Cross-cultural communication competence of students in the unique context of the Polish–Czech borderland

Research objectives (aims) and problem(s): The aim of this study was to identify differences in the level and determinants of intercultural communication competence among school pupils in the Polish–Czech border region. Specifically, we sought to determine whether statistically significant differences exist among the study groups, and which variables—such as environment, gender, faith, national identity, and community affiliation—shape intercultural communication skills. Research methods: The study employed a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire. It involved 464 participants across three groups: pupils from bilingual schools in the Czech Republic [A], pupils from Polish schools located near the border [B], and a control group of pupils from public schools in the Silesian Voivodeship. Process of argumentation: Zaolzie represents a borderland with a unique cultural identity and a longstanding tradition of multiculturalism. This raises the question of whether, in such an environment, students’ levels of intercultural communication competence differ from those in other regions, or whether their declared views are shaped by different variables. Research findings and their impact on the development of educational sciences: The study found that the local context—the environment in which respondents were raised and educated, situated at the cultural and national border between Poland and the Czech Republic—does not significantly influence their level of intercultural communication competence or their expectations regarding intercultural education. The data indicate that students’ competences are similar to those of adolescents from other regions, and that beliefs, views, and attitudes toward multiculturalism are only minimally affected by the examined variables.