Development and Evaluation of Cultural Competence Course on Undergraduate Nursing Students in Vietnam

Cultural competence is a crucial requirement of nursing to promote caring for patients with diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to develop a cultural competence course and to evaluate the effects of the course on undergraduate nursing students in Vietnam. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study was adopted using quantitative and qualitative data sources. Sixty-six nursing students were recruited for the following groups: cultural competence course with field experience (n = 22), stand-alone cultural competence course (n = 22), and a control group (n = 22). The findings indicated that significant group by time interactions in total cultural competence score (F = 66.73, p < 0.001) were found. Participants’ perceptions reflected on three categories: (a) journey to cultural competence, (b) satisfaction of cultural competence course, and (c) suggestions for improvements. No statistically significant differences between the two experimental groups were revealed, but “obtaining cultural experiences” and “expanding understanding of cultural competence through field experience” were immersed from participants having field experience. It is vital to expand cultural competency education into nursing curricula to enhance nursing students’ perspective of culturally competent care.

Cultural Component in Professional Development of Non-philological Specialties Students in the Process of Studying a Foreign Language

The professional development of future specialists has to meet global and domestic standards. Cultural competence is essential for future professionals as it makes it easier to collaborate with foreign professionals, improve their competitiveness in the world labor market and increase the specialist’s ability to solve professional challenges. The study attempts to answer the questions about the importance of cultural competence development of non-philological students in the process of studying a foreign language and methodological approaches used in this process. The aim of the paper is to present the model of cultural competence formation of future non-philological specialties experts at the foreign languages classes and determine its main components and formation conditions. The study investigates how cultural competence development changes the value-based attitude towards future professional activity and promotes the interest in learning, personal and professional enrichment. Students of three Ukrainian higher educational institutions (from the first to third course) have taken part in the research. The research used conscious-comparative, audiolingual, and role-play methods. The study of the results, based on four criteria (cognitive, moral-axiological, communicative, cultural), showed that learners started to understand the necessity of cultural enrichment of disciplines. The research proved that the implementation of the given technique resulted in the improvement of students’ learning and cognitive activity and enhancement of the general level of training. The paper gives some recommendations for language teachers to organize the process of learning a language on a cultural basis.

Malaysian Peacekeepers Perspectives on the Influence of Governance and Ethnic-Cross Relationship in Enhancing Ethnic Tolerance during Peacekeeping Operations

Ethnic tolerance among peacekeepers plays an important role in ensuring the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the influence of governance and ethnic-cross relationship towards enhancing of ethnic tolerance based on the perspectives of Malaysian peacekeepers. This study applied quantitative data collection method through a set of questionnaires with 432 participants that previously being deployed to various United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO). The result indicates that both governance and ethnic-cross relationships have a positive correlation towards enhancement of the level of ethnic tolerance among Malaysian peacekeepers. The findings could strengthen the code of ethics for cultural competence, which emphasises the importance of understanding ethnic tolerance during peacekeeping operations or deployments. Received: 4 October 2021 / Accepted: 21 November 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

An Approach to Diversity and Cultural Competence Curriculum in Public Administration

There are a variety of approaches that can be utilized to facilitate public administration students and practitioners using culturally responsive approaches in their professional lives. The importance of understanding cultural diversity extends not only to individual interactions but also the structure of organizations and organizational decision making. The chapter presents one approach to providing students with a diversity-focused curriculum in a graduate-level public administration program. This approach includes an overview of the historical legacy of diversity in public administration, legally required and voluntary approaches to organizational diversity, models that can be used to assess the diverse cultural experiences of individuals for more personalized practice, and activities that can be utilized and adapted to educate public administration students and practitioners on issues of diversity and cultural competency.

Teaching Cross-Cultural Competence in a Smart Machine Age

The business world is in a state of flux due in part to the advent of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart robots, and nanotechnology. The dawn of this ‘Smart Machine Age' has significant implications for business education, which will need to be transformed with a new focus on imparting knowledge, skills, and abilities suitable for the new workplace environment. Among the skill sets that are in highest demand according to employers is cross-cultural competence (CC). Scholarly interest in CC has grown exponentially in recent years and there is an emerging consensus that it is best taught through non-traditional pedagogies centered on experiential learning. This chapter explores the efficacy of international service learning as a tool for teaching CC, with a focus on an innovative social entrepreneurship project undertaken at Florida International University. The project involves a partnership between a student organization, an NGO, and a women's self-help group in India.

Utilizing the Intersectional Perspective to Shift Individual and Systems Practices

The chapter aims to help practitioners create more equitable learning environments and student outcomes using an intersectionality lens. The chapter first discusses what the intersectionality lens is and why it is essential. Then it discusses the impact of using an intersectional approach on exceptional education practitioners' abilities to understand better their students' lived experiences and needs, leading to more accurate and comprehensive decision making and subsequently providing more effective student placement, instruction, and support. The chapter provides guidance to practitioners concerning how to work with their teams and the school to create a continual commitment to cultural competence, reassessing structures and making necessary adjustments to maintain and enhance their utilization of culturally responsive practices.