More studies are needed to understand how university teachers facilitate group work involving students from different countries and cultures—so-called intercultural group work. This is highlighted in a new research review published in the Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education.
The study was conducted by Becky Bergman and Raffaella Negretti from Chalmers University, along with Jan Van Maele (KU Leuven) and Helen Spencer-Oatey (University of Warwick). They analyzed previous research on how teachers experience and manage intercultural group work, both in-person and online.
The aim of intercultural group work is to help students develop an understanding of different cultures and learn how to collaborate across borders. However, this study reveals a lack of empirical research on how teachers plan and facilitate intercultural group work, particularly in international classrooms.
Bergman et al. highlight three key themes in their review from existing studies:
- Focus on interaction: teachers want to know how to achieve effective student interaction.
- Development of group work planning: teachers experience assessing teamwork as a challenge.
- Building intercultural competence: since this is a core goal of intercultural group work, questions remain about the best ways to achieve it.
Most studies in the review focus on individual courses, but Bergman et al. argue that more knowledge is needed on how intercultural collaboration can be naturally integrated into entire educational programs—rather than being solely the responsibility of individual teachers.
"More empirical studies on teachers' and institutions' perspectives on intercultural collaboration are needed to better support educators in international classrooms," says Becky Bergman.
Teacher experience of intercultural group work in higher education: a scoping review
Questions?
- Senior Teaching Fellow, Language and Communication, Communication and Learning in Science