Addressing the Challenges of Cross-Cultural Understanding through Service Learning in Higher Education
The Oman Experience
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13010075 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thuwayba Al Barwani (Sultan Qaboos University, corresponding author), Abdu Al Mekhlafi (Sultan Qaboos University, corresponding author), Otherine Neisler (0000-0001-7610-7312, Sultan Qaboos University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 179-192 |
| Publication date | 2010-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Citizenship Social and Economics Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2047-1734 • E-ISSN: 2047-1734 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2304/csee.2010.9.3.179 |
| OpenAlex | W2025925500 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 12 |
Globally, teachers need to expand their knowledge of other peoples and cultures. As a case in point, Oman is challenged by a problem of separation between national and expatriate populations. Expatriate students attend either international or expatriate community schools, whereas Omani children can only attend government schools or Arabic/English private schools. The teacher education program at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman was able to implement a service learning project that helped students cross cultural boundaries while improving their own English language skills. Using a mixed-method approach in data analysis, this study discusses the experiences of thirty EFL student teachers involved in the experiment. Expatriate teachers and principals had expressed a need for their students to learn more about Omani culture. In response, student teachers prepared 45 cultural kits that included written reports, presentations and artefacts, which they presented to classes. Not only did expatriate teachers and K-12 students learn about Omani culture, but more importantly, student teachers developed new cultural awareness about the expatriate populations with whom they seldom have an opportunity to interact or exchange ideas and cultural values. The ‘ELT [English Language Training] Multicultural Awareness Transaction Model’ has application potential not only in teacher education, but also in EFL or ESL classes where cultural exchange is important
Cultural competence · Expatriate · Government (linguistics · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Medicine · Psychology · Service-Learning and Community Engagement · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |