Abstract
- In increasingly diverse classrooms shaped by migration and cultural complexity, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) has emerged as a vital competency for educators and learners. This paper examines CQ as both an individual capability and a pedagogical and institutional resource within intercultural education, drawing on Ang and Van Dyne’s fourdimensional model, Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural Competence, and Banks’ theory of multicultural education. Through case studies—including pre-service teacher training in Turkey, multilingual pedagogies in the Netherlands, curriculum integration in Singapore, bicultural frameworks in New Zealand, and virtual collabora-tion via COIL initiatives—the study illustrates how CQ supports teacher development, student engagement, and inclusive pedagogy. It also addresses challenges such as the individualization of intercultural work, measurement limitations, and the gap between personal competencies and systemic change. Policy debates in Germany regarding migrant-background student ratios underscore the need to embed CQ across educational systems, ensuring inclusion and responsiveness at both classroom and institutional levels.