Promoting Intercultural Understanding through Student Exchange: A city-country multi-school program
Cultural diversity and intercultural understanding are an essential part of living in a diverse multicultural society such as Australia. This project evaluated the effectiveness of a collaborative intercultural understanding through student exchange program in June 2016. Twenty-two schools from across NSW, including both Sydney metropolitan and rural/remote areas, participated in the program, where students engaged in a week-long exchange program. As part of this program students were involved in a number of formal and informal activities (e.g. regular schooling, sharing meals from different cultures, involvement in cultural performances, learning different languages, participating in different sporting events etc.).
The intercultural exchange program aims to:
- Improve students' appreciation of diversity (including socio-economic diversity)
- Increase students' cultural confidence and a sense of self within a diverse Australia
- Improve students' sense of place, community and their understanding (and experience) of urban and rural life.
- Increase students' awareness, understanding, and empathy towards different cultures
- Reducing stereotyping of target groups
- Increase students' critical perspectives on representations of other cultures
- Enhance their pro-social dispositions
Key Findings
- The data showed that CCA school students had high levels of cultural awareness.
- The strongest influences on students’ cultural empathy, awareness and understanding were parents and self-realisation.
- Students showed a strong appreciation and acceptance of cultural diversity; however there was a strong thread of assimilationist attitudes towards migrants (1/3 of students agreed with the statement that “migrants should behave like Australians”).
- Students showed a high level of pro-social dispositions. 90% of students wanted to see their peers show empathy towards people from a different culture, 73% stated they would help if they saw someone being treated badly because of their culture. However, knowledge of ways to help was lower (62%).
- Students born overseas were significantly less likely to ‘feel Australian’ (51% compared to 80% of the Australian-born population).
- Country students expressed a stronger sense of place and community. However, both country and city students could benefit from a greater understanding of rural/urban life.
- The vast majority of students (8 out of 10) had not experienced racism directed towards them. However, the number of those who had experienced racism in a school setting was significant. This was particularly relevant in country schools where respondents were twice as likely to experience racism as their counterparts in city schools.
Publications
Project Team
- Professor Kevin Dunn (Western Sydney University)
- Andrew Stevenson (NSW Department of Education)
- Sakuna Pho (City Country Alliance)
- Brian Debus (City Country Alliance).
- Rachel Sharples (Western Sydney University)
- Virginia Mapedzahama (Western Sydney University)
- Rosalie Atie (Western Sydney University)
- Kathleen Blair (Western Sydney University)
Project Partners and Funding
This project has been commissioned by the City Country Alliance.