Teaching across Cultures: Canada and Qatar - Abstract - Study findings and teaching strategies

Oct 15, 2026

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Findings from a comparative case study in Canada and Qatar are presented, focusing on the cultural context of a transnational post-secondary program delivered by a Canadian business faculty across campuses in St. John’s and Doha. The study analyzes instructors’ perceptions of students’ cultures and discusses teaching strategies that reflect successful pedagogical adaptations. Data are interpreted using a cultural dimensions framework adapted from Hofstede, with additions from Hall and from Dimmock and Walker. Six dimensions are examined, and factors underlying cultural traits are discussed, along with recommendations for future practice and research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

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Abstract

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CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 40, No. 1, 2010, pages 31-52 Teaching across Cultures: Canada and Qatar Jacqueline Prowse University of Victoria J. Tim Goddard University of Prince Edward Island ABSTRACT Findings from a comparative case study conducted in Canada and Qatar are presented in this article. The study examined the cultural context of a transnational post-secondary program offered by the Faculty of Business at a Canadian college, with campuses located in both St. John’sand Doha. The instructors’ perceptions of their students’ cultures are examined, and the resulting teaching strategies that appear to represent successful pedagogical adaptations to cultural context are discussed. The data are examined through the lens of a cultural dimensions framework developed for this case study. Drawing primarily on Hofstede (1980, 2001), the framework was modiﬁed with additions from Hall (2003) and Dimmock and Walker (2005). The analysis is built on six cultural dimensions: monochronic/polychronic time orientation; power distance; individualism/collectivism; uncertainty avoidance; generative/replicative; and aggression/consideration. Possible factors contributing to the reported cultural traits within each dimension are discussed; in addition, the overall effectiveness of the framework is reviewed and recommendations for future practice and research are offered. RÉSUMÉ Cette communication présente les conclusions d’une étude de cas comparative menée au Qatar et au Canada. Dans l’étude, les auteurs examinent le contexte culturel d’un programme d’enseignement transnational et postsecondaire offert par la Faculté d’Administration d’un collège canadien ayant un campus à St-Jean à Terre-Neuve, et 32 CJHE / RCES Volume 40, No. 1, 2010 un autre à Doha. Aussi examinent-ils les perceptions des enseignants vis-à-vis la culture des étudiants. Par la suite, Prowse et Goddard traitent des stratégies d’enseignement résultant de ces perceptionset représentant possiblement une adaptation pédagogique réussie au contexte culturel. Les données sont étudiées par l’intermédiaire d’un cadre de dimensions culturelles conçu pour cette étude. Basé essentiellement sur le travail de Hofstede (1980, 2001), le cadre fut modiﬁé en incorporant le travail de Hall (2003) ainsi que de Dimmock et de Walker (2005) . L’analyse repose sur six dimensions culturelles : i) l’orientation temporellemonochronique/polychronique, ii) la distanciation par rapport au pouvoir, iii) l’échelle d’individualisme/de collectivisme, iv) l’évitement de l’incertitude, v) l’échelle de génération/ de reproduction, et vi) l’échelle d’agression/de considération. Après avoir traité des facteurs pouvant contribuer aux traits culturelsobservés pour chacune des dimensions, les auteurs concluenten examinant l’efﬁcacité général du cadre, et présentent des recommandations pour la pratique et les recherches futures. INTRODUCTION Although the international marketing of Western education is an increasingly common phenomenon, little consideration has been given to the accessibility or appropriateness of Western pedagogy to international students (Altbach, 2002). Many researchers advocate adapting Western curricula and pedagogy to facilitate learning across cultures (e.g., Feast & Bretag, 2005; Robertson, Line, Jones, & Thomas, 2000); if cultural expectations are not considered, learning maybe inhibited. This is most evident on transnational campuses where Western instructors live outside their culture and are tasked with making Western curricula accessible to students from diverse cultures. If students cannot relate to the class material or have culturally distinct expectations, then the quality of education may suffer. Currently, teachers must rely on their own perceptions ofthe students’culture to devise adaptations to their teaching practice to ensure student success. With further study, however, cultu

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the comparative study in Canada and Qatar?

The study examines the cultural context of a transnational post-secondary program and how instructors perceive their students’ cultures.

How are instructors’ perceptions linked to teaching strategies in the article?

The article discusses the teaching strategies that result from instructors’ perceptions and considers which strategies represent successful adaptations to cultural context.

Which framework is used to analyze the cultural data?

A cultural dimensions framework is used, primarily based on Hofstede (1980, 2001) and modified with additions from Hall (2003) and Dimmock and Walker (2005).

What do the six cultural dimensions focus on?

They address time orientation (monochronic/polychronic), power distance, individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, generative/replicative, and aggression/consideration, and explore factors contributing to observed cultural traits.

Oct 15, 2026

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