LEARNING STYLE, INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY, AND INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES: A CASE OF A JAPANESE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

We explored how learning style relates to intercultural sensitivity and how these two variables are associated with international attitudes in the context of a Japanese university. Since the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology articulated the magnitude of shifting towards globalization of Japanese higher education, many universities have continued to advance initiatives to prepare their students for globalized contexts. Little is known about how learning style relates to psychological variables of cross-cultural communication. Thus, the present empirical study attempted to fill this gap. Participants of the study were 109 Japanese students enrolled at a Japanese university. We applied three measures: Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, Chen and Starosta’s Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, and Yashima’s International Posture measure. Because factor structure with constituent items of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was unresolved, we initially examined how its latent constructs are configured and then identified four underlying components: Affirmative & Enjoyment Interaction, Negative Perceptions, Anxious Interaction, and Respect of Cultural Differences. The International Posture consists of four themes to measure Intercultural Approach Tendency, Interest in International Vocation, Interest in Foreign Affairs, and Willingness to Communicate to the World. Results of regression analysis illustrated that a learning style variable of more acting over reflecting significantly related to the sensitivity variable of Anxious Interaction (β = -0.26, p < 0.01). Subsequently, results of regression analysis indicated that a learning style variable of more thinking over feeling was significantly associated with Intercultural Approach Tendency (β = -0.19, p < 0.01), while that of more acting over reflecting was significantly associated with Intercultural Approach Tendency (β = 0.16, p < 0.05) and Interest in International Vocation (β = 0.30, p < 0.01). As to relationships between intercultural sensitivity and international attitudes, the results showed that Affirmative & Enjoyment Interaction was significantly associated with all four international attitudes (βs ranged from 0.24 to 0.57); Anxious Interaction significantly related to only Willingness to Communicate to the World (β = -0.33, p < 0.01); and Respect of Cultural Differences was significantly linked with Intercultural Approach Tendency (β = 0.20, p < 0.01) and Interest in Foreign Affairs (β = 0.28, p < 0.01). The results suggest that learning style relates to intercultural sensitivity and international attitudes, but the relationship depends on the type of learning style variable and the specific factor in intercultural sensitivity and international attitudes.