ERIC Number: EJ1358658
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1755-2273
EISSN: EISSN-1755-2281
Effects of Mixed Groups on Multicultural Interaction and Student Experience
Cheng, Wenya; Selvaretnam, Geethanjali
Learning and Teaching: The International Journal of Higher Education in the Social Sciences, v15 n2 p1-28 Jun 2022
This article studies the multicultural experience of students who completed a group project in an undergraduate economics course. Students were required to work in groups of four consisting of at least two nationalities. Feedback on this multicultural experience was gathered through a questionnaire. The results show strong support for intervention by academic staff to promote multicultural interactions on campus, identify many benefits and highlight potential challenges. We found evidence that students interacted on topics wider than the project topic itself, such as differences in culture, university life, and leisure activities, and that almost half of them agreed that their quality of work improved when they worked in mixed groups. Cultural diversity in group work should be built into the early years of degree programmes to help students develop multicultural competency.
Descriptors: Cultural Pluralism, Intercultural Communication, Student Projects, Group Activities, Undergraduate Students, Economics Education, Cultural Differences, Group Dynamics, Student Attitudes, Cultural Awareness, Foreign Countries, Foreign Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A