Development and validation of the Wesleyan Intercultural Competence Scale (WICS): A tool for measuring the impact of study abroad experiences.

Abstract

As globalization becomes commonplace and the world becomes increasingly interconnected, institutions of higher education have begun to prioritize the development of intercultural competence in their students. A recent review of university statements of essential learning outcomes revealed that 85% of top-ranked National Universities in the U.S. and 68% of top-ranked Liberal Arts colleges in the U.S. stated that the development of intercultural competence is one of their primary objectives (Stemler, 2012). For National Universities this was the most frequently cited objective across the entire sample, edging out other priorities such as writing, quantitative reasoning, and information literacy. The importance of developing the intercultural competence of students has been emphasized by private-sector businesses as well. A 2010 study commissioned by the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 67% of the 302 employers interviewed felt that the ability to understand the global context of situations and decisions was one of the most important aims of higher education (AAC&U, 2010).