Browsing by Subject "Intercultural Sensitivity"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Assessing the intercultural sensitivity of elementary teachers in bilingual schools in a Texas school district.
    (2009-03) Bayles, Peggy Porterfield
    This study explored the intercultural sensitivity of 233 elementary teachers working in five bilingual schools in an urban Texas school district. The purpose of the study was to assess teachers' intercultural sensitivity and to determine whether there were differences in intercultural sensitivity in terms of certain demographic and background variables related to their intercultural experience. A quantitative, non-experimental design was used for the study. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), version 2, a psychometrically valid instrument based on the Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), was used to measure intercultural sensitivity. A seven-item demographic and background information sheet was used to gather the information needed to determine whether the dependent variables (IDI developmental and scale scores) differed for teacher groups in terms of the independent variables: gender, age, level of education, years living in a bicultural setting, years teaching in schools, years teaching ethnically diverse students, and years teaching in a bilingual classroom. The IDI results revealed a mean developmental score of 95.09 for the group of teachers. This score placed the teachers in Minimization, an ethnocentric stage on the DMIS. This suggests that while the group of teachers may have a familiarity with different cultures and be aware of differences in cultural patterns such as values, beliefs, and communication styles, they may minimize student cultural differences and apply universal values and principles in their educational practice. The results also indicated a significant difference between the mean developmental score for teacher groups examined for two of the variables: years teaching in schools and years teaching ethnically diverse students. For both of these variables, the group of teachers with over 10 years experience had a higher mean developmental score than the group of teachers with fewer years experience. There were no significant differences in the scores between teacher groups for the other variables: living in a bicultural setting, years teaching in a bilingual classroom, age, gender, or level of education.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors influencing the ways students develop intercultural sensitivity at an international school in China
    (2019-08) Hibbeln, Michael
    The purpose of this study was to examine high school teacher, parent, and student views of factors influencing the development of student intercultural sensitivity at an international school in China. Evidenced by the growth of K-12 international schools around the world, an intercultural education appears to be of value to an increasing number of families. Eleven teachers, 11 parents, and 16 students, for a total of 38 participants were interviewed, through seven structured focus group interviews and four individual follow-up interviews to explore themes related to this study’s four research questions. From this qualitative study, themes emerged indicating a unique set of both individual and institutional factors converging in schools that influence the development of student intercultural sensitivity. Teachers, parents and students indicate that intercultural sensitivity is developed through significant immersion experiences and interactions with others from different cultures. Individual factors influencing intercultural sensitivity are related to parents, contact with one’s home culture, diverse friends, motivation, family intercultural experiences, second language ability and student technology use. Institutional factors influencing student intercultural sensitivity are organizational policies, natural unforced activities such as co-curricular activities, school community events, a diverse teaching staff, and student body, contact with host culture through class trips, the International Baccalaureate framework, and language classes. Findings lend support to Bennett’s (1993) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) and that an international school environment fosters the development of intercultural sensitivity.