The theory and practice of developing intercultural competence with pre-service teachers on-campus and abroad

ABSTRACT

This article describes the theory and practice of three education courses focusing on critical multicultural education. Two versions of the course take place on the campus of a small liberal arts university in the Midwest region of the United States and the other is based at the same university but operates as a study abroad course in Trinidad and Tobago. Each course offers rich and challenging critical elements of multicultural education. This article describes the development of the curriculum and the strategies involved in the execution of these courses. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and corresponding Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC) were used to assist in personalized instruction for students, along with Rogerian principles of personal growth and Freire’s notion of praxis: action and reflection. Students’ comments are included, highlighting the power of these courses. Recommendations are given for providing a more immersive and personalized education in critical multicultural education.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional Resources

1. He, Y., Lundgren, K., & Pynes, P. (2017). Impact of short-term study abroad program: Inservice teachers’ development of intercultural competence and pedagogical beliefs. Teaching and Teacher Education, 66, 147–157.

This article reports on a short-term study abroad program developed for in-service teachers rather than pre-service teachers. It describes the program context and the impact on teachers’ beliefs and intercultural competence. Suggestions are provided for designing study abroad programs.

2. Gichiru, W. P. & Knoester, M. (2015). Teaching International struggles for critical democratic education. In Schwartzer, D. & Bridglall, B. (Eds.). Promoting global competence and social justice in teacher education: Successes and challenges within local and international contexts (pp. 243–278). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

This chapter, and the entire book, describes multicultural education programs in the form of study abroad programs, as well as campus-based curricula in teacher education. This particular chapter describes 2 international comparative education courses being taught by different professors at different universities, but both using as a backbone text International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education.

3. Gichiru, W. P. (2016). Reflections on building “global” competence among pre-service and in-service teachers. Forum for International Research in Education, 3(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.18275/fire201603011067

This article describes 2 international comparative education courses and shows how a particular professor allows the critical issues of educational inequality come to life with a wide array of activities and multimedia. As a migrant to the U.S. herself, Gichiru powerfully explores the immigrant and migrant experience with her students, developing a “global” consciousness, where the world’s migrations and social forces of inequality are more visible in our local communities.