Improvement in the Cognitive Aspects of Cultural Competence after Short-Term Overseas Study Programs

Chen Wang, Xiang-Yu Hou, Nigar G. Khawaja, Michael P. Dunne and Jane Shakespeare-Finch
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Chen Wang: Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China
Xiang-Yu Hou: School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Brisbane 4059, Australia
Nigar G. Khawaja: Faculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, Australia
Michael P. Dunne: Institute for Community Health Research, Hue University, Hue 47000, Vietnam
Jane Shakespeare-Finch: Faculty of Health, School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-11

Abstract: 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 ( n = 32) participated in a short-term overseas study program in Asia (i.e., China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan), whereas Group 2 ( n = 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 ( p < 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.

Keywords: cultural competence; overseas study experiences; open-mindedness; healthcare students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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