Effective Teaching in the Multicultural Business Classroom

Abstract

Universities continue to attract growing numbers of international students, so addressing how teachers deal with cultural diversity in the classroom has become increasingly important. This paper outlines the development of a program aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of teaching a university business course in the multicultural classroom. Initially, data were collected from focus groups comprising international students and experienced teachers. Following these focus groups, the problems experienced by teachers working with international students in business tutorials were further explored by collecting survey data from experienced teachers. These data were then used to develop a training program with the aim of improving the skills of teachers in the multicultural classroom. The training program focused on four broad areas: recognition of different teaching models; communication; improving participation and assessment strategies.