Evaluating the international dimension in an undergraduate curriculum by assessing students’ intercultural sensitivity

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2018

Department

Teaching & Educational Leadership

Abstract

This formative, outcome-oriented, theory-based evaluation research study assessed the effectiveness of requiring an international (‘I’) course by measuring students’ intercultural sensitivity (IS) at the start and end of a semester. Findings revealed that students’ IS scores did not change regardless of the type of class in which the student was enrolled and were not significantly different based on gender, age, ethnicity, undergraduate classification, or number of ‘I’ courses taken. There were significant differences in IS based on religion, traveling outside the US, participating in a study abroad course, and the number of cultural events in which the student had participated. Regression analysis confirmed that religious affiliation and number of times traveled outside the US were significant predictors of IS. This study is an example of the use of theory-based evaluation in an educational system and provides important insights into what experiences affect college students’ IS.

DOI

10.1016/j.stueduc.2018.03.005

First Page

76

Last Page

83

Publication Title

Studies in Educational Evaluation

Comments

At the time of publication, Sarah R. Gordon was affiliated with Oklahoma State University - Stillwater.

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