Maastricht University - Albertine Zanting

1. Cultural diversity in student teams
Its impact on the learning process in Student Centred Learning
Mix-in Conference Maastricht University
Amsterdam 23 March 2010 Albertine Zanting

2. Department
Presentation
• What is Student Centred Learning ?
• Starting points -> research question
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Findings

3. Department
– small tutor groups discuss problems
– independent collection of information
– tutor guides discussion
What is Student Centred
Learning/Problem Based
Learning:

4. Department
Starting points:
• SCL: learning through exchange of
information and intensive interaction
• concept SCL: diversity as source for
learning
• as result of internationalisation and
introduction Ba/Ma -> increasing diversity
of students’ background

5. Department
Research question:
What are the (positive and negative) effects
of cultural diversity in a student population
on the classroom interaction (as important
element of the learning process in SCL) at a
European higher education institution ?

6. Department
Literature review
• Culture = a set of implicit principles and values
• Cultural diversity has endless number of aspects
• Culture influences interaction
• Cultural diversity has both beneficial and detrimental
effects
• Exisiting research on cultural diversity in European HE is
limited
• Cultural diversity in European HE is increasing
-> general impression of what goes on in a culturally
diverse classroom -> qualitative research methodology

7. Department
Research method
• 3 FHML programmes:
– Bachelor European Public Health (mainly German and
Dutch students, group of Thai students)
– Master Molecular Life Sciences (students with HBO and
WO background, also many Belgian students)
– Master Public Health for Professionals (students with work
experience from all over the world)
• Observation in 4 tutorial group meetings
• Interviews with 13 students and 3 teachers
• Research themes: open mindedness, exchange of multiple
perspectives, cognitive and personal growth and development,
academic skills, classroom behaviour of student/teacher, language

8. Department
Findings (1)
• Main aspects of diversity playing a role in
student teams: religion, gender, age,
motivation, work experience, educational
background, level of participation in class,
langague, academic skills, nationality,
personality, culture

9. Department
Findings (2)
• Diversity can be beneficial: more information,
unheard of experiences from workplace,
unfamiliar customs in certain countries,
innovative perspectives, etc.
• Diversity takes more time to arrive ‘on the
same page’, for example:
– Accents, dialects
– Professional/educational backgrounds
– (No) experience with SCL

10. Department
Findings (3)
• Diversity can also make the exchange of
information more complicated:
– Different language competences and uses
– Different communication and behaviour
styles (level of participation, interaction with
teacher, non verbal communication)
• These differences can lead to
misunderstandings, sometimes conflicts

11. Department
Findings (4)
• Students and teachers differently interpret
interactive situations, make generalisations,
have prejudices
• Unawareness + overemphasis of the
implication of culture
• Special role of the teacher:
– As assessors: take culture into account or not ?
– Awareness of cultural differences

12. Department
THANKS !
Questions ?

13. Department
Recommendations (1)
• Develop policies and activities aimed
at creating diverse student teams, for
example in recruitement strategies +
composition of student teams
• Organize longer tutorial meetings in
order to develop ‘shared culture’

14. Department
Recommendations (2)
• Make students and teachers aware of the
existence of cultural differences and of its
influence on interaction (for example during
introduction programme, as part of
curriculum, and as part of tutor training)
• Have teachers pay attention to diversity
• Focus on ‘learning conditions’, not on
categories

15. Department
Recommendations (3)
• Ensure strict testing of and selection on
English language competences (especially
oral)
• Make it a ‘code of conduct’ to stimulate
group members to speak a language that is
understood by all members