Kenneth Cushner

Overseas Student Teaching: Affecting Personal, Professional, and Global Competencies in an Age of Globalization

Conditions in the world today demand that teachers have increased international knowledge and experience that they can transmit to the students in their charge. Developing the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve such objectives requires significant immersion experiences in cultures other than one’s own.Schools of edu cation, however, give scant attention to this reality.This study examined the nature of the international student teaching experience and its impact on the professional and personal development of new teachers.Fifty returned student teachers reported how such an experience affected them personally as well as professionally.Findings reflect the study-abroad literature in general, suggesting that an overseas experience has immense benefits for the student teacher.Students reported impact on their beliefs about self and others as evidenced through increased cultural awareness and improved self-efficacy, as well as professional development in terms of global- mindedness.

The Overseas Student Teaching Experience: Creating Optimal Culture Learning

The preparation of teachers to address the diverse needs of societies demands that more than just the demographics of the teaching force be questioned. This study examined the nature of the international student teaching experience and its impact on the professional and personal development of new teachers. Fifty returning students responded to an open-ended questionnaire designed to elicit how the experience helped or hindered them personally and professionally. Findings suggest that an overseas experience has immense benefits for the student teacher, having impact on beliefs about self and others, professional development in terms of global mindedness, and improved self-efficacy. These categories combine to demonstrate a new understanding of ones own role and improved ability to interact and teach in diverse cultural settings.

Assessing the impact of a culture-general assimilator

Abstract A modified version of a culture-general assimilator designed to prepare sojourners for experiences in a wide-range of cross-cultural settings, is analyzed for impact on knowledge gain, as well as behavioral and affective change. Twenty-eight adolescent international exchange students representing 14 countries and hosted by AFS New Zealand for a period of one year received culture-general assimilator training soon after their arrival in the host country. Twenty-two students comprising the control group received traditional AFS New Zealand orientation. Results indicated that trained individuals were better able to identify dynamics which mediate cross-cultural interaction and adjustment; were better able to apply those concepts to their intercultural interactions; were better adjusted as determined by responses on the Culture Shock Adjustment Inventory; and were more efficient in their interpersonal problem-solving ability as determined by responses on the Means-Ends Problem-Solving test.

Intercultural Research in Teacher Education: An Essential Intersection in the Preparation of Globally Competent Teachers

The author argues that a focus solely on social justice in teacher education may be insufficient in bringing about the changes needed in the preparation of teacher candidates to understand and address critically important social issues and to build global competence. Research from the related fields of intercultural research and education suggest that the majority of teachers and teacher education students do not possess the prerequisite attitudes and behaviors required to effect such a change. Contributions from intercultural research in such areas as the formation and reduction of prejudice, acculturation and intergroup interaction, what we know about intercultural sensitivity, the development of intercultural competence, and the process of culture learning are reviewed, suggesting the facilitation of intercultural sensitivity and competence may be an essential precursor to ones understanding that other perspectives, experiences, and histories can and do exist.

Developing intercultural competence through overseas student teaching: checking our assumptions

The following study was designed to determine the extent to which intercultural competence, as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory, is impacted as a result of an overseas student teaching experience. Student teachers participating in an overseas student teaching experience from 8 to 15 weeks through the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching were assessed prior to and at the end of the experience. Three groups were compared: an experience only group; one group with experience who were also sent reflective questions every 2–3 weeks; and a stay-at-home control group. Results suggest that overseas student teaching alone without a concerted effort to address intercultural growth is insufficient in bringing about a change in intercultural competence. Recommendations for program providers and schools of education are provided.

Revising and updating the inventory of cross-cultural sensitivity

The following article outlines research conducted to examine cross-cultural sensitivity in a sample of 949 incoming university students in the USA. The study was conducted during the process of updating an existing measure of cross-cultural sensitivity known as the Inventory of Cross-Cultural Sensitivity (ICCS), and to examine the various levels of understanding among the students. Additionally, data were gathered to determine whether there was any relationship between the results and the demographic factors commonly cited in the literature. Results of the study indicate that the updated version of the ICCS, the ICCSv2, is a more robust and reliable measure of intercultural sensitivity for a specific group of freshmen students. Recommendations are made for future research.

Understanding Cultural Diversity Can Improve Intercultural Interactions

A study of U. S. demograph ics reveals a trend toward rapidly increasing cultural diversity. Clearly, this trend has the potential to cause serious misunderstandings among students, teachers, parents, and administrators in culturally diverse schools. Principals and staff members can, and should, be able to recognize and resolve cul turally-based school and community problems.