A Survey on the Influence of Museum Experience on Intercultural Competence with Structural Equation Approach (Case Study for Iranian and Afghan students)

Achieving social acceptance and respect for cultural diversity, requires recognition and awareness of attitudes and behavioral discrepancies among the individuals in multicultural societies. the university atmosphere, as an important educational center that attracts persons with different intellectual and cultural background, plays a significant role in presenting such awareness to the students. Furthermore, given the change in function and outlook of museums in recent century and their focus on social, educational issues, and public interest and needs, the impact of museums on raising such awareness is substantial. This article aims to evaluate the impact of museum experience on intercultural competence of Iranian-Afghan students in academic atmosphere. The conceptual framework is designed based on Deardorff Intercultural Competence Model. This developmental survey was done using questionnaire and holding an exhibition in form of museum experience among Iranian-Afghan students in Kharazmi University. Structural Equation Modeling was applied to analyze the data. Our findings show that raising awareness through museum experience has a considerable impact on intercultural competence.