Developing Intercultural Awareness For Pre-Service Teachers In Thailand

Abstract

This paper examined intercultural awareness as a learning outcome of the pedagogical
design targeting intercultural competence (IC) development among pre-service teachers in a
teacher education program in Thailand. The instructional design activities aimed to develop the
pre-service teacher’s intercultural awareness toward the cultural aspects that learners may not
be aware of. The study followed the action research cycle to develop the instructional activities
over the period of two semesters. Data regarding the students’ intercultural awareness findings were elicited from 50 students taking the course. The result showed that the pre-service teachers reshaped their beliefs and values throughout their intercultural experiences in the IC-enhanced course by displaying awareness of the renewed understanding of culture, accepting multiple perspectives, and developing sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences. The suggested pedagogical activities are hoped to be shared to other professionals, especially those in teacher education programs.