This study examines the direct effects of multicultural-based learning dimensions and the Multicultural Education Curriculum (MEC) on university students’ Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC). This study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey approach. 384 undergraduate students from Shandong University in China were involved in the study using a structured questionnaire. Participants were recruited using stratified random sampling, in order to ensure that there were sufficient participants of different characteristics. Using the questionnaires, quantitative data were collected and analyzed by means of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping in order to test the relationships between the investigated variables. Findings showed that four multicultural-based learning dimensions are significantly and positively affecting students’ ICC. Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning (? = 0.138) emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by Community-Engaged Multicultural Learning (? = 0.122), Collaborative and Social Interaction Learning (? = 0.115), and Social Justice and Advocacy-Based Learning (? = 0.107). However, Experiential Multicultural Learning did not demonstrate a significant direct effect on ICC (? = 0.072, p > .05). In addition to the effects of experiences with multiculturalism on ICC, the Multicultural Education Curriculum showed a strong positive and significant direct effect on ICC (? = 0.413, t = 8.359, p < .001). Among all the variables in the proposed model, students’ intercultural communication competence was the most affected by this study. Students’ intercultural communication competence can be fostered by multicultural learning experiences and a multicultural education curriculum. This study’s findings can aid university instructors and a curriculum developer in facilitating students’ skills for culturally responsive teaching and engaging them in experiences of learning through collaborative projects, community service, and a study of a multicultural curriculum.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence.
Multilingual Matters.
Chang, Hong. (2023). The influencing factors of teacher pedagogical ability enhancement in
Shandong University of Engineering and Vocational Technology (Doctoral dissertation, Siam University).
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Feng, X. (2023). Double reduction policy’s influence on music, arts, and education in
Shandong’s schools: A comprehensive study. Arts Educa, 37.
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.).
Teachers College Press.
Han, H., & Yang, Y. (2025, July 29–31). A study on the correlation between English learning
self-efficacy and classroom anxiety among students at University A in Shandong Province. In Proceedings of the 9th STIU International Conference 2025 (p. 99). Stamford International University, Thailand.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and
development. Prentice-Hall.
Lhagyal, D. (2026). Diversity and ethnic integration in Chinese higher education: Insights from
the experiences of Indigenous Tibetans. Globalizations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2026.2627959
Liu, J., Fan, S., Liu, Y., Wang, S., Sun, X., Li, X., & Yuan, Z. (2026). The influence of attitudes
towards statistics on statistical proficiency among medical students: A chain mediating effect of statistics anxiety and statistics self-efficacy. BMC Medical Education, 26, 177. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08472-1
Mei, W. X., Motevalli, S., & Garmjani, M. G. (2026). Cultural moderation in the relationship
between smartphone usage, sleep quality, and life satisfaction among students. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(2), 315–337. https://doi.org/10.46886/IJARPED/v15-i2/21383
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress.
Jossey-Bass.
Satybaldiyeva, D., Keneshbayev, B., Tazhibayeva, R., & Kaltayeva, S. (2025). Analysis of the
effect of cultural adaptation on academic performance. ?????? ????????? (KazUTB Bulletin), 4(29). https://doi.org/10.58805/kazutb.v.4.29-1204
Taihe, L., & Tahir, S. B. (2024). Exploring the impact of multicultural education on Nanchang
University of Technology students in China: Student well-being effect, improvement and challenges. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(8), 1107–1123. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i8/22484
Wang, R., Liu, C., & Zhang, S. Y. (2023). The quality of group interactions in medical problem-
based learning in China: The roles of intercultural sensitivity and group ethnic composition. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 661. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04616-3
Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Yin, P., & Chang, X. (2025). Standard curriculum learning efficacy of
Tibetan students: The interactive effect of multicultural environment and self-related factors. International Journal of Educational Research, 131, Article 102571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2025.102571
Wu, X. (2021). Summing up the cultural experience of the CPC over the past century, and
promoting exchanges and mutual learning between party cultures and diverse civilizations of the world: A review of the Third World Cultural Forum and its second sub-forum on Chinese culture. International Critical Thought, 11(3), 480–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/21598282.2021.1964427
Zheng, H., Ding, P., Liu, Q., & Xing, L. (2024). Intercultural interaction willingness: A PLS-
PM approach to influencing factors and its mediation effect. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03396-5
Zhu, H., Ho, H. Y., & Maniam, S. (2024). Impact of music style vocal training on psychological
performance among college students at Shandong University of Arts, China. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(7), 554–564. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i7/22080
Pan, Z., & Hashim, A. T. bin M. (2026). Multicultural Learning and Education Curriculum on Shandong University Students’ Intercultural Communication Competence. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(3), 138–146.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
