Intercultural Competence From the Perspective of University Students and Teachers (original) (raw)

2021, Intercultural Education - 4th International Scientific and Professional Conference, Osijek, 2020

The aim of this study was to explore how foreign students appraise their teachers’ intercultural sensitivity in class, as well as to compare it to the teachers’ self-assessment in the same regard. The study also investigated university teachers’ self-efficacy related to their multicultural competence, i.e., knowledge and skills in class. Intercultural sensitivity was measured by means of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) adapted by Petrović et al. (2015). Multicultural teaching efficacy was determined by the newly formed Teacher Sense of Efficacy in Teaching Foreign Students Scale (TSETFS). The sample involved foreign exchange students (n = 41) and Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian university teachers (n = 163). The results of the study showed that student and teacher appraisals regarding intercultural sensitivity were similar in many respects, except interaction enjoyment and engagement. Teachers judged themselves as more sensitive in these two factors. With respect to teaching self-efficacy, the results suggested that all three teacher groups revealed a moderate level of self-efficacy. Upon closer inspection, the findings pointed to a disparity among Croatian teachers and their Serbian and Bosnian counterparts. When compared to their colleagues, Croatian teachers appeared to be least confident in their ability to instruct foreign students. No relevant differences pertaining to teaching efficacy were observed among Serbian and Bosnian teachers.