Cultural Competence

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of cultural competence on the teaching and learning process for instructors and students of higher education. It examines whether there is a difference in the level of intercultural sensitivity between university instructors and ESL students, whether ESL instructors and non-ESL instructors vary in their levels of intercultural sensitivity, the extent to which gender affects cultural competence, and whether levels of intercultural sensitivity creates additional challenges for these individuals on a college campus in the United States. Using mixed methods, the study found that instructors reported a higher level of intercultural sensitivity than college students; that females scored higher than males on intercultural sensitivity; and that a significant difference was found between ESL instructors and non-ESL instructors in the area of interaction engagement. Finally, only instructors (not students) revealed that culture and language were the greatest challenges for international students.