ISJ April 2015: The inter-cultural toolbox – a means for developing intercultural competencies

Mike Izzard & Martha Ross

Abstract:

It is the very nature of a school environment to have students from culturally disparate families mixing with educators and interested members of local society into a school culture and community. It is the culturally-specific knowledge, experiences and communication of values these individuals expose that is of interest to this paper. How does this cultural diversity affect the development of understanding and how can this affect students’ overall school achievement?

Individual contributions to school culture are created through all discourse, be it social or professional communication, diverse linguistic competencies or through non-verbal behaviours. The values and priorities of an organization are created by human interaction. All individuals in a school community, including the students, are equal in the contribution that they make to the overall school culture. All persons can be seen as stakeholders playing a vital role of interaction between the school and society.