CIICPD 2023

encouraged may also vary between countries, higher education institutions and their specific syllabi. When it comes to functional diversity , so to say, the different functions students may take on outside their study contexts, it needs to be outlined that this largely depends on the range of possibilities their higher education institution offers. How flexible is the teaching and learning path? How much time is there to assume different roles? Is there a chance to extend one’s knowledge base outside the classroom? If so, international students can further broaden their minds, work at different departments inside or outside the institution of higher learning and by doing so, achieve perspective changes, get to know other communication structures and take on a more multi-professional orientation. In addition, international students also get to know institutional diversity given that they come from abroad and have already learned and studied at their domestic institution, which may have a completely different organisational culture, other networking activities, different priorities, missions and visions. 4. The DIVE Strategy Applied – setting the scene with international students Imagine you teach international students that come from a cultural background where the degree of power disparity is very high. In such societies, the teacher appears like the sage on the stage, with unquestioned authority. In cultures with such high power disparity, classroom engagement and lively discussions are not regarded as a positive or beneficial feature. Rather, they are avoided and considered as unnecessary and disruptive. In addition, harmony is encouraged, and critical thinking is not seen as a key component of good teaching practices. On the contrary, engaging in an evaluative discourse that may challenge the teachers’ ideas is most likely considered as a face-threating act that needs to be avoided at all costs. Assume that you are not aware of the different cultural concepts and seek to streamline the international students with the ones that you are acquainted with at home. Without the application of the DIVE Strategy, you may quickly come to the conclusion that they have nothing to say, are a bunch of reluctant, introverted and maybe even bored students. Here is where the four steps of the DIVE Strategy come into play. First, you describe the situation just as it is without any evaluation or judgement. Then you start to interpret the situation. Try to add as many motivations and different interpretations as possible. The next step would be to verify the classroom situation. This is certainly the most difficult part as the students most probably do not have the intercultural understanding of their behaviour and may not be capable of conveying the rationale behind their reactions and classroom practises. Here, it may be useful to talk to an intercultural expert that observes the setting and then enriches it with his or her own theoretical knowledge base. This may help to clarify the situation and bring light to the classroom practices of the students. Finally, you need to evaluate your own interpretations. Why were you jumping so readily to preconceived conclusions and judging the international students in line with your internalised set of expectations? What does the newly acquired knowledge of the setting at hand teach you about your own values? Would you approach an additional international classroom differently now that you have assessed and reflected your evaluations?

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