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Fostering intercultural communication skills through
flipped instruction
Aybolgen BORASHEVA
1
Nukus State Pedagogical Institute
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received August 2023
Received in revised form
15
September
2023
Accepted 15
October
2023
Available online
25
November
2023
Traditional pedagogies often fail to provide the experiential
learning needed to advance these competencies significantly.
The flipped classroom model presents a promising approach,
inverting the order of content delivery and application.
This literature review analyzes research on implementing
flipped classrooms for intercultural skill development in higher
education. Effective strategies involve introducing cultural
frameworks pre-class and applying concepts through role-plays
and analysis in class. Studies highlight improved intercultural
awareness and collaboration skills. However, purposeful course
design, faculty training, and student preparation are vital.
Additional comparative research can continue strengthening
empirical insights. Overall, flipped classrooms hold meaningful
potential for fostering the next generation of graduates equipped
for communicating successfully across cultures, though
thoughtful implementation remains key.
2181-
1415/©
2023 in Science LLC.
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-1415-vol4-iss5-pp72-77
This is an open access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru)
Keywords:
flipped classroom,
intercultural communication
skills,
behavioral competencies,
cultural sensitivity,
cultural frameworks
Teskari
ta’lim
orqali
madaniyatlararo
muloqot
ko‘nikmalarini rivojlantirish
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar
:
teskari sinf,
madaniyatlararo muloqot
ko‘niklari,
xulq-atvor
kompetentsiyalari,
madaniy ta’sirchanlik,
madaniy doiralar
An’anaviy pedagogika ko‘pincha ushbu vakolatlarni sezilarli
darajada oshirish uchun zarur bo‘lgan tajribaviy o‘rganishni
ta’minlay olmaydi. Teskari ta’lim modeli kontentni yetkazib
be
rish va qo‘llash tartibini o‘zgartirib, istiqbolli yondashuvni
taqdim etadi. Ushbu adabiyot sharhi oliy ta’limda
madaniyatlararo ko‘nikmalarni rivojlantirish uchun teskari
sinflarni joriy etish bo‘yicha tadqiqotlarni tahlil qiladi. Samarali
1
Жамият
ва
инновациялар
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Общество
и
инновации
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Society and innovations
Issue
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4
№
5 (2023) / ISSN 2181-1415
73
strategiyalar sinfdan oldin madaniy asoslarni joriy etish va
tushunchalarni rolli o‘yinlar va sinfda tahlil qilish orqali
qo‘llashni o‘z ichiga oladi. Tadqiqotlar madaniyatlararo
xabardorlik va hamkorlik ko‘nikmalarining yaxshilanganligini
ta’kidlaydi. Biroq maqsadli kursni loyihalash, o‘qituvchilarni
tayyorlash va talabalarni tayyorlash juda muhimdir. Qo‘shimcha
qiyosiy tadqiqotlar empirik tushunchalarni mustahkamlashda
davom etishi mumkin. Umuman olganda, o‘zgartirilgan sinflar
madaniyatlar bo‘ylab muvaffaqiyatli muloqo
t qilish uchun
keyingi avlod bitiruvchilarini tarbiyalashda muhim ahamiyatga
ega.
Развитие
навыков
межкультурного
общения
посредством перевернутого обучения
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
перевернутый класс,
навыки межкультурного
общения,
поведенческие
компетенции,
культурная
чувствительность,
культурные рамки
Традиционная педагогика часто не может обеспечить
обучение на основе опыта, необходимое для значительного
развития этих компетенций. Модель перевернутого класса
представляет собой многообещающий подход, меняющий
порядок предоставления и применения контента
.
Статья фокусируется на исследованиях, связанных с
применением концепции перевернутых классов в контексте
развития межкультурных навыков в среде высшего
образования. Эффективные стратегии, упомянутые в
статье, включают предоставление студентам культурных
рамок до проведения занятий, что, вероятно, подразумевает
доступ к учебным материалам, видео или лекциям. В классе
же студенты активно используют полученные знания
посредством ролевых игр, дискуссий и аналитической
работы, что способствует углубленному пониманию
межкультурных различий и сходств. Исследования, на
которые ссылается статья, отмечают повышение уровня
межкультурной осведомленности у студентов и улучшение
навыков
сотрудничества,
что
особенно
важно
в
глобализированном мире. Тем не менее, статья также
подчеркивает
важность
тщательно
продуманной
разработки курса, подготовки преподавателей к новой
методике и адекватной подготовки студентов к новому
формату обучения. Автор заключает, что, несмотря на
значительный потенциал перевернутых классов в плане
формирования у выпускников способности к эффективному
межкультурному общению, ключевым аспектом успешного
внедрения данной методики является ее осмысленное и
целенаправленное применение.
Introduction
The flipped classroom is an instructional model that upends traditional lecture-
based teaching by delivering foundational content outside of scheduled class time and
Жамият
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Society and innovations
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using face-to-face interactions for learning activities that focus on applying concepts
(Bishop & Verleger, 2013). This inversion typically involves students independently
watching pre-recorded video lectures, listening to podcasts, reading assigned materials, or
completing interactive lessons as "homework" to gain exposure to new information.
Classroom time is then used for higher-level cognitive work like discussions, collaborative
projects, simulations, and analysis of real-world scenarios that allow for active
engagement and hands-on practice applying the knowledge (Findlay-Thompson &
Mombourquette, 2014). The flipped model intends to take advantage of the benefits of
online learning for content delivery with the strengths of live instruction for experiential
learning.
With increasing globalization, intercultural competence has become a crucial
capability needed for succeeding in diverse environments and interactions (Leask, 2015).
Key intercultural skills include cultural self-awareness, perspective-taking, managing
anxiety, listening, cultural adaptation, and attitudes like openness and curiosity
(Deardorff, 2006). However, research suggests traditional teacher-centered pedagogies
often fail to provide the experiential learning opportunities necessary for advancing these
competencies significantly (Perry & Southwell, 2011). It highlights the need for innovative
approaches to intercultural education that focus less on theory transmission and more on
applied learning through meaningful intercultural experiences.
Understanding the Flipped Classroom Model
The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical order of content
delivery and application is reversed or “flipped” (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015).
Foundational knowledge acquisition that has traditionally occurred through in-class
lectures is moved outside of class time through pre-recorded videos, readings, simulations,
or other multimedia. This enables instructors to dedicate precious face-to-face class time
to engaging students in active learning activities focused on applying concepts through
collaborative projects, discussions, problem-solving, and evaluations of real-world
scenarios (Arnold-Garza, 2014). A key principle is that lower levels of cognitive work occur
independently outside of class, while higher levels happen interactively in-person.
Potential benefits of the flipped model include increased student motivation and
engagement, improved academic achievement, and greater satisfaction with the learning
experience compared to traditional classroom instruction (Gross et al., 2015). The
approach also allows for differentiation of instruction and caters to diverse learning
preferences (Evseeva & Solozhenko, 2015). However, challenges include the increased
time needed for instructors to develop materials, student reluctance toward active
learning, inconsistent pre-class preparation, and student discomfort with new teaching
methods (Mok, 2014).
Intercultural Communication Skills
Intercultural communication skills refer to the abilities needed to interact
effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds (Deardorff, 2006). Key
components include self-awareness of one's own culture, deep understanding of other
worldviews, managing anxiety in uncertain situations, perspective-taking, listening,
adaptation` to different communication styles, and attitudes of respect, openness and
curiosity (Byram, 1997). These enable meaningful exchanges between people of diverse
cultural identities.
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With rising global interconnection, intercultural skills have become imperative for
succeeding across fields (Leask, 2015). People today frequently interact with colleagues,
clients, partners, and stakeholders from a multitude of cultures. Intercultural competence
allows one to bridge differences, foster relationships, resolve conflicts, avoid
miscommunication, and function effectively in multicultural environments (Kitao & Kitao,
1989). Globalization has expanded the demand for graduates equipped with the empathy,
adaptability, and cultural know-how to communicate successfully across cultural barriers.
Intercultural skills are essential for navigating an increasingly diverse and interconnected
world.
The Intersection of Flipped Classrooms and Intercultural Communication
Skills
The experiential, active learning focus of the flipped classroom aligns well with
developing the complex cognitive and behavioral competencies involved in intercultural
communication (Wei et al, 2020). The model allows educators to introduce cultural
frameworks and concepts through pre-class materials, then maximize face-to-face time for
applying that knowledge through immersive simulations, discussions, and evaluations of
real-world scenarios (Rybinski & Scootia, 2016). This inversion prioritizes higher-order
thinking and interactive practice opportunities often missing in traditional intercultural
education. Research indicates flipped instruction improves intercultural sensitivity and
preparation for diverse settings versus conventional teaching (Evseeva & Solozhenko,
2015).
Effective techniques include using pre-class videos or readings to teach cultural
models, norms, and case studies, then applying those concepts in-class through role-plays,
culture contrasts, and simulations (Schlairet et al, 2021). Instructors can utilize global
virtual teams for discussions, provide rubrics linking activities to competencies, and offer
technology support to increase engagement (Lee & Wallace, 2018). Guiding experiential
reflection before and after flip lessons facilitates meaning-making. Aligning flip activities
to target awareness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes builds holistic intercultural capacity.
Case Studies and Examples
A technical writing course for engineering students in Russia successfully integrated
intercultural communication education using a flipped model (Evseeva & Solozhenko,
2015). Pre-class content introduced cultural dimensions while in-class activities involved
analyzing multicultural texts and team projects, resulting in improved cultural awareness.
A study of American business students in a flipped cross-cultural course found strong gains
in cultural empathy, flexibility and collaboration skills through experiential in-class
learning (Rybinski & Scootia, 2016).
Effective flipped intercultural education ensures constructive alignment between
pre-class and in-class activities (Galway et al., 2014). For instance, introducing cultural
theory via video before applying it through a case study analysis in class. Maintaining an
experiential focus, guided reflection, and linking activities to defined competencies also
enhances flipped intercultural courses (Wang et al., 2017). Challenges to address include
student motivation, providing IT support, and developing high quality pre-class resources.
Implications and Future Directions
The research highlights meaningful benefits of the flipped model for intercultural
education, suggesting educators should consider integrating elements of flipped
instruction to enhance experiential learning in their courses (Long, Logan & Waugh, 2016).
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However, thoughtful course (re)design, faculty training, and student preparation are vital
to ensure effectiveness. Students must be ready for increased responsibility in pre-class
learning and engage actively during in-person application.
More comparative studies on flipped versus traditional intercultural education
across classroom contexts are needed to strengthen empirical evidence (Koponen &
Pedaste, 2020). Exploring optimal combinations of pre-class and in-class activities for
developing specific competencies would provide valuable pedagogical insights.
Researchers should also investigate how factors like disciplinary context, student
demographics, and access to technology resources impact flipped classroom effectiveness
for intercultural skill building.
Conclusion
This paper has reviewed research on implementing flipped classrooms for
developing intercultural communication skills. The flipped model inverts traditional
teaching by delivering foundational knowledge through pre-class activities, then
maximizing interactive application in-person. This aligns well with building the complex
cognitive, behavioral and affective competencies needed for intercultural effectiveness.
Studies highlight benefits like improved cultural sensitivity when thoughtfully flipping
intercultural education. Strategies include introducing cultural frameworks pre-class then
applying them through simulations in class. However, careful course design, faculty
training, and student preparation remain essential.
With intercultural skills growing more crucial globally, innovative pedagogies are
needed in higher education. The flipped classroom model shows significant promise for
enriching intercultural learning by prioritizing an experiential approach. However,
continued research is vital to strengthen the evidence base and provide nuanced
recommendations. When designed effectively, flipped classrooms can play an integral role
in developing the next generation of graduates equipped to communicate successfully
across cultures.
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