Intercultural Competence—A Matter of Social Skills in the Educational Context?

Educational institutions in Europe strive to equip students with the skills necessary for successful participation in diverse social and professional environments, particularly those characterised by cultural heterogeneity. However, social and intercultural competence are often treated as distinct constructs, overlooking potential interdependencies and the ways in which one may inform the other. This study thus examines the relationship between social competence, intercultural competence, social identity and attitudes towards outgroups in an educational context. Using a cross-sectional design, we analysed survey data from German university students and school pupils (N = 544). The results indicate that older participants demonstrated higher average scores of social and intercultural competence, while participants of universities and universities of applied sciences differed only in reflexibility, but no other dimension of social competence. Moreover, social competence, European identity and attitudes towards foreigners are positively related to intercultural competence. Contrary to our expectations, national identity showed no significant association. The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamics between social and intercultural competence, as well as identity in an educational context.