The Teaching and Learning Cultural Competence in aMulticultural Environment (CCMEn) Model

Abstract

Background: Within the European higher education context, students and lecturers areencouraged to engage in teaching and learning activities abroad. This frequently involves using a secondlanguage and being exposed to students and lecturers from culturally different backgrounds. Objective:To design a model for teaching and learning cultural competence in a multicultural environment(CCMEn). Design: Theory development from empirical experience, research, and scholarly works.Method: This model was developed based on our experience of teaching and learning culturalcompetence in a multicultural environment in a nursing education context; it rests on three pillars,namely, Coyle’s Content and Language Integrated Learning educational approach, the concept ofsocial and emotional learning, as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and EmotionalLearning, and the existing literature surrounding teaching and learning cultural competence in highereducation. Results: The CCMEn model is intended to guide the process of teaching and learningcultural competence in a multicultural environment through the use of a second language and hasbeen adapted from existing educational approaches and theory. Conclusion: Teaching and learning inmultilingual and multicultural contexts in Europe is becoming more common. Students who learnalongside students and teachers from different cultural backgrounds need to be supported from anacademic, linguistic and socioemotional perspective. We believe that the CCMEn model can serve as aguide to enhancing student learning in this context.