Evaluation of an Intercultural Peer Training for Incoming Undergraduate Students at an International University in Germany

Autor/inn/en	Kedzior, Karina K.; Röhrs, Wiebke; Kühnen, Ulrich; Odag, Özen; Haber, Frank; Boehnke, Klaus
Titel	Evaluation of an Intercultural Peer Training for Incoming Undergraduate Students at an International University in Germany
Quelle	In: SAGE Open, 5 (2015) 3, (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2158-2440
DOI	10.1177/2158244015606193
Schlagwörter	Universities; International Schools; Peer Teaching; Peer Relationship; Undergraduate Students; Foreign Countries; College Freshmen; Cross Cultural Training; Cultural Pluralism; Interpersonal Competence; Social Life; Student Attitudes; Questionnaires; Multicultural Education; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? University; Universität; International school; Internationale Schule; Peer group teaching; Peer Group Teaching; Peer-Beziehungen; Ausland; Studienanfänger; Interkulturelle Orientierung; Kulturpluralismus; Interpersonale Kompetenz; Soziales Leben; Schülerverhalten; Fragebogen; Multikulturelle Erziehung; Deutschland
Abstract	University education is increasingly becoming international. Therefore, it is important that universities prepare their new students for the challenges of an intercultural academic environment. The aim of the current study was to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of an intercultural peer-to-peer training offered to all new incoming students at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. The training aims to facilitate the social and academic integration of students at this international university. A total of 117 first-year undergraduate students completed a pen-and-paper questionnaire with 47 items one semester (6 months) after attending the intercultural training. The results suggest that participants liked the structure of the training and the use of senior students as peer trainers. It appears that the training improved the awareness of the effects of culture (own and other) on the social life of students. However, the training was less adequate at preparing the participants for the student-centered academic culture at this university. In light of its cost-effectiveness, the intercultural training could be easily adopted for use at other universities as part of the campus-wide orientation activities. However, regardless of their culture, all new university students require more assistance to academically adapt to and succeed in multicultural classrooms. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01