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To work effectively with the diverse student populations, educators at Queen’s University are expected to continuously develop intercultural teaching competence (ITC). ITC emphasizes critical reflection on one’s own cultural assumptions, awareness of systemic inequities, and the adaptation of pedagogical approaches that support the success of all students.

What is Intercultural Teaching Competence?

“Intercultural Teaching Competence is the ability of instructors to interact with students in a way that supports the learning of students who are linguistically, culturally, socially, or in other ways different from the instructor or from each other, across a very wide definition of perceived difference and group identity (Dimitrov, Dawson, Meadows & Olsen, 2014, P. 89)."

ITC enables educators in higher education to^{1, 2, 3}:

• bridge cultural, linguistic and many other forms of gaps in the classroom to enable learning
• establish meaningful relationships with and amongst students to promote engagement
• facilitate dialogues about critical global issues in a respectful, inclusive, and appropriate manner
• promote multiple perspectives when selecting content, readings, and learning activities

Components of Intercultural Teaching Competence

Adapted from Dimitrov et al.¹ and Dimitrov & Haque³

Read more about the components of .

Enhancing Intercultural Teaching Competence

Enhancing intercultural teaching competence is an ongoing, reflective process that supports educators in equitably engaging with cultural diversity in teaching and learning. The sections below outline key dimensions of culturally responsive teaching at Queen’s. Collectively, they invite educators to reflect on their positionality and instructional practices, strengthen communication across cultures, design inclusive and meaningful learning experiences, and engage students through curricula informed by global perspectives and diverse ways of knowing.