EFL teachers' perception and practice of intercultural competence in Palestine

Jehad Faraj, Andrea Roxana Bellot
University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain
Anca Daniela Frumuselu
University of Lleida, Spain

Our study aims to explore Palestinian EFL teachers' perception and practice of intercultural competence (IC) as well as the relationship the variables have with the teachers' international exposure and previous training in IC. A nation-wide survey was used to collect data from 360 Palestinian EFL teachers. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the collected data. Findings show that while Palestinian EFL teachers have adequate knowledge of IC, their attitudes towards IC and culture teaching practices are moderate. Besides, the overwhelming majority of teachers lack international exposure and adequate training in IC. Additionally, teachers' knowledge and practices of IC are positively correlated with international exposure and training in IC. However, teachers' attitudes are correlated only with international contacts, with no association with overseas experiences and training in IC. This study underscores the significant role EFL teachers can play in fostering students' IC
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Authors: Jehad Faraj is a recent PhD graduate from the Department of English and German Studies, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Spain. He has been working as an English schoolteacher for more than 9 years in Palestine. His research interests include education in conflict societies, culture in EFL classrooms and censorship of school textbooks. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1240-2838 Email: jehadt.faraj@estudiants.urv.cat Andrea Roxana Bellot is an Associate Professor at the Department of English and German Studies, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Spain. Her research interests include war studies, literary and cultural representations of war, and teaching culture in the EFL/ESL classroom. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0561-2132 Email: andrearoxana.bellot@urv.cat Anca Daniela Frumuselu is a Serra Húnter lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Universitat de Lleida, Spain. Her research focuses on teaching English as a foreign language, intercultural competence in virtual exchanges and study abroad, and on the use of new technologies, e-learning, m-learning and gamification in the EFL classroom. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4395-7841 Email: ancadaniela.frumuselu@udl.cat Please cite as: Faraj, J., Bellot, A. R. & Frumuselu, A. D. (2024). EFL teachers' perception and practice of intercultural competence in Palestine. Issues in Educational Research, 34(2), 492-512. http://www.iier.org.au/iier34/faraj.pdf