Cultural Intelligence Growth in UK, Polish, and Malaysian HE Students: The Role of Satisfaction in a COIL Intervention

These datasets were generated as part of a study investigating whether participation in an international, collaborative learning experience—specifically the “Global Classroom Project”—would lead to increases in students’ Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and their satisfaction with the learning experience. The main hypothesis was that students involved in this project would show significant increases in overall CQ and its sub-dimensions (motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioural), and that higher levels of CQ would be positively associated with greater student satisfaction.

Two datasets are included:

Intervention Group Dataset: This dataset contains matched pre- and post-intervention data from 56 undergraduate psychology students who participated in the Global Classroom Project across three academic years (2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024) at three institutions: Opole University (Poland), Leeds Trinity University (UK), and Taylors University (Malaysia). Students worked in intercultural teams and completed an online presentation comparing psychological concepts across the three cultures.

Control Group Dataset: This smaller dataset includes matched pre- and post-data from 6 students in a control group at the UK university who did not participate in the international project.

In both datasets, participants completed two instruments:

Expanded Cultural Intelligence Scale (E-CQS) (Van Dyne et al., 2012), a validated 39-item self-report tool measuring four CQ dimensions on a 7-point Likert scale: motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioural.

Student Satisfaction Scale, a self-developed 18-item measure assessing satisfaction with the international learning experience (administered only in the intervention group), using a 5-point Likert scale.

Statistical analyses showed that participants in the intervention group experienced significant gains in overall CQ and various sub-dimensions, as well as a positive relationship between CQ and satisfaction. No significant changes were found in the control group, except a small increase in behavioural CQ.

These datasets can be used to explore the development of Cultural Intelligence through international education. The intervention dataset is particularly suited for secondary analyses of trends across cohorts, countries, and CQ dimensions, while the control dataset supports comparison of outcomes for students without intercultural exposure. Both datasets are anonymised, clearly labelled, and formatted for compatibility with common statistical software.