Teachers’ perceptions and strategies in the development of intercultural communicative competence: The case of international school teachers in Iran

Abstract

This study explored international school teachers’ views and experiences on how the teachers’ and students’ intercultural communicative competence perceptions could be developed. In the study, nine teachers working in international schools in Iran were selected through purposive sampling to be part of a semi-structured interview. The interview questions were designed by the researchers, drawing on Yildiz’s (2016) and Zhou’s (2011) checklists. Based on the results, teachers found being knowledgeable about other cultures, flexible, and open-minded as significant elements for developing the teachers’ intercultural communicative competence. Teachers also referred to the school’s curriculum and the student’s life experiences as the most influential factors in developing the students’ ability to communicate effectively.