The effectiveness of the internationalization of the educational process as a way of developing intercultural competencies

Abstract

Intercultural competence is recognised as a key element in the modern world, where openness to diversity contributes to effective international communication and deeper understanding, tolerance, and joint development in an intercultural environment. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of internationalisation of the educational process on the development of students’ intercultural competencies. A diagnostic test of relations was used to diagnose the intensity of the ethnic stereotype. The intercultural competence was measured according to the adapted scale of Fantini and Tirmizi and the cultural intelligence scale (CQS). A questionnaire was developed to determine students’ satisfaction with studying under the internationalisation programme. The obtained results (U_emp=113<U_cr=127) gave grounds to conclude that the internationalisation of the educational process positively affects the development of intercultural competencies. The experiment showed that students generally had a positive ethnic stereotype, and the internationalisation programme increased the growth of indicators of intercultural competence according to all criteria. The results show that students generally are highly satisfied with studying in exchange programmes. The prospect for further research is the study of the influence of intercultural communication on students’ academic performance.