Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills in a Curriculum Design Project: Collaborative Learning for Social Change in the Republic of Macedonia

Degree Name

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

First Advisor

Ryland White

Abstract

With growing technology, job outsourcing, and international volunteerism, the world is becoming increasingly globalized. As a result, one of the questions becomes: what cross-cultural facilitation skills can guide individuals and organizations to successfully create and implement community need projects abroad? The purpose of this Training for Social Action Course Linked Capstone is to examine my learnings and skill development as a cross-cultural facilitator trainer in the context of successfully developing a children’s curriculum design process in the Republic of Macedonia. Curriculum for the Children’s Story Hour (CSH) for the Ohrid Red Cross was designed in a collaborative process using Participatory Action Research (PAR), Bernice McCarthy’s model of learning styles, and Jeff Brooks-Harris’ and Susan Stock-Ward’s workshop facilitation skills. The process and results of efforts to create an effective learning environment in this curriculum design process are explained, using these conceptual frameworks, field notes from the curriculum design focus group sessions, observations, participants’ responses to questions about their own learning needs, participants’ evaluation of my facilitation skills, my evaluation of my own facilitation skills, and an examination of the cultural difference between the United States and the Republic of Macedonia. Using the TDEL Trainer Self-Assessment survey (of knowledge, attitude, and skills), I describe my development as a cross-cultural facilitator. This paper aims at making a contribution to individuals and organizations using a participatory approach and facilitation skills to achieve social change in cultures other than their own.

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

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