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Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
Formación para una ciudadanía intercultural en estudiantes universitarios
Nancy Elizabeth Sosa-Caiza
nesosa@uce.edu.ec
Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3478-925X
ABSTRACT
Intercultural education not only seeks to promote respect and coexistence between cultures, but
also to develop skills that enable students to understand, value and take advantage of cultural
diversity as a resource for learning and building more inclusive societies. The research objective
is to determine the effectiveness of the training programme for intercultural citizenship in
university students. Methodologically, a quasi-experimental design with a quantitative approach
was used, and the sample consisted of 260 university students. The results of this research
confirm the effectiveness of the training programme for intercultural citizenship in university
students, evidenced by the statistically significant change in the experimental group
(G1POSTEST), with a bilateral significance of 0.021, while the other groups remained at 0. This
allowed the acceptance of the affirmative hypothesis and the rejection of the null hypothesis,
demonstrating that the programme had a positive impact on the population studied.
Descriptors: intercultural dialogue; intercultural education; cultural diversity. (Source: UNESCO
Thesaurus).
RESUMEN
La educación intercultural no solo busca promover el respeto y la convivencia entre culturas, sino
también desarrollar competencias que permitan a los estudiantes comprender, valorar y
aprovechar la diversidad cultural como un recurso para el aprendizaje y la construcción de
sociedades más inclusivas. Se destaca como objetivo de investigación determinar la Efectivad
del programa de formación para una ciudadanía intercultural en estudiantes universitarios.
Metodológicamente utilizó un diseño cuasiexperimental con un enfoque cuantitativo, la muestra
estuvo conformada por 260 estudiantes universitarios. Los resultados de esta investigación
confirman la efectividad del programa de formación para una ciudadanía intercultural en
estudiantes universitarios, evidenciada por el cambio estadísticamente significativo en el grupo
experimental (G1POSTEST), con una significancia bilateral de 0,021, mientras que los demás
grupos permanecieron en 0. Esto permitió aceptar la hipótesis afirmativa y rechazar la hipótesis
nula, demostrando que el programa tuvo un impacto positivo en la población estudiada.
Descriptores: diversidad cultural; educación intercultural; diálogo intercultural. (Fuente: Tesauro
UNESCO).
Received: 08/09/2024. Reviewed: 12/10/2024. Approved: 19/12/2024. Published: 27/01/2025.
Research articles
Cognopolis
Revista de educción y pedagogía
Vol. 3(1), 14-25, 2025
Formación para una ciudadanía intercultural en estudiantes universitarios
Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
Nancy Elizabeth Sosa-Caiza
15
INTRODUCTION
Intercultural education not only seeks to promote respect and coexistence
between cultures, but also to develop skills that enable students to understand,
value and take advantage of cultural diversity as a resource for learning and
building more inclusive societies (Andrade & Pardo, 2015; Krainer & Chaves,
2021). In this sense, universities, as meeting places for people from different
backgrounds, are privileged settings for fostering intercultural dialogue and the
development of global citizenship (Espinoza-Freire & Ley-Leyva, 2020).
From a pedagogical perspective, it has been shown that the implementation of
intercultural educational strategies can generate significant transformations in the
attitudes, knowledge and skills of students. In this sense, Bustamante-Álvarez et
al. (2023) comment that everyday classroom practices, such as collaborative
work and critical reflection, are essential for promoting interculturality. Similarly,
Cépeda-García et al. (2019) mention the importance of adapting pedagogical
practices to the specific cultural contexts of students, especially in communities
with high cultural diversity, which reinforces the need for a situated approach to
teaching.
In the Latin American context, intercultural education faces particular challenges
arising from structural inequalities and the historical exclusion of certain cultural
groups. According to Quichimbo-Saquichagua (2019), understanding
interculturality in this region requires comprehensive action that transcends
education and also addresses social and political dimensions. Along the same
lines, Palomeque-Verdugo et al. (2023) point out that learning processes in higher
education must consider the specific challenges faced by students in multicultural
contexts, such as the lack of recognition of their knowledge and experiences.
On the other hand, the use of technological tools and innovative methodologies
has been identified as a key resource for promoting interculturality in educational
processes. Thus, Diaz-Quichimbo et al. (2021) highlight the role of social
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Revista de educción y pedagogía
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Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
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networks as spaces for cultural exchange, while Florez-Montaño et al. (2022)
emphasise the importance of foreign language learning as a means of developing
intercultural competences . These strategies not only enrich the teaching-learning
process, but also enhance interaction between students from different cultures,
promoting a deeper understanding of diversity.
From the above, the research objective is to determine the effectiveness of the
training programme for intercultural citizenship in university students.
Theoretical framework
Training for intercultural citizenship in the university environment is based on the
promotion of respect, the valuing of cultural diversity and the development of
intercultural competences. In this sense, the following is presented:
Interculturality and intercultural education
Interculturality, from an educational perspective, is conceived as a dynamic
process that fosters dialogue, mutual respect and the construction of equitable
relationships between cultures. According to Andrade & Pardo (2015),
intercultural education must design strategies that enable students not only to
understand and value cultural diversity, but also to integrate it as a resource for
learning and coexistence. This perspective seeks to transcend mere cultural
coexistence in order to promote an active citizenship committed to social justice
(Rodríguez-Leuro, 2023).
In the Latin American context, intercultural education faces specific challenges
derived from structural inequalities and the historical exclusion of certain cultural
groups. In this regard, Quichimbo-Saquichagua (2019) argues that intercultural
education must address both educational and social aspects, promoting a
comprehensive approach that recognises the knowledge and experiences of
indigenous communities and other historically marginalised groups. Similarly,
Espinoza-Freire & Ley-Leyva (2020) comment that, in countries such as Ecuador,
intercultural education has emerged as a response to the demands for inclusion
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Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
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and recognition of cultural diversity, although its implementation still faces
significant challenges.
From a pedagogical perspective, Cépeda-García et al. (2019) mention that
intercultural educational practices must be adapted to the specific cultural
contexts of the students, which implies that the teaching-learning processes are
more meaningful and relevant, promoting a deeper understanding of
interculturality and its application in everyday life.
Intercultural competences
The development of intercultural competences is a central objective of
intercultural education. These competences include cognitive, emotional and
social skills that enable students to interact effectively and respectfully with
people from different cultures. Bustamante-Álvarez et al. (2023) therefore
suggest that everyday classroom activities, such as collaborative work and critical
reflection, are essential for fostering these competences. For their part, Florez-
Montaño et al. (2022) emphasise that foreign language learning can be a key tool
for developing intercultural skills, as it facilitates communication and
understanding between cultures.
In the university environment, Krainer & Chaves (2021) propose a critical vision
of intercultural education, pointing out that it must go beyond the simple
transmission of knowledge about other cultures. From this perspective,
intercultural education must promote critical reflection on the power relations and
structural inequalities that affect intercultural interactions. This position is
essential for training citizens capable of questioning and transforming the
dynamics of exclusion and discrimination in their social contexts.
Pedagogical strategies for interculturality
The implementation of effective pedagogical strategies is fundamental for the
success of intercultural training programmes. In this sense, Cuadros-Muñoz &
Chancay-Cedeño (2023) warn that group strategies are important in learning
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Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
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about interculturality, as they encourage collaborative work and the exchange of
perspectives among students. For their part, Diaz-Quichimbo et al. (2021)
highlight the role of social networks as tools for promoting cultural interaction and
meaningful learning in digital contexts.
Likewise, Garrote-Rojas et al. (2018) indicate that information and
communication technologies (ICT) can enrich intercultural teaching-learning
processes, facilitating access to educational resources and promoting interaction
between students from different cultures. These tools, combined with innovative
methodologies, can contribute to the development of intercultural competences
more effectively, especially in university contexts.
METHOD
The research method used a quasi-experimental design with a quantitative
approach, aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a training programme for
intercultural citizenship in university students. This design allowed for a
comparison of the results obtained between an experimental group and a control
group, before and after the implementation of the programme, with the aim of
identifying significant changes in the intercultural competences of the
participants.
The sample consisted of 260 university students selected by means of non-
probabilistic convenience sampling. It was divided into two groups: an
experimental group, made up of 131 students who participated in the training
programme, and a control group, made up of 129 students who did not receive
the intervention. Both groups were homogeneous in terms of age, gender and
academic level, which guaranteed the comparability of the results.
For data collection, a validated questionnaire was used to measure intercultural
competences, consisting of items related to the attitudes, knowledge and skills
necessary for coexistence in multicultural contexts. The validity of the instrument
was confirmed by the judgement of 5 experts, obtaining a content validity index
(CVI) of 0.89, which indicates a high relevance and clarity of the items. Likewise,
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the reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha
coefficient, reaching a value of 0.91, which reflects excellent internal consistency.
This instrument was applied at two points in time: before the intervention (pre-
test) and after the intervention (post-test), both in the experimental group and in
the control group.
The training programme was designed based on intercultural pedagogical
principles, including reflective activities, group dynamics and analysis of practical
cases related to cultural diversity. The intervention lasted eight weeks, with
weekly sessions lasting two hours. During this period, the participants in the
experimental group actively participated in the proposed activities, while the
control group continued with their usual training without receiving the intervention.
The data collected was analysed using inferential statistical tests, specifically
Student's t-test for independent samples, in order to compare the pretest and
posttest results between the experimental and control groups. A significance level
of 0.05 was considered to determine the existence of statistically significant
differences.
RESULTS
The results of the research are presented below, based on the data collected:
Table 1. Effectiveness of the intercultural citizenship training programme for
university students.
Source: Author's own.
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Given that the experimental group (G1POSTEST) presented a bilateral
significance of 0.021, while the other groups remained at 0, a statistically
significant change is observed. This indicates that the treatment applied was
effective in the population studied.
In this sense, we proceed to accept the affirmative hypothesis H1 and reject the
null hypothesis H0
Hypothesis test
H1: The training programme for intercultural citizenship was effective in university
students.
H0: The training programme for intercultural citizenship was not effective in
university students.
DISCUSSION
Firstly, the results coincide with the approaches of Andrade & Pardo (2015), who
emphasise the importance of specific strategies for intercultural training in the
university environment. The change observed in the experimental group suggests
that the programme implemented succeeded in fostering intercultural
competences, in line with the need to design educational interventions that
promote coexistence and respect for cultural diversity.
Likewise, the results are related to the studies by Bustamante-Álvarez et al.
(2023) and Cépeda-García et al. (2019), who promote that daily actions in the
classroom and culturally sensitive pedagogical practices are fundamental for
developing intercultural citizenship. In this sense, the evaluated programme
seems to have incorporated practical and reflective elements that facilitated the
internalisation of intercultural values in the students, as suggested by this
research. cultural values in students, as suggested by this research.
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Training for intercultural citizenship in university students
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On the other hand, research such as that of Cuadros-Muñoz & Chancay-Cedeño
(2023) and Diaz-Quichimbo et al. (2021), warns that the role of group strategies
and social networks as key tools for promoting interculturality, although the
present study does not detail the use of these tools, the positive results suggest
that the programme may have included collaborative and innovative approaches
that promoted meaningful learning and cultural interaction.
Likewise, the challenges and opportunities of intercultural education in Latin
America, discussed by authors such as Espinoza-Freire & Ley-Leyva (2020),
Krainer & Chaves (2021), are relevant for interpreting the results. These authors
mention that the effectiveness of intercultural programmes depends on their
ability to address structural inequalities and promote inclusive education. In this
case, the programme evaluated seems to have responded to these demands,
achieving a positive impact on the students.
The study also aligns with the approaches of Florez-Montaño et al. (2022) and
Garrote-Rojas et al. (2018), who highlight the importance of integrating
information and communication technologies (ICT) and foreign language learning
into intercultural teaching processes. Although it is not specified whether the
programme included these tools, its effectiveness could be related to the
incorporation of innovative methodologies that facilitated cultural interaction.
On the other hand, the results reinforce the ideas of González-Mediel et al. (2021)
and Madrid-Peña et al. (2024), who emphasise the need to train teachers in
intercultural competences to guarantee the success of educational programmes.
Although the present study focuses on students, the success of the programme
is likely to be related to the preparation and awareness of the facilitators in charge
of implementing it.
Likewise, the studies by Montes et al. (2023) and Palomeque-Verdugo et al.
(2023) highlight the importance of experiential learning and challenges in
intercultural learning processes. In this case, the programme evaluated seems to
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have promoted practical activities that allowed students to reflect on cultural
diversity and develop skills for coexistence in multicultural contexts.
Finally, research such as that of Paredes & Carcausto (2022; Pedrero-García et
al. 2017) and Quichimbo-Saquichagua (2019), mention the need to understand
interculturality as a dynamic process that requires a comprehensive perspective
in education. Therefore, the results of the present study confirm that the
implemented programme managed to address this complexity, promoting
intercultural citizenship in university students. interculturality in university
students.
CONCLUSION
The results of this research confirm the effectiveness of the training programme
for intercultural citizenship in university students, evidenced by the statistically
significant change in the experimental group (G1POSTEST), with a bilateral
significance of 0.021, while the other groups remained at 0. This allowed us to
accept the affirmative hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis, demonstrating
that the programme had a positive impact on the population studied. The
programme evaluated proved to be an effective tool for developing intercultural
competences, contributing to the formation of a global and equitable citizenry,
reinforcing the need to integrate interculturality as a transversal axis in higher
education.
FINANCING
Non-monetary
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
There is no conflict of interest with people or institutions linked to the research.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the intercultural rights of individuals.
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