Research Article
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A Case Study in Turkey: Attitudes of EFL Teachers towards Intercultural Sensitivity

Year 2022, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 30.06.2022

Abstract

Turkey is and always has been a multicultural country with a population characterized by multiple ethnicities. Many Turks often communicate in their ancestral mother tongue in social situations and use Turkish at all other times (Aydin & Ozfidan, 2014). Despite this history of cultural diversity, as the number of refugees—including those from Syria—and international exchange students increases, Turkish classrooms are becoming more multicultural. As such, teachers must have intercultural sensitivity and have the ability to simultaneously teach students with multiple cultural backgrounds. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the level of intercultural sensitivity in a group of EFL teachers (n=10) from 7 Turkish universities. The participants completed a 3-section questionnaire sent via e-mail; a study-specific tool for collecting data on their professional intercultural experience; the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, which is an objective measure of the general level of intercultural sensitivity; an 8-item open-ended study-specific set of questions to measure the level of intercultural sensitivity in the classroom. The results suggest that the participants, who mostly display a satisfactory level of intercultural sensitivity, are still in need of development in certain aspects.

References

  • Ambe, E. B. (2006). Fostering multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers through multicultural curricular transformation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 690-699.
  • Arévalo-Guerreo, E. (2009). Assessing the development of learners’ intercultural sensitivity and intercultural communicative competence: The intercultural Spanish course (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from Proquest Dissertations and Theses Database. (UMI No: 3359071).
  • Aydin, H., & Ozfidan, B. (2014). Perceptions on mother tongue (Kurdish) based multicultural and bilingual education in Turkey. Multicultural Education Review, 6(1), 21-48.
  • Baalerud, A. (2013). Future foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence. Unpublished Master Thesis. Grand Valley State University: Michigan.
  • Banks, J. A. (2004). Teaching for social justice, diversity, and citizenship in a global world. The Educational Forum, 68(4), 296-305.
  • Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J. S. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education (pp. 62-77). Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.
  • Bennett, J. M., & Bennett, M. J. (2003). Developing Intercultural Sensitivity: An integrative Approach to Global and Domestic Diversity. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett, M. J. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of Intercultural Training (pp. 147-165). California, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Starkey, H. (2002). Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe. Chen, G. M. (1997). A review of the concept of intercultural sensitivity. Human Communication, 1, 1-16.
  • Chen, G. M. (2010). The impact of intercultural sensitivity on ethnocentrism and intercultural communication apprehension. Intercultural Communication Studies, 19(1), 1-9.
  • Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3(1), 2-14.
  • Clarke, M., & Drudy, S. (2006). Teaching for diversity, social justice and global awareness. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29(3), 371-386.
  • Cubukcu, F. (2013). Pre-service English teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Human Sciences, 10(1), 832-843.
  • Deardorff, D. K. (2011). Assessing intercultural competence. New Directions for Institutional Research, 149, 65-80.
  • Fritz, W., Mollenberg, A., & Chen, G. M. (2002). Measuring intercultural sensitivity in different cultural contexts. Intercultural Communication Studies, 11, 165-176.
  • Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International journal of intercultural relations, 27(4), 421-443.
  • Hismanoglu, M. (2011). An investigation of ELT students’ intercultural communicative competence in relation to linguistic proficiency, overseas experience and formal instruction. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 35, 805– 817. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.09.001
  • Jantawej, J. (2011). Intercultural sensitivity of foreign teachers in Thai public secondary schools. In J. Jantawej & Y. Inada (Eds.), The Asian conference on education official conference proceedings (pp. 273–285). Retrieved from http://iafor.org/ace_proceedings.html
  • Keengwe, J. (2010). Fostering cross cultural competence in pre-service teachers through multicultural education experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 197-204.
  • King, P. M., & Baxter Magolda, M. (2005). A Developmental Model of Intercultural Maturity. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), 571-592.
  • Küllü-Sülü, A. (2014). The role of native English speaking teachers in promoting intercultural sensitivity. Unpublished Master Thesis. Bilkent, Ankara.
  • Lin, Y., & Rancer, A.S. (2003). Ethnocentrism, intercultural communication apprehension, intercultural willingness-to-communicate, and intentions to participate in an intercultural dialogue program: Testing a proposed model. Communication Research Reports, 20(1), 62-72.
  • McMurray, A. A. (2007). Measuring Intercultural Sensitivity of International and Domestic College Students: The impact of international travel (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Florida, Florida.
  • Mostafaei Alaei, M., & Nosrati, F. (2018). Research into EFL teachers’ intercultural communicative competence and intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 47(2), 73-86.
  • Peng, S. Y. (2006). A comparative perspective of intercultural sensitivity between college students and multicultural employees in China. Multicultural Perspectives, 8(3), 38-45.
  • Pillay, S., & James, R. (2013). Gaming across cultures: Experimenting with alternate pedagogies. Education + Training, 55(1), 7-22.
  • Richards, H. V., Brown, A. F., & Forde, T. B. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64-68.
  • Saricoban, A., & Oz, H. (2014). Research into Pre-service English Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in Turkish Context. Anthropologist, 18, 523-531.
  • Sercu, L. (2006). The foreign language and intercultural competence teacher: The acquisition of a new professional identity. Intercultural Education, 17(1), 55-72.
  • Wainryb, C. (2006). Moral development in culture: Diversity, tolerance, and justice. In M. Killen & J. G. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (pp. 211-240). Manwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  • Zhou, Y. (2011). A study of Chinese university EFL teachers and their intercultural competence teaching (Doctoral dissertation). University of Windsor, Windsor.

Türkiye'de bir vaka analizi: İngilizce öğretmenlerinin kültürlerarası duyarlılık kavramına yaklaşımları

Year 2022, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 30.06.2022

Abstract

Türkiye her zaman çok kültürlülük unsuruyla şekillenmiş bir ülke konumunda olmuştur. Birçok Türk özel yaşam alanında atalarından kalma bir dili kullanırken diğer sosyal ve resmi ortamlarda Türkçeyi kullanmaktadır (Aydin & Ozfidan, 2014).. Bu öteden beri var olan kültürel çeşitliliğe, günümüzde bir de artan sayılarda, bilhassa Suriye'den gelen, mülteciler ve uluslararası değişim programları sayesinde farklı milletlerden öğrencilerin varlığı eklenmekte, bu da Türkiye'deki eğitim öğretim ortağının çok kültürlü yapısına katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bu durum Türkiye'deki öğretmenlerin farklı kültürel geçmişlerden gelen öğrencileri içeren sınıflarda ders verirken kültürlerarası duyarlılıkla hareket etmelerini gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu çalışma Türkiye’deki 7 farklı üniversiteden çalışmaya katılan bir grup İngilizce öğretmeninin kültürlerarası duyarlılık seviyesini belirlemek amacıyla yürütülmüş olup katılımcılar kendilerine gönderilen veri toplama araçlarına e-mail aracılığıyla cevap vermişlerdir. Katılımcılara mail yoluyla gönderilen anket üç kısımdan oluşmaktadır: profesyonel yaşamlarındaki kültürlerarası tecrübelerini sorgulayan çoktan seçmeli bölüm; Kültürlerarası Duyarlılık Anketi ; çalışmanın amacına uygun tasarlanmış 8 açık uçlu soru. Katılımcıların genel olarak yüksek kültürlerarası duyarlılık seviyesine sahip oldukları fakat bazı alanlarda da ilerlemeye ihtiyaç duydukları belirlenmiştir.

References

  • Ambe, E. B. (2006). Fostering multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers through multicultural curricular transformation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 690-699.
  • Arévalo-Guerreo, E. (2009). Assessing the development of learners’ intercultural sensitivity and intercultural communicative competence: The intercultural Spanish course (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from Proquest Dissertations and Theses Database. (UMI No: 3359071).
  • Aydin, H., & Ozfidan, B. (2014). Perceptions on mother tongue (Kurdish) based multicultural and bilingual education in Turkey. Multicultural Education Review, 6(1), 21-48.
  • Baalerud, A. (2013). Future foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence. Unpublished Master Thesis. Grand Valley State University: Michigan.
  • Banks, J. A. (2004). Teaching for social justice, diversity, and citizenship in a global world. The Educational Forum, 68(4), 296-305.
  • Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J. S. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education (pp. 62-77). Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.
  • Bennett, J. M., & Bennett, M. J. (2003). Developing Intercultural Sensitivity: An integrative Approach to Global and Domestic Diversity. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett, M. J. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of Intercultural Training (pp. 147-165). California, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Starkey, H. (2002). Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe. Chen, G. M. (1997). A review of the concept of intercultural sensitivity. Human Communication, 1, 1-16.
  • Chen, G. M. (2010). The impact of intercultural sensitivity on ethnocentrism and intercultural communication apprehension. Intercultural Communication Studies, 19(1), 1-9.
  • Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3(1), 2-14.
  • Clarke, M., & Drudy, S. (2006). Teaching for diversity, social justice and global awareness. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29(3), 371-386.
  • Cubukcu, F. (2013). Pre-service English teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Human Sciences, 10(1), 832-843.
  • Deardorff, D. K. (2011). Assessing intercultural competence. New Directions for Institutional Research, 149, 65-80.
  • Fritz, W., Mollenberg, A., & Chen, G. M. (2002). Measuring intercultural sensitivity in different cultural contexts. Intercultural Communication Studies, 11, 165-176.
  • Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International journal of intercultural relations, 27(4), 421-443.
  • Hismanoglu, M. (2011). An investigation of ELT students’ intercultural communicative competence in relation to linguistic proficiency, overseas experience and formal instruction. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 35, 805– 817. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.09.001
  • Jantawej, J. (2011). Intercultural sensitivity of foreign teachers in Thai public secondary schools. In J. Jantawej & Y. Inada (Eds.), The Asian conference on education official conference proceedings (pp. 273–285). Retrieved from http://iafor.org/ace_proceedings.html
  • Keengwe, J. (2010). Fostering cross cultural competence in pre-service teachers through multicultural education experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 197-204.
  • King, P. M., & Baxter Magolda, M. (2005). A Developmental Model of Intercultural Maturity. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), 571-592.
  • Küllü-Sülü, A. (2014). The role of native English speaking teachers in promoting intercultural sensitivity. Unpublished Master Thesis. Bilkent, Ankara.
  • Lin, Y., & Rancer, A.S. (2003). Ethnocentrism, intercultural communication apprehension, intercultural willingness-to-communicate, and intentions to participate in an intercultural dialogue program: Testing a proposed model. Communication Research Reports, 20(1), 62-72.
  • McMurray, A. A. (2007). Measuring Intercultural Sensitivity of International and Domestic College Students: The impact of international travel (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Florida, Florida.
  • Mostafaei Alaei, M., & Nosrati, F. (2018). Research into EFL teachers’ intercultural communicative competence and intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 47(2), 73-86.
  • Peng, S. Y. (2006). A comparative perspective of intercultural sensitivity between college students and multicultural employees in China. Multicultural Perspectives, 8(3), 38-45.
  • Pillay, S., & James, R. (2013). Gaming across cultures: Experimenting with alternate pedagogies. Education + Training, 55(1), 7-22.
  • Richards, H. V., Brown, A. F., & Forde, T. B. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64-68.
  • Saricoban, A., & Oz, H. (2014). Research into Pre-service English Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in Turkish Context. Anthropologist, 18, 523-531.
  • Sercu, L. (2006). The foreign language and intercultural competence teacher: The acquisition of a new professional identity. Intercultural Education, 17(1), 55-72.
  • Wainryb, C. (2006). Moral development in culture: Diversity, tolerance, and justice. In M. Killen & J. G. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (pp. 211-240). Manwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  • Zhou, Y. (2011). A study of Chinese university EFL teachers and their intercultural competence teaching (Doctoral dissertation). University of Windsor, Windsor.
There are 30 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Other Fields of Education
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Tuba Demirkol 0000-0002-2735-8198

Publication Date June 30, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 2 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Demirkol, T. (2022). A Case Study in Turkey: Attitudes of EFL Teachers towards Intercultural Sensitivity. Siirt Eğitim Dergisi, 2(1), 1-11.