Effectiveness of the integrated curriculum for facilitating students’ ICC development in a Sino-German institute in Zhejiang

Abstract

The accelerating process of internationalization makes intercultural communicative competence (ICC) (Byram, 2021) indispensable in higher education. The importance of intercultural education has been widely acknowledged by scholars, teachers, and policymakers in China. However, studies suggest that its effectiveness is often found unsatisfactory (Kuang, 2014), and the process of integrating intercultural education into university curricula and teaching practices remains under-researched (Baker & Fang, 2021). 

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the intercultural curriculum at a Sino-German Institute (SGI) in China in facilitating students’ ICC development. This evaluative study adopted the case study design and Assessment for Learning (AFL) principles, aligning with intercultural education’s goal of promoting students’ ICC and fostering lifelong learning. 

The research question (RQ) is operationalized with three sub questions: (1) How do the students self-assess their ICC, its learning and development? (2) How do the SGI’s ICC-integrated curriculum impact students’ intercultural learning? (3) To what extent can the curriculum be improved to increase its effectiveness in facilitating students’ ICC development? To address these questions, “ICC Assessment-for-Learning Model for Sino Foreign Institutes”, grounded in Byram (2021)’s ICC model, was adopted for this mixed-methods case study. Data collection spanned two semesters (September 2021 to May 2022), comprising quantitative (surveys) and qualitative data (interviews, reflective journals). This period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2023). 

The study found that students generally perceived the SGI’s ICC-integrated curriculum as effective for intercultural learning, despite identified limitations. Survey results indicated positive evaluations of the curriculum components: the specialized ICC course, integrated subject courses, integrated language courses, and intercultural activities, in that order. Students affirmed the curriculum’s impact on their ICC development, particularly in knowledge, skills, and critical awareness. The specialized ICC course received significantly higher ratings than other components, highlighting its centrality. The study also analyzed the strengths and limitations of each of the four curriculum components, suggesting directions for improvement.