Intercultural competencies of students vs. their civic activities (Case of Georgia)

Abstract

The research highlighted the correlation of the intercultural competencies of middle school students in Georgia with their civic activities and levels of integration, as well as the factors contributing to the development of relevant competencies of students at the formal educational level. In particular, interactive learning contributes to the development of intercultural competencies in students and the integration of different cultural groups, their involvement in the decision-making process, in taking initiatives, and so on. This experience gained in the learning process helps the student to develop the skills needed for an active citizen. The analysis of the research results also revealed: (a) knowledge of different cultures by students and recognition of diversity are in a positive correlation with their willingness to engage, appreciate and take into account different opinions when making decisions; (b) the advantage of the experience gained through informal communication compared with the formal one over the development of students’ intercultural and civic competencies in a diverse school environment; (c) low benchmark of intercultural competence and civic activism in monocultural settings, especially in non-Georgian-speaking school students, which is caused by solitariness of minority communities, insufficient knowledge of state language, and less access to the media. The research confirmed that the intercultural and civic competencies of students are mostly influenced by the cultural characteristics of the living and school environments. The role of formal teaching is relatively minor in the process of successful civic integration of culturally diverse students.

Keywords

• intercultural competence
• civic competence
• school culture
• formal education