 28 Students’ Perceptions................................................................................. 30 vii DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 32 Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................ 36 Future Studies ....................................................................................................... 37 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 40 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 42 APPENDIX A. CONSENT LETTER................................................................................ 45 APPENDIX B. INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY SCALE (teacher survey).................. 47 APPENDIX C. INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY SCALE (student survey).................. 49 APPENDIX D. TABLE 1: INTERCULTURAL SENSITVITY SCALE: ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ....................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX E. TABLES OF CORRELATIONS .............................................................. 52 Table D1: Teachers’ Correlations .......................................................................... 52 Table D2: Students’ Correlations........................................................................... 52 1 INTRODUCTION Students who come from non-English speaking countries face challenges in American schools and colleges because of their lack of language proficiency and the socio-cultural differences they encounter. Therefore, continuous exchange with other cultures in the United States is necessary for teachers to be better equipped to instruct a culturally and diverse student population. It is in the hands of formal education, as the institution most influential in acculturation to improve the ability to broaden the spectrum of cross-cultural awareness. However, in order to do this, teachers must first be culturally aware and sensitive to their various students’ cultural needs. As a result of cross-cultural and language differences, teachers and students must understand each other in order to achieve an optimum level of learning. As an example, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States is the Hispanic American population. This population is predicted to increase from 15% of the 2007 school aged population to 25% by the year 2050 (Bollin, 2007, p. 177). The basis for the increase is primarily reflected in the number of immigrants as a result of economic and political needs. Immigrant children arrive with parents who are unfamiliar with the American school system. For this reason, it is vitally important that teachers develop the skills necessary to assist with cultural sensitivity, the understanding of the challenges of second language acquisition, and a commitment to helping children and parents feel a sense of self worth and welcome. For teachers, it is important to focus on the improvement of different skills involved in the learning of a second language and also to be sensitive to the culturally different student in their classroom. At the university level in the United States, for example, students are supposed to possess a high level of language competence; that is to say students must manage the language 2 with competence in all aspects (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Normally a test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required as a means to demonstrate that the students’ ability in English is at the college level. Nevertheless, when foreign students are in a classroom, language and cultural interaction becomes extra challenging. In order to be effective in dealing with other cultures, people must be willing to adapt to new situations, to respect others’ ways of approaching the world. With a continued influx of international students, studies of how teachers create a cultural sensitivity practice must be done since they contribute to a responsible pedagogy that empowers diverse students by simultaneously cultivating their culture, individual abilities, and academic success. Previous research has identified intercultural sensitivity as central to the role of education and improving relationships cross culturally (Hammer et al., 2003). Thus, research must be conducted investigating the effectiveness of instructors in teaching foreign students with limited English proficiency (LEP), including the effectiveness of their own cultural competence and to measure its impact on international students. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between cultural competence and the teaching and learning of international students. Consequently, our question becomes: to what extent does one’s level of cultural competence impact the teaching and learning process for both