Title : Development and psychometric testing of the intercultural competence scale
Abstract:
Student cultural competence should be evaluated to identify the effectiveness of educational interventions relevant to culturally congruent care. Given the broad availability of instruments developed to assess cultural competence, there is a need to develop psychometric properties of existing instruments so they might be adapted accordingly. The purpose of this study was to conduct psychometric evaluation of the Intercultural Competence Scale (ICS) to ensure its validity and reliability of measurement.
Methods: Based on the literature review along with critical discussions, the instruments Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, Students’ Attitudes Towards Addressing Sexual Health, and Interpersonal Communication Assessment Scale were adopted to initially form the ICS. Two sequential cohorts of associate in science in nursing (ASN) students from a selected university participated in this longitudinal study for developing psychometric properties of the ICS. The psychometric evaluation included scale selection and construction, psychometric testing, and instrument validation. Data analysis methods included item analysis, internal consistency reliability, and exploratory factor analysis. Results: In total, 215 nursing students participated in this longitudinal study. The ICS adopted three instruments modified into a 21-item tool with four subscales. The ICS is centered on evaluating the learning outcomes of an intercultural competency (IC) program developed to advance student cultural competence. The principal feature of the ICS is to provide a broad perspective in evaluating student cultural competence of the IC program by focusing on cultural humility, cultural reflection, cultural awareness, and cultural sensitivity.
Conclusion: This study provides a foundation for future research to develop a modified instrument for measuring cultural competence. Expanding applicability of the ICS to evaluate the Bachelor of Science in Nursing students’ cultural competence via the IC program is recommended.
