Poster Session 3: Undergraduate Students Education

Presenters: Sarah Mitchell, Pamela Payne, Lydia DeFlorio, Jenna Dewar

Summary
Cultural competence has been found to be important in teacher education, classroom management, and student well-being and preparedness, yet little is known about student's perceptions of their own cultural competence. This pilot study addresses the following question: how do HDFS students in varying family science classes understand their cultural competence (awareness and knowledge) before and after completing the class? Thematic analysis of preliminary qualitative data indicates that students feel that issues/topics directly relating to culture (e.g., ethnicity, discrimination) and those that facilitate discussions of culture (e.g., encouraging a safe space, using proper language in cultural discussions) should be priority. Results can inform students and professionals on ways to engage cultural competence with undergraduates.

Objectives
-- To examine how HDFS students in varying family science classes understand their cultural competence before and after taking the class.
-- To determine the types of activities that students find helpful in fostering their cultural competence, and what they feel is lacking in family science courses regarding this topic.
-- To provide suggestions to educators on what activities are helpful for fostering students' cultural competency.

Subject Codes: diversity, education
Population Codes: undergraduate students, educators
Method and Approach Codes: mixed-methodology, educational, thematic analysis