Unraveling teachers’ intercultural competence when facing a simulated multicultural classroom

This study explored teachers' intercultural competence in response to simulated multicultural classroom scenarios. Data were collected from five focus-group meetings, with three teachers each. Before the discussion, the 15 teachers individually viewed three Spherical Video-Based Virtual Reality (SV-VR) clips from multicultural classrooms viewed through a Head Mounted Display (HMD, Oculus Go). A modified version of Deardorff's Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence was applied to qualitatively analyze these group reflections. The main results were: 1) participants generally do not identify multicultural classroom events through a cultural lens; 2) the ‘tolerance paradox’ poses a challenge for teachers; 3) culture-specific knowledge may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes; 4) curiosity emerges as essential for understanding students' cultural backgrounds; and (5) teachers express differing views on grouping students by cultural background. The implications of these findings for teacher education are discussed. • Teachers were cautious about interpreting classroom events through a cultural lens. • The tolerance paradox presents a challenge for teachers. • Teachers' curious attitude regarding students' cultural background is crucial. • There is a risk that culture-specific knowledge fosters stereotyping.