Abstract
To be responsive now and in the future, workplaces must address the demands of multicultural teams, as they become more common elements of the global labour force. This is especially the case for aged care due to forecasted growth of the ageing population, industry employment and migrant recruitment. This research identifies influences on and improvements for learning in these environments. Its unique contribution is to illuminate how culturally diverse workplaces can work and learn together more effectively. A mixed methods approach was used to gather data about this topic via questionnaire and case study. The study has found that a key individual factor influencing learning is cultural background. Interactional factors suggest that the high requirement for collaboration in aged care positively supports learning in this context, however, it can be hindered by cultural bias and spoken accent. The study also found that environmental factors, such as disruptions caused by the pandemic, were another key influence. For example, the need to wear face masks hindered the communication needed for workplace learning. This was especially challenging due to the diverse language backgrounds and abilities within the teams. Potential improvements for learning in multicultural aged care work environments were identified. These include more frequent and structured inter-peer learning (e.g. buddying), communication training (e.g. English language usage for both native and non-native speaking workers) and support for cross-cultural habitude (e.g. recognizing and adapting to cultural differences). This study addresses contributes practical insights for more inclusive workplaces.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education and Learning Worlds of Differences
KEYWORDS
CROSS CULTURAL LEARNING,MIGRANT LEARNING, INCLUSIVE LEARNING
