Bridging cultures: exploring the links between multicultural competence, intercultural communication anxiety and social empathy

Akgul E., AKMAN B.

JOURNAL OF MULTILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, 2025 (AHCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/01434632.2025.2533875
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF MULTILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, Communication & Mass Media Index, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Index Islamicus, Linguistic Bibliography, Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, DIALNET
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the correlations between preschool teachers' perceptions of multicultural competence, Intercultural Communication Anxiety, and social empathy (SE) skills. Utilising a quantitative research design within a descriptive-relational screening methodology, the study involved a randomly selected sample of 400 preschool teachers. The findings, analyzed through a structural equation model, revealed that SE skills significantly predict teachers' multicultural competence perceptions via the mediating role of Intercultural Communication Anxiety. Two key elements emerged from the analysis: first, Intercultural Communication Anxiety mediates the relationship between SE and multicultural competence; second, the direction of this mediation is significant. The model suggests that teachers with high SE skills exhibit enhanced knowledge, skills, and awareness of multicultural competence, contingent upon their levels of Intercultural Communication Anxiety.