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Audette J.1
1University of Rhode Island, Physical Therapy, Kingston, United States
Background: Graduates in the healthcare disciplines must be prepared to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and places. Educators are charged with providing opportunities for students to develop skills such as intercultural competence, cross-cultural understanding, and global awareness. In order to do this, many universities are adding short-term international opportunities for students. These experiences may help to develop skills and attributes that enhance students' preparation for practice in this culturally diverse world. Modes for measuring program and student assessment are warranted. Literature is lacking in this area.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use the CCAITM to examine and compare student outcomes related to cross-cultural adaptability before and after short-term, international immersion experiences.
Methods: Doctor of physical therapy students who participated in short-term international experiences in both developed and developing nations - completed the Cross Cultural Adaptability Index (CCAI) pre (n=31) and post (n=50) participation in short-term international experiences. Pre and post data were compared. The Cross Cultural Adaptability Assessment Inventory (CCAITM) consists of 50 items distributed across 4 sub-scales (Emotional Resilience (ER), Flexibility and Openness (FO), Perceptual Acuity (PAC), and Personal Autonomy (PA)) and has been used to assess cultural competence before/after global experiences and has strong reliability.
Results: To determine if there are differences in CCAITM score changes between male and female students, or between experiences in developing or developed countries, 1-way ANOVAs were performed. Significant differences were found in Flexibility and Openness (FO), and Perceptual Acuity (PAC) sub-categories. Female students had greater score change in the Emotional Resilience (ER) sub-category. Country status did not impact score changes.
Conclusion(s): The results of this study indicate that there may be some important changes in the cross-cultural adaptability of DPT students following short-term international experiences. Being able to define and measure participant outcomes is vital to the sustainability of international student programs in the health disciplines.
Implications: This research is important because it adds to the limited body of literature measuring student outcomes related to cultural competence from short-term international experiences. These data will be of value to educators who want to consider the value of global immersion experiences - particularly the impact on the development of cultural competence and adaptability, educational administrators who will examine the cost/benefit of such experiences, and students who have a passion for international travel and the potential to combine it with academic learning and future work.
Funding acknowledgements: Funding for this project was provided by the John Hazen White Sr. Center for Ethics and Public Service.
Topic: Education: methods of teaching & learning
Ethics approval: This project and data collection procedures were approved by the University of Rhode Islands Institutional Review Board.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
