The Effectiveness of Intercultural Sensitivity Development Activities Integrated With Scientific Research Methods Course

Abstract

It can be said that effective development of intercultural sensitivity depends on the regulations and practices in the curriculum. Integrated program implementations are seen as one of the ways of regulation. In the study, a nested integration model was used in a single discipline. In this context, scientific research methods are considered as a discipline, and the achievements of this discipline and intercultural sensitivity development activities are integrated. Understanding different cultures correctly and not being prejudiced are very important for the development of intercultural sensitivity. Scientific research methods course provides students with scientific attitudes and behaviors. In this course, it is thought that students will be able to develop sensitivity by examining different cultures with scientific attitudes and behaviors. In this context, it is aimed to reveal the effectiveness of intercultural sensitization development activities integrated with scientific research methods course gains. The quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and a control group was used in the study. The study group comprised of 86 second-grade students in the English Teacher Training Department. In order to measure the intercultural sensitivities of the students before and after the test procedure, the five-point likert type "Intercultural Sensitivity Scale" developed by Chen and Starosta and adapted to Turkish by Bulduk, Tosun and Ardıç was used as data collection tool. It is concluded that the curriculum of scientific research methods integrated with intercultural sensitivity development activities is effective in developing students' intercultural sensitivities.

Effects of Learner Variables on Chinese Bilingual Undergraduates’ Intercultural Sensitivity and Effectiveness

“…Another limitation was that the results were solely based on quantitative data, while qualitative data could have helped explore more specific details about the participants' intercultural sensitivity and effectiveness, and how the affective variables affected their intercultural sensitivity and effectiveness. Moreover, as discussed in [51,65], intercultural competence is a developmental process, as are intercultural sensitivity and effectiveness. Hence, longitudinal studies are called for to better understand the developmental trajectories in intercultural sensitivity, effectiveness, and communication, which also enable researchers to explore which factors affect development during the process [6].…”

From theory to practice: Jewish and Arabs students in academia practice multicultural education

“…Higher education institutes should intentionally create learning components that enable contact between different groups. This purpose can be achieved through the creation of a shared learning environment within academic courses in higher education institutions (Banks and Banks, 2020; Cavanaugh, 2015; Tuncel, 2019), or through various specially-designed multicultural education courses attended by students from different cultures within the existing academic learning programmes (Furcsa, 2009). Such courses should be based on creative, effective pedagogy, combining content with process to develop reflective thinking and problem-solving skills (Nieto and Bode, 2018), to improve students' critical thinking skills and to promote tolerant values and attitudes (Aslan and Aybek, 2020).…”