Strengthening Culture Competency of Graduate Students Through the use of Social Media

Extended Abstract

Strengthening Culture Competency of Graduate Students Through the use of Social Media: A Quantitative Non-Experimental Study 

Background

Social media is a worldwide tool for communication. Real and virtual education relies extensively on social media (Cao, Ajjan, & Hong, 2013). Paul Tess (2013) has noted that social media has become visible in higher education. Social media is quickly changing societies and peoples’ degree of cultural competency. Descriptions of graduate students’ cultural competence and social media use provide a foundation for investigating the relationship between social media and cultural competence; however, previous research doesn’t identify which aspects of cultural competence are affected by social media or where cultural competence instruction was incorporated successfully into university curriculum (Arra, 2010; Cao et al., 2013). Social networking is an intricate part of formal academic learning and social development and interaction. When graduate students focus on terminal degrees, they often work independently and find themselves isolated and can use social media to interact with others (Thoirs, 2010).  Students learn by using social media based on their cultural inclinations and backgrounds. Within social media are various cultural aspects that affect student attitude and learning (Cao et al., 2013).

Problem

The term 'social media' is widely used by academics and practitioners. (Ouirdi, El Ouirdi, Segers, & Henderickx, 2014). The rapid growth of social media presents the possibility for strengthening cultural competency. Social media is now a vehicle for instantaneous communication, collaboration, support, and general sharing. Social networking sites have enabled huge interactions to take place between societies. Hence, developing curricula requires the study of social media literacy (Livingstone, 2015).

The problem for the current study was that the extent was unclear of how graduate students’ demographics, including ethnicity, age, gender, and language, and their social media use affect their cultural competency, when using social media.  Cultural competency was defined as interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction enjoyment, and interaction attentiveness (Chen & Starosta, 2000).

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify whether differences in graduate students’ demographics, including ethnicity, age, gender, and language, or social media use resulted in differences in cultural competency growth, when using social media.  Strengthened cultural competency was defined as receiving higher scores on the five self-reported factors of cultural competency including interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction enjoyment, and interaction attentiveness, as measured by using the Chen and Starosta’s (Chen & Starosta, 2000) Intercultural Sensitivity Scale.  

Theoretical Framework

Moule (Moule, 2012) defined culture as “a lens through which life is perceived” (p. 11). Hofstede (1980, 2001) described a five-dimension metric of culture, which is more useful at the country or organizational levels than the individual level. The CVSCALE, based on Hofstede’s dimensions and comprised of global individual cultural orientation categories, provides reliable and valid scores for individual cultural values across national boundaries (Yoo, Donthu, & Lenartowicz, 2011).

In the field of education and culture, Chen and Starosta (Chen & Starosta, 2000) developed a valid and reliable Intercultural Sensitivity Scale comprising interaction engagement (enjoyment or avoidance of students of other cultures), respect for cultural differences (comfort or respect for other cultures), interaction confidence (confidence of discomfort for other cultures), interaction enjoyment (degree of sensitivity to other cultures), and interaction attentiveness (degree of attention to cultural differences). Chen and Starosta’s (2000) scale is shown in the current study to be applicable for online interaction.

Research Questions

The research questions are formulated to define the how demographic groups (gender, ethnicity, language, age) and social media use group cause changes in the Chen and Starosta’s (2000) subscales of cultural competency.

Gender

To what extent is there any statistically significant correlation between gender of graduate students who use social media and each of the five subscales of cultural competency?

Ethnicity

To what extent is there any statistically significant correlation between ethnicity of graduate students who use social media and each of the five subscales of cultural competency?

Language

To what extent is there any statistically significant correlation between language of graduate students who use social media and each of the five subscales of cultural competency?

Age

To what extent is there any statistically significant correlation between age of graduate students who use social media and each of the five subscales of cultural competency?

Social Media Sites Used

To what extent is there any statistically significant correlation between social media sites used by graduate students and each of the five subscales of cultural competency?

Research Design and Methods

A quantitative, non-experimental research design (Horn, Snyder, Coverdale, Louie, & Roberts, 2009) was applied in a population of masters, doctoral, and professional graduate students in universities anywhere in the world.  Two sampling strategies were applied.  Purposive convenience sampling was conducted of masters, doctoral, and professional graduate student participants who either responded to invitations placed on public group graduate student association Facebook pages from the 120 largest degree-granting universities in the United States that use Facebook. Snowball sampling was conducted of students known to the researchers or professional acquaintances of the researchers.  Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was applied as an omnibus test to identify statistically significant differences in mean rank for cultural competency subscale values (outcome variables) across groups (predictor variables).  The Mann-Whitney U-test was applied for comparisons within groups. Predictor variables (groups) were gender, ethnicity, language, age, and social media sites used.  Outcome variables were the Likert scale sums for each of the sub scores.

Results

Thirty-five participants provided usable responses to the questionnaire.  Frequency distributions and histograms of the data were produced. There was heterogeneity of variance and marked skewness and kertosis in some groups, which indicated that a nonparametric test was appropriate.

For demographic variables, there were no significant differences among groups in mean ranks for any of the five subscales of cultural competency.  Certain social media sites did result in statistically significant increases in mean ranks for some subscales of cultural competency.  Using Facebook statistically significantly (c2df=1 = 4.589, p = .032, U = 21.0, Z score = -2.142, p = .032) increased the interaction engagement sub score (mean rank = 19.32) over not using Facebook (mean rank = 7.75).  Using Pinterest statistically-significantly (c2df=1 = 4.337, p = .037, u = 88, Z = -2.083, p = .037) increased the interaction engagement sub score (mean rank = 22.63) over not using Pinterest (mean rank = 15.2).  Using blogging statistically-significantly increased the interaction engagement sub score (mean ranks: blogging = 25.05, no blogging = 15.18, c2df=1 = 6.730, p = .009, U = 54.5, Z score = -2.594, p = .009), the interaction confidence sub score (mean ranks: blogging = 26.5, no blogging = 14.6, (c2df=1 = 9.818, p = .002, U = 40.0, Z score = -3.133, p = .002), the interaction enjoyment sub score (mean ranks: blogging = 23.30, no blogging = 15.88, c2df=1 = 3.921, p = .048, U = 72.0, Z score = -1.980, p = .048), and the interaction effectiveness sub score (mean ranks: blogging = 25.05, no blogging = 15.18, c2df=1 = 6.898, p = .009, U = 54.5, Z score = -2.626, p = .009) over not using blogging.  No demographic or social media use variable increased the mean rank for the respect for culture sub score.

Conclusions

Using some social media sites increased certain aspects of cultural competency (the interaction engagement sub score, the interaction enjoyment sub score, and the interaction effectiveness sub score).  However, demographic differences did not increase any cultural competence sub scores. These results suggest that educators should focus on using particular social media for all graduate students when attempting to increase students’ cultural competence.  For example, in an effort to help alleviate the sense of isolation among students and increase their chance for success, it is important for institutions to provide mechanisms for social support and community building. Facebook™, Pinterest, and blogging potentially are mechanisms to promote cultural adaptation in an academic context (Ryan, Magro, & Sharp, 2011).  However, additional research is required to identify demographic and social media modulators of respect for cultural differences. This study will help develop an understanding of social media and its influences to enhance cultural competency. It will be through a PowerPoint presentation that the study involving social media and cultural competency will be introduced.

References

Arra, C. T. (2010). An examination of cross-cultural curriculum development and student cross-cultural competencies in a school-based consultation course. [Article]. Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 20(2), 169-183. doi: 10.1080/10474411003785537

Cao, Y., Ajjan, H., & Hong, P. (2013). Using social media applications for educational outcomes in college teaching: A structural equation analysis. [Article]. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(4), 581-593. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12066

Chen, G., & Starosta, W. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3(1-15).

Tess, P. A. (2013). The role of social media in higher education classes (real and virtual) – a literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(5), A60-A68. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.12.032

Thoirs, K. (2010). Using online peer feedback in formative assessment for medical sonography students teaching: The student view. . The Radiographer, 57(2), 26-33.