Interculturally competent teachers: behavioural dimensions and the role of study abroad

Abstract

Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC) is essential for teaching in increasingly diverse primary schools. However, research has not sufficiently addressed the meaning and development of ITC, including whether study abroad during teacher education contributes to the dimensions included. Therefore, this study seeks to determine which dimensions of ITC the respondent teachers report and whether there is a difference in ITC between teachers with or without study abroad experience. Survey data from 155 Dutch primary school teachers measure dimensions of ITC selected from prior literature, of which five can be measured reliably. Furthermore, compared with teachers without study abroad experience, teachers with such experience score significantly higher on the ITC dimensions of openness and storytelling.

Keywords

• Intercultural teaching competence
• primary schools
• diversity
• teacher education
• study abroad