Transformative elements of intercultural education for Japanese nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cross-Cultural Studies
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Limited research exists on Japanese nursing students' experiences with Western instructors.
• Intercultural interactions in nursing education are increasingly common globally.
• Understanding student perspectives is crucial for effective international faculty integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe the lived experiences of Japanese nursing students taught by foreign faculty.
• To identify the challenges and benefits associated with intercultural nursing education.
• To provide insights into optimizing teaching and learning in diverse academic settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative design utilizing interpretive phenomenology.
• Purposeful sampling of graduate and undergraduate nursing students (n=13).
• Participants had at least one semester of experience with foreign faculty.

Main Results:

• Six emergent themes illustrate an evolutionary process of understanding intercultural experiences.
• Themes include: struggling with uncertainty, working to understand, discovering differences in teaching styles, opening eyes to the world, thinking differently, and wanting to know more.
• Student effort in comprehending foreign instructors significantly impacts learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The process of understanding foreign faculty influences nursing students' learning.
• Both students and faculty must consider the work involved in intercultural learning.
• Sustained exposure to foreign faculty is essential for meaningful teaching outcomes in intercultural nursing education.