Exploring Tertiary Health Science Student Willingness or Resistance to Cultural Competency and Safety Pedagogy

• Main Authors: Sowbhagya Micheal, Anita Eseosa Ogbeide, Amit Arora, Stewart Alford, Rubab Firdaus, David Lim, Tinashe Dune
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: cultural competency and safety; teaching and learning; student transition; student retention; patient-centered care
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9184
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

There is an increasing body of literature that considers the relevance and experiences of cultural competency and safety training in health professional students. However, less is written about Australian tertiary learners’ experiences of engaging with cultural competency training. The aim of this study is to explore tertiary students’ willingness or resistance to cultural competency and safety pedagogy. Qualitative student feedback to a teaching unit was collected and triangulated with data from focus groups with tutors. Results were thematically analyzed. Willingness and resistance to cultural competency and safety teaching emerged as two key themes. Willingness to engage with the unit was largely due to student interest in the content, teaching environment and relevance of cultural competency to students’ future practice. Resistance was linked to the students feeling personally attacked, or culturally confronted, with tutors noting the topics around sexuality and white privilege being more resisted. Acknowledging reasons for student resistance and developing strategies to reduce resistance can facilitate more student engagement with cultural competency topics, ultimately leading to their future provision of culturally competent healthcare.