Efficiency of Arts Education in the Context of Formation of Intercultural Communication Skills: Case-Study and Statistical Analysis of the Results

Abstract

The research aims are to explain the teaching methods and strategies contributing to formation of intercultural communication skills, to outline the challenges in the context of intercultural training, and to draw the pattern for development of intercultural communication skills among future specialists in the field of arts and culture. This study adopted an experimental methodology that observed the effects of teaching interventions (independent variables) on the level of intercultural communication skills among students (dependent variables). The experiment was realized through the qualitative tools (questionnaire and observation techniques). The experiment was conducted in five stages between September 2023 and January 2024. A total of 94 students (49 students from the experimental and 45 from the control group) and 14 external stakeholders served as a sample. The results showed that intercultural communication skills are formed through teaching methods and strategies oriented towards the increase in students’ diverse cultural background, including openness to cultural diversity, cultural empathy, social initiative, emotional stability, intercultural interaction and communication style, cultural creativity. Considering these teaching methods and strategies found that the pattern for development of intercultural communication skills among future specialists of arts and culture involves experimental learning, real life experience and cultural immersion activities, communication activities, curriculum improvement, creation of technology-based environment, implementation of regular feedback and assessment.