Examining The Impacts Of Cultural Differences On The Distance Between Teachers And Students In International Contexts

Problem Statement

Discuss about the Examining the Impacts of Cultural Differences on the Distance between Teachers and Students in International Contexts.

It is always interesting to interact with people from different cultures, learning their values and appreciating their beliefs. The corporate world has since given rise to environments in which people from different cultural backgrounds work together to achieve a common goal. Despite the fact that such set ups may be common in business organizations, a multicultural environment equally exists in other sectors for instance in education especially in international contexts. Many institutions of higher learning take in a huge number of learners from across the borders (Adler, 2009). This happens in cases of sponsorship and arrangements for further learning.  Each of these international regions from which the learners hail from are characterized by specific cultural practices and values. When they come to such institutions and meet other students, the environment becomes punctuated with people who are governed by different schools of thoughts and beliefs. These differences when not carefully addressed may lead to barriers not only among the learners themselves but also between the learners and their teachers. As much as cultural variations are inevitable in most organizational set ups, there is the need to put in place the right approaches in order to ensure that the challenges associated with these differences do not become detrimental to the organization at large (Apte, 2014). In order to deduce long lasting solutions to such situations, research can be conducted to obtain the relevant facts and discussions (Ashforth and Kreiner, 2009). In line with the same, this paper shall focus on the aspect of cultural differences and how this impacts the distance between learners and teachers especially in international contexts. The work shall draw upon sampling, survey and interviews as quantitative methodologies in data collection. At the same time, data shall be obtained through qualitative approaches involving review of relevant literature in addition to contextual analysis.

Cultural differences imply differences in points of view when it comes to certain values and beliefs. In a set up where individuals are separated alongside cultural barriers, it is always possible to experience disagreements (Avruch, 2008). This happens especially when what one individual believes in seems to contradict the values and belief of the other. Differences in culture may come with various other elements for instance; the kind of language spoken, the religion that one adheres to, celebration of specific festivals and orientation towards particular values just to mention but few. In a set up where one’s culture involves the celebration of a particular event for instance the Rio Carnival in Brazil and the Burningman festival in the United States, the individual is likely to face opposition from the teacher when they seek for permission to attend such events. This happens mainly in cases where the teacher does not come from the same cultural background as the student. Such scenarios lead to rifts between the teacher and the learner which equally culminates in sprained relationships. Additionally, cultural differences may come with differences in language spoken (Berg, 2009). When the teacher’s first language is different from that of the learner, communication becomes an issue due to the eminent language barrier. This becomes a challenge to the students especially during teaching since they find it hard to grasp the concepts due to tainted communication. On the other hand, cultural variations are an aspect which an organization could take advantage of to grow in relationship and hence improve productivity. Learning from each other and exchanging ideas based on ones cultures could enhance unity and hence the quality of output even in the learning institutions. It therefore implies that cultural difference may have both negative and positive impacts. This research explores the impact of cultural differences on the distance between the students and learners in the international context (Berg and Huebner, 2011).

Research Aim and objectives

This research process shall be guided by a number of aims and objectives. These include:

• To describe the aspect of cultural differences and the various elements which cause it.
• To examine the impacts of  cultural differences on the learners in international contexts
• To discuss how cultural differences influence the relationships between teachers and students in international contexts.
• To examine the way in which the sprained teacher learner relationships affect the performance of the latter.
• To outline the possible solutions to the challenges associated with cultural differences in international learning organizations.

The research process and procedures shall seek to address a number of questions related to the research problem. These questions include:

• What is cultural difference and what leads to such scenarios in learning organizations?
• What are some of the impacts of cultural differences on the performance of learners in international institutions?
• How does variations in cultures impact the relationship between teachers and learners in international set ups?
• What is the relationship between teacher-learner closeness and individual performance?
• What are the possible solutions to the challenges associated with cultural differences in international learning institutions?

Based on the arguments put forward by other researchers who have done work along this area, it is evident that cultural differences may come with various challenges which need the right attention (Clemons, 2009). Differences in culture may involve differences in values which may make it hard for both the learner and the teacher to operate on a common ground especially in international contexts. Despite the fact that the student is entirely under the guidance of the teacher, lack of understanding may accrue in cases where the teacher seems to be in agreement with beliefs and values that contradict those of the students. Such issues may lead to a rift between the parties involved (Cox and Blake, 2011). The other major concern is the issue of language. Communication between the teacher and the learner is overly crucial and ought to be as efficient as possible. Poor communication as a result of language barrier has a direct impact on the performance of the learners. This is because they find it hard to grasp concepts from the teachers which in turn impair their ability to answer particular questions during exams. This eventually leads to poor performance especially in subject areas where communication between the teacher and the learner has been affected by cultural differences. The main objective for education is for the learner to obtain as much as possible from the teacher (Creswell, 2009). When challenges such as cultural differences seem to hinder the attainment of this objective, there is a dire need for the implementation of practical solutions. This therefore brings out the significance of this research process. At the end of the study, the discussion shall present a list of solutions which could be used by learning institutions in international contexts to ensure that cultural differences do not cause rifts between the teacher and the student (Ferraro, 2008). This study shall revolve around university students from different cultural backgrounds. At the same time, the opinions of lectures shall be obtained before coming up with tacit conclusions with respect to the research problem. This study is therefore significant due to the fact that it will allow the researcher to interact with different cultures and values. From this, it shall be possible to deduce how these values may have an impact on the students’ life in the learning institution. Deducing the challenges and suggesting possible solutions will therefore be a step in the right direction. The outcome of this study could be further adjusted through future research in order to ensure a holistic solution to the identified issue (Franklin, 2012).

Research Questions

The concept of culture is evident in each portion of the education sector. A learning environment made up of learners and teachers from different cultural backgrounds is a sensitive set up where the most effective approaches ought to be put in place in a bid to bridge the gaps.  There are both minority and major cultures. The approaches put forward to address the issues of cultural differences therefore ought to ensure that a crucial balance is achieved. When the minority cultures feel intimidated due to the nature of their existence, their performance in these learning institutions is likely to be affected as well (Hofstede, 2014). The strategies should therefore be such that the common cultures do not override others in a bid to gain supremacy. The mitigation approaches should seek to harmonize the different people and help them learn to cope with one another despite the disparities in the society. It is a fact worth noting that culture has a direct impact on education. When values are appreciated, ideas incorporated and unity enhanced within the educational sector, it becomes possible to deal with the challenges associated with cultural differences (Hofstede, 2011). One major solution to this problem would be the wholesome inclusion of education on various cultures into the core curriculum. When learning involves the exploration of various cultures, the likelihood of discrimination is reduced since each individual within the society gets to learn about and hence appreciate the values of those around them (Lustig and Koester, 2009).). A curriculum which expounds on cultural diversity, its impacts and possible counter strategies does a lot in enhancing the distance between the learners and the teachers. The exchange of ideas during these interactive learning moments also plays a pivotal role in enhancing learner teacher relationships. Healthy interactions between students and teachers in international contexts increase the level of individual reception to other people’s cultures. This way, the rifts are largely filled.

Research studies front a clear correlation between learner performance and cultural differences in international contexts.  Learning involves the relaying of concepts and ideas. This process should be an effective flow which can be managed through effective communication between the teacher and the student (Knippenberg, 2009). Variations in cultures however lead to a scenario where there learner and the teachers are separated by linguistic boundaries. Differences in language as a result of differences in cultures lead to breakdown in communication. The inability of the learner to understand concepts due to language barriers lead to poor performance. This therefore creates a performance gap which deserves the necessary measures to fill. It can therefore be deduced that cultural differences has a direct impact on the communication between the teacher and the learner which leads to decline in performance. Language learning is suggested as one of the strategies which could be used to bridge the teacher learner gap in schools. In this case, the international students are taken through the process of learning other languages especially the ones used in the given institution. This places them at par with the teachers which improve their understanding of the concepts. When communication is adequately addressed, the distance between the student and the teacher is reduced substantially.

Justification and Potential output of the project

A multicultural environment may pose various challenges to an organization hence the need for the right mitigation factors. An imbalance between the minor and major cultures may slump an organization into discrimination which then leads to low motivational levels. Poor motivation in turn leads to a decline in confidence levels. In the context of learning, low motivational levels on the side of the students reduces their confidence. This in turn affects their activity during the learning process which may result in a subsequent decline in performance. On the other hand, the teacher might be the individual affected by the discrimination (Lazaroiu, 2015). For instance, a foreign teacher in an international learning institution may have challenges interacting with the local students due to the disparities created by the variations in education. This issue may end up widening the gap between the teacher and the learner hence affecting their output at work.

With the noted challenges in mind, practical solutions ought to be implemented to curb the issues in question. Incorporation of cultural education into the core curriculum would be a major step in establishing cultural harmony in the learning institutions (McCaffery, 2010). Secondly, coming up with programs, festivals and events in which people take part in and interact with different cultures can enhance cultural unity especially in learning institutions. Cultural unity has a positive impact on the relationship between teachers and learners.

Based on the review of literature and the information obtained,  the research process shall be guided by the hypotheses below.

Hypothesis 1

Ho: Cultural differences has a negative impact on learner performance

H1: Cultural differences do not have negative impacts on the learner performance.

Hypothesis 2

Ho: Cultural differences affect communication between the teacher and the student

H1: Cultural differences have no impact on communication between the teacher and the learner.

Hypothesis 3

H0: Cultural differences hinder healthy relationships between teachers and students

H1: Cultural differences do not have any influence on student-teacher interactions.

The research process shall rely on the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis. In line with the quantitative methods, information shall be retrieved from the respondents through random sampling, surveys, direct interviews as well as questionnaires (Schein, 2014). One the other hand, the qualitative approach shall comprise the review of assorted sources in addition to contextual analysis. The main source of data shall be international students in Universities in Melbourne and Sydney. At the same time, the selected peer reviewed sources shall also be used to retrieve information necessary for the completion f the research.

Conceptual Framework: Culture and Education

The first approach of data collection shall involve random sampling. The participant shall be picked from Melbourne and Sydney Universities. The samples shall also be obtained from a number elementary schools and colleges around the area under study. In this procedure, a total of 50 participants shall be obtained from the various institutions (Schein, 2010). The sampling shall be done based on the participants cultural backgrounds, courses attended as well as countries of origin. In addition, a total of 10 teachers shall be picked from the institutions. From this sample, 5 will need to be foreign teachers teaching in the institutions. This method was picked because it allows the quick derivation of information from a good number of sources within a short period of time. At the same time, the samples offer a fair representation of the entire population which enhances the reliability of the data (Smith and Bond, 2008).

The second approach shall involve survey and questions. The total sample of 50 participants shall be subjected to survey questions and questionnaires. These documents shall be availed to them and recollected within a period of 3 weeks to aid in the completion of the research process. For the participants far away, the questionnaires shall be emailed to them in a bid to quicken the procedure while improving convenience levels. This method is convenient and speedy. Obtaining trends based on the responses of the participants is quite easy which implies the validity of the data. Apart from the surveys, the 10 participants derived from the teaching department shall be subjected to direct interviews. The interview questions shall target the respondents’ opinions on cultural differences in the institutions and the impacts of such an environment on the learner-teacher distance (Spencer, 2008).

The last procedure for data collection shall be the review of literature. In this process, a total of 20 sources shall be selected and subjected to review. The information obtained from these reviews shall then be subjected to the necessary analysis. There shall also be contextual analysis where relevant case studies based on the research problem shall be reviewed and key concepts derived for the process of analysis (Triandis, 2014).

The successful collection of data shall then be followed by analysis. The methods to be used for analysis include data visualization as well as descriptive statistics. In accordance with the use of descriptive statistics, the input acquired from the immediate meetings and polls might be orchestrated to demonstrate particular patterns. For the shut finished inquiries, there shall be decisions thus masterminding the information with comparative decisions given by people might be utilized to set up the crude information for examination (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 2009). To comprehend the information, midpoints, mean and the median shall be computed. Besides, the got information shall be orchestrated into tables and diagrams in clear introductions which are easy to interpret.

On the utilization of information perception or data visualization, data shall be straightforwardly gotten from the sources through a directed visual investigation of the substance. The approach is significant in examining the information got through writing audit and contextual investigations. These methodologies of information examination were picked in light of the fact that they permit images which are easy to interpret and understand. The visual charts, tables and visits are similarly simple to build with reference to the result of the computed esteems (Žegarac, 2007). The techniques additionally determine movements inside a brief period making them advantageous methodologies in the exploration procedure.

The organization of the study shall be as follows

Chapter 1: This chapter involves an outline of the research proposal as it appears in the assignment

Chapter 2:  Shall examine the concept of cultural differences and its impacts on learning institutions through the review of literature and case studies

Chapter 3: Shall involve the description of research methodologies including data collection and analysis methods

Chapter 4: Comprises a discussion and report based on the findings of the research process

Chapter 5: Will give a summary of the important findings and discuss the impacts of cultural differences on the distance between teachers and learners in international contexts.

In order to complete this project within the given period of time, there shall be need to address a number of areas. It would be important to note that each of these areas shall require resources and finances hence the total budget of the project has been placed at $ 5000

The budget has been disseminated into the following areas:

Literature Review: This stage shall involve the retrieval of books, journals and other articles not only from libraries but from online archives. This may involve costs hence the allocation of $ 1000

Data collection: The process shall involve the use of questionnaires, surveys and direct interviews. This stage shall involve a lot of movements especially in the process of distribution and collection of the questionnaires. At the same time, the sending of emails for those participants faw away shall lead to costs. The printing, posting, travelling and mailing costs for this project has been estimate at $2500

Data analysis: To access the necessary materials like charts, tables, figures and other statistical records for data analysis, the research process shall attract costs. This has been estimated at $1500 which makes the total budget to be $ 5000.

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