Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs
Universities are providing short-term overseas study programs for healthcare students to increase their cultural competence (i.e., capacity to work effectively in cross-cultural situations). However, there is limited empirical research evaluating the effects of these programs using well-controlled r...
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doaj-11c029d0c2764660ac11e853c944608e2021-07-15T15:35:45ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-07-01187102710210.3390/ijerph18137102Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study ProgramsChen Wang0Xiang-Yu Hou1Nigar G. Khawaja2Michael P. Dunne3Jane Shakespeare-Finch4Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, ChinaSchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Brisbane 4059, AustraliaFaculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, AustraliaInstitute for Community Health Research, Hue University, Hue 47000, VietnamFaculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, AustraliaUniversities are providing short-term overseas study programs for healthcare students to increase their cultural competence (i.e., capacity to work effectively in cross-cultural situations). However, there is limited empirical research evaluating the effects of these programs using well-controlled research designs. In the present research study, undergraduate healthcare students in an Australian university were selected as participants. Group 1 (<i>n</i> = 32) participated in a short-term overseas study program in Asia (i.e., China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan), whereas Group 2 (<i>n</i> = 46) stayed in Australia to continue their university education as usual. All participants completed a self-developed demographic questionnaire, Cultural Intelligence Scale, and Multicultural Personality Questionnaire. Cultural competence was surveyed pre- and post-short-term overseas programs. After controlling for prior overseas experiences and the open-mindedness trait, an ANCOVA indicated that Group 1 had a significantly higher scores than Group 2 in cultural knowledge (<i>p</i> < 0.05), but not in cultural awareness, attitude, or skills. It is suggested that short-term overseas study programs may increase healthcare students’ cultural knowledge, a component of competence, and that more needs to be accomplished to improve other areas of cultural competence.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/7102cultural competenceoverseas study experiencesopen-mindednesshealthcare students |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Chen Wang Xiang-Yu Hou Nigar G. Khawaja Michael P. Dunne Jane Shakespeare-Finch |
spellingShingle |
Chen Wang Xiang-Yu Hou Nigar G. Khawaja Michael P. Dunne Jane Shakespeare-Finch Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health cultural competence overseas study experiences open-mindedness healthcare students |
author_facet |
Chen Wang Xiang-Yu Hou Nigar G. Khawaja Michael P. Dunne Jane Shakespeare-Finch |
author_sort |
Chen Wang |
title |
Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs |
title_short |
Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs |
title_full |
Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs |
title_fullStr |
Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs |
title_sort |
improvement in the cognitive aspects of cultural competence after short-term overseas study programs |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2021-07-01 |
description |
Universities are providing short-term overseas study programs for healthcare students to increase their cultural competence (i.e., capacity to work effectively in cross-cultural situations). However, there is limited empirical research evaluating the effects of these programs using well-controlled research designs. In the present research study, undergraduate healthcare students in an Australian university were selected as participants. Group 1 (<i>n</i> = 32) participated in a short-term overseas study program in Asia (i.e., China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan), whereas Group 2 (<i>n</i> = 46) stayed in Australia to continue their university education as usual. All participants completed a self-developed demographic questionnaire, Cultural Intelligence Scale, and Multicultural Personality Questionnaire. Cultural competence was surveyed pre- and post-short-term overseas programs. After controlling for prior overseas experiences and the open-mindedness trait, an ANCOVA indicated that Group 1 had a significantly higher scores than Group 2 in cultural knowledge (<i>p</i> < 0.05), but not in cultural awareness, attitude, or skills. It is suggested that short-term overseas study programs may increase healthcare students’ cultural knowledge, a component of competence, and that more needs to be accomplished to improve other areas of cultural competence. |
topic |
cultural competence overseas study experiences open-mindedness healthcare students |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/7102 |
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