Browsing by Subject "Study abroad"
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Item CFANS Semester Study Abroad in Nepal(University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2014) Brouellette, Lisa; Flynn, Mike; Folsom, Paul; Hill, Alicia; Nichols, Leiloni; Seaman, Kristin; Shine, LoganItem Facilitating intercultural development during study abroad: a case study of CIEE’s seminar on living and learning abroad(2013-06) Harvey, Tara AliciaThis study examines a relatively new phenomenon in study abroad: the practice of intervening in students' intercultural learning during their experience abroad. In this paper, I refer to this type of intentional and focused action taken by educators to facilitate student learning abroad as a `study abroad intervention.' This study focuses specifically on a study abroad intervention that is taught on-site while students are participating in a semester abroad. Created and implemented by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the Seminar on Living and Learning Abroad (`the Seminar') is a for-credit intercultural seminar that is offered at numerous CIEE sites around the world. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, study abroad interventions currently in existence. This mixed-methods case study not only examines the outcomes of participation in the Seminar on Living and Learning Abroad, but it also explores the process involved in facilitating students' intercultural development through such a course. The researcher visited two sites where the Seminar was being taught--one in Western Europe and one in Africa-- in fall 2010, where she observed several sessions of the Seminar, interviewed the instructors multiple times, and interviewed the participants. The primary data sources include these observations and interviews, in addition to interviews with the Seminar administrators at CIEE's headquarters and students' pre-/post-test scores from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). The findings demonstrate that the students participating in the Seminar on Living and Learning Abroad at these two sites made significantly greater gains in their intercultural sensitivity than would be expected if they were not participating in a study abroad intervention. Furthermore, the findings illustrate that the process of facilitating students' intercultural learning during study abroad can be highly complex, and they highlight the importance of having skilled facilitators teach such courses. This study also sheds light on the applicability of several pedagogical theories--including the Intercultural Development Continuum (Hammer, 2009, 2012), the challenge/support hypothesis (Sanford, 1966), and Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984)--to this process.Item Factors influencing the decision to study abroad for students of color: moving beyond the barriers.(2009-08) Kasravi, JinousU.S. higher education institutions, professionals in the field of international education exchange, and the federal government recognize the importance of a study abroad experience for American undergraduate students. While the total number of U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad has continually increased since the 1980s, the number of participating students of color remains low. The purpose of this study is to move beyond the barriers and outcomes of study abroad, and focus on those students of color who have made the decision to participate and the factors that influenced their decision. The barriers between applicants and non-applicants are also explored in order to recognize similar or different factors between the two groups. Using Fishbein and Ajzen's (1970) theory of reasoned action, this study seeks to address the personal, social, and institutional factors positively influencing students of color to decide to study abroad; how the factors differ by demographics; and the barriers applicants and non-applicants encounter in their decision. Using a mixed methods approach this study focuses on two groups of students. The first group consisted of undergraduate students of color who had recently been accepted to a study abroad program through the University of California, San Diego in 2008. The second group included all sophomores and above, regardless of race, who had decided not to apply for a study abroad program. The personal and social factors were found to be the primary factors influencing the student's decision to apply. Finances and academics were the main barriers students in both groups faced in their decision. Despite these barriers and family or cultural resistance, the students in the first group overcame the obstacles through information seeking, use of external messengers, personal determination, and internal drive in deciding to participate in study abroad.Item The high impact of education abroad: College students' engagement in international experiences and the development of intercultural competencies(Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 2013-06-03) Stebleton, Michael; Soria, Krista; Cherney, BlytheThis multi-institutional study attempts to discover whether different international activities in which students participate yield different outcomes for the development of students’ global and intercultural competencies. The five international travel and study abroad measures analyzed include students’ participation in a university study abroad program; study abroad program affiliated with another college or university; travel abroad for cross-cultural experiences or informal education; travel abroad for a service learning, volunteer, or work experience; and travel abroad for recreation. The research question that guides this inquiry is as follows: controlling for other factors, is participation in these five types of international travel activities associated with different outcomes in students’ development of global and intercultural competencies?Item The impact of a study abroad program in China on its participants' attitudes towards China.(2012-08) Yang, LiChina is becoming an increasingly popular study abroad destination for outbound students in the United States. There is, however, a lack of research on study abroad in China and its impact. This dissertation seeks to illuminate the influence of a short-term study abroad program in China on its participants’ attitudes towards China. The case this study focuses on is a three-week faculty-led and non-language-based study abroad program in China. The Faucauldian theory of power and knowledge, Said’s Orientalism, and the social psychological theory of attitude and attitude change are used as the theoretical framework for this study. Qualitative methods are mainly used to collect qualitative data and a quantitative survey is used to select interviewees who represent a maximum range of participants and identify the sources of information students had used to learn about China. Focusing on the image and knowledge of China emerging from the spoken and written texts of the students and reflecting the students’ attitudes towards China, this study looked into the representation of China in mainstream discourse in the United States with which the students were familiar. The findings demonstrate that the students’ attitudes towards China and how the students interpreted their experiences in China were shaped by how China has been represented in the mainstream discourse in the United States, which is influenced by the ideological difference and power dynamics between the two countries covers more negative news about China. This then is reflected in the students’ surprises about China and their “This is China” moments. Setting China at the opposite to what the United States is and viewing American knowledge system as the authority, many students used “face” and government control to decode what they had seen and learned in China. These two concepts prevent these students from learning about China from the local perspective. This study also illuminates the effective and ineffective elements in changing students’ attitudes towards China. The source of a message, the way a message is delivered and the students’ related prior experience and knowledge all play an important role in the effectiveness of a message. These findings have significant theoretical, practical and policy implications. The influence of the unbalanced representation of China in the mainstream discourse of the United States needs to be counterbalanced by more local perspectives and a deeper cultural understanding students can acquire during their study abroad trip. Also the Chinese government needs to improve its image in the West through enhancing its public relations strategies and its way of handling problems existing in China.Item The impact of physical activities in a short-term study abroad program: a case study of Dive Belize(2013-05) Terry, Kathryn AnneThe purpose of this case study research is to investigate the impact of physical activities on student experience on a short-term study abroad program. While there is plentiful research on the benefits and student experience of study abroad (both long and short-term), there is limited research focusing on the impact of physical activity as an integral component of a study abroad program. In order to observe and investigate the impact of physical activity in a short-term study abroad program, I accompanied a two-week study abroad program to Belize in January 2013 with undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Along with participant observations, in-depth interviews with participants were also conducted to assess the impact that the physical components of the program had on the students. I found that the physical activities in the program impacted the students connection to the course content, forced the students to overcome obstacles and face fears, made the students seek out other similar study abroad programs for the future, and proved to be the favorite feature of the program. However, I found that the physical activities of the program had little impact on the student's connection and learning of the local culture, and were not reported to be the most meaningful components of the program. Data collected from this study can contribute to the literature on the diverse field of study abroad, and possibly influence future programming of short-term study abroad.Item Instructor Influence on Student Intercultural Learning During instructor-led, Short-Term Study Abroad(2016-05) Anderson, ChristineShort-term study abroad, often in the instructor-led model, is growing nationally with 60% of students enrolling in programs of this length in 2012-13 (IIE, 2013). Higher education institutions’ mission statements often state that creating individuals who respect diversity or have an “international and global understanding” is a goal (Meacham & Gaff. 2006, p. 9). Study abroad is viewed as a premier vehicle to guide students to achieve this more sophisticated worldview. Current education abroad research is not clear on whether intercultural sensitivity can be increased through a short-term, instructor-led program experience. Previous studies often use metrics to compare year-long or semester length programs to short-term study abroad programs. This comparative focus has led to very little research on interventions that may enhance intercultural learning on short-term, instructor-led programs. This study examines eight instructor-led programs and aims to examine if intercultural learning can occur on an instructor-led program and what influence the instructor may have on this important learning outcome. The research questions are: 1) How does the program instructor influence students’ cultural gains and learning during instructor-led study abroad? 1a) What is the impact of guided reflection on students’ cultural gains? 1b) What is the impact of debriefing or not debriefing critical incidents during time abroad? 1c) Does the leader’s intercultural sensitivity level influence students’ intercultural sensitivity? 2) What other factors influence students’ intercultural learning? 2a) Does prior language learning influence students’ intercultural sensitivity? 2b) Does gender influence students’ intercultural sensitivity? 2c) Does challenge, including location, during study abroad influence students’ intercultural sensitivity during instructor-led study abroad? 2d) Does interaction with host-country locals influence students’ intercultural sensitivity during instructor-led study abroad? A sequential quantitative to qualitative mixed methods design was employed to understand first if students could increase their intercultural sensitivity during an instructor-led program and second if these gains were related to the instructor. The population consisted of 105 students who studied abroad on three and a half week instructor-led programs in May and June of 2014. The results of the pre to post study abroad scores on the Intercultural Development Inventory showed the population made significant gains of 6.7 points, 28% made gains into another stage and overall 73% of students made positive movement on the IDI. There was, however, much variability among the programs. The interviews from instructor and students showed that students having a basic understanding of intercultural frameworks, along with frequent and spontaneous facilitation by the instructor was the best method to mentor students to make greater intercultural sensitivity gains. Policy implications and research recommendations are offered to conclude the study.Item International mobility of undergraduate and Graduate Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: push and pull factors(2013-12) Chien, Chiao-LingThis study examines factors that contribute to the cross-border movement of international students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It analyzes characteristics of host countries (pull factors) associated with international students' arrival for education in STEM fields, as well as characteristics of home countries (push factors) related to STEM student's departure for study abroad.The study applies trend analyses and random- and fixed-effects estimations to data from multiple national and international sources. The findings show that a) international STEM students are increasingly concentrated in countries where English is used for instruction and in countries with advanced technological capabilities; b) industrialized countries that have lower enrollments of their own students in STEM programs or aging populations tend to enroll more international STEM students; c) countries that are neither advanced nor substantially lagging in technological capability send more students abroad to pursue STEM education; and d) STEM students migrate more from countries that already have high emigration rates of highly educated citizens.The findings have implications for higher education policies and practices. Key issues include the following: technologically marginalized countries' low STEM enrollment, which may contribute to a widening disparity in technological capability between countries; the migration of STEM students, which suggests that countries should address possible negative effects of the loss of highly skilled citizens; and the increasing use of English as the language of science, which suggests a tendency toward more English-based instruction in non-English speaking countries.Item International students' language and culture learning experience in study abroad(2014-08) Kong, KaishanThis dissertation is a study of Chinese students' language and cultural learning experience through mediational means in a study abroad context. While there is extensive quantitative research to measure linguistic gains or cultural adjustment, there is limited research on study abroad participants' perspectives on their language and cultural learning experience through a sociocultural lens. This dissertation contributes new knowledge in Asian students' sojourn experience. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine, from Chinese students' perspectives, what mediational resources were used and how they used the materials to foster learning in a study abroad context. Data sources included in-depth interviews, ethnographic observations, focus group discussion, social media post and other documents. Sociocultural theory, mediation in particular, was adopted as the theoretical framework for this study because it resonates with my assumption that learning takes place in interaction between individuals and other materials and other people. Study abroad contexts are unique in offering multiple forms of resources that can be similar or different from the students' background. International students' interaction with materials and people in this study abroad community can be a mediational process that leads to learning. It also fits in my purpose of the study to examine the learning process but not the product. This study was not to measure the students' linguistic outcomes or cultural skills; instead, it was to attain more in-depth understanding of their personal experience in learning English and multiple cultures in the United States. Findings show that participants used multiple resources to mediate learning, including tools such as textbooks and on-line technology and semiotic systems such as language, email communication and peer review. Language, including dialogues with other people and private speech, stood out as powerful mediation means. Data also showed that emotions, identities and motivation played a crucial role in mediation. They not only influenced participants' choice of materials but also became mediational means themselves. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for study abroad students, instructors and program administrators. Students are encouraged to become reflective learners and to raise awareness of selecting multiple resources to mediate learning through various strategies. For instructors, this study also shows the importance of various pedagogies to address students' need and the significance of understanding students as individuals in a broader sociocultural context. It is also suggested that training, guidance and mentorship should be offered through the entire study abroad journey and beyond.This project confirms findings from many existing papers that study abroad is a complex experience. There are multiple affordances for learning but there is no definite causal relationship with linguistic gains. Students' interaction with mediational means can produce learning. It also extends the discussion of mediational tools and signs, by showing evidence of how emotions, identities and motivations mediated learning. This study exemplifies efforts to break the either-language-or-culture dichotomy that is often seen as the focus of research, and to inspire more future research on both aspects.Item Marah Mcdougal on studying abroad, choosing UMC, interning, and more(University of Minnesota Crookston, 2022-12-07) University of Minnesota FoundationItem Mentoring in the Moment: Influences of online cultural mentoring on in-country learning and intercultural competencies(2013-12) Smith, Ann LynnThe assumption that sending students abroad for extended periods of time will lead to increased understanding of others, one's place in the world, and increased skills required to navigate cross cultural interactions does not hold up in the literature. Recent research in the field of international and intercultural education calls practitioners and policy makers to integrate a formal intercultural education component into the study abroad experience. There is still much to be learned about the effectiveness and impacts of these "interventions". Through an investigation of one of the largest and most established online cultural mentoring courses offered, Global Identity (University of Minnesota), this study aims to show student perceptions and impacts of online cultural mentoring at various stages of the experience. The research questions are: 1) In what ways and to what degree does an online cultural mentoring intervention influence the in-country learning experience? 2) In what ways and to what degree does on-line cultural mentoring influence broader intercultural competencies (intercultural development and/or global-mindedness)? 3) In what ways and to what degree does an on-line cultural intervention influence the way in which participants value, see relevance in, identify and articulate intercultural skills and perspectives in their lives today? A mixed methods approach is utilized, using both quantitative and qualitative methods for purposes of triangulation of data as well as achieving deeper understanding and further explanation of quantitative findings. The population consists of students who studied abroad between Fall 2008 and Fall 2011. Using a matched pair design, students who also participated in an online cultural mentoring (OCM) course were matched statistically to students not exposed to the course. Results suggest significant positive effects of OCM on in-country learning and broader intercultural competencies and skills. These findings, in combination with its relatively low operating and administration cost, suggest that OCM shows promise as a feasible and scalable cultural mentoring option. Qualitative analysis largely supports the quantitative findings and sheds additional light on subtle but important differences in how OCM participants articulate and value intercultural skills and perspectives, compared to non-OCM participants. Policy implications and research recommendations are offered.Item Parental involvement in study abroad: a case study from the University of Minnesota.(2010-05) Parcells, ChristineParents have become key stakeholders in the study abroad experience. This study constructively examined how parents shape their role through relationships with the institution and their student. Specifically, this study focused on the case of the Learning Abroad Center on the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. Using multiple methods, the researcher gathered perspectives from both the institution and parents of study abroad students to analyze how the office conveys a role to parents and how parents shape their own role. Additionally, this study examined whether the Learning Abroad Center‟s and parents‟ expectations align. Findings show that maintaining a relationship with the Parent Program Office, keeping communication open and establishing a parent role has been critical to the Learning Abroad Center‟s success with parent relations. Parents recognize the importance of study abroad and students‟ independence, but still appear uncertain as to what their role should be and where to access parent-specific resources. Keywords: Study abroad, parental involvement, higher education, international experience Abstracto: Los padres se han vuelto participantes claves en la experiencia de programas de estudio al extranjero. Este estudio examinó de manera constructiva como los padres forman su papel conforme a las relaciones con la institución educativa y sus estudiantes. Específicamente, este estudio se centró en el caso del Learning Abroad Center de la universidad de Minnesota, Twin Cities. Usando varios métodos, la investigadora obtuvo perspectivas de la institución educativa como también de los padres para analizar como el Learning Abroad Center transmite un papel a los padres y los padres cómo forman su propio rol. Además, este estudio examinó si las expectativas de ambos lados se alinean. Las conclusiones demuestran que mantener una relación con el Parent Program Office, mantener comunicación abierta con los padres, y establecer un papel para los padres ha sido crítico para el éxito del Learning Abroad Center con las interacciones con los padres. Estos reconocen la importancia de los estudios al extranjero y la independencia de los estudiantes, pero todavía parece que no están seguros de lo que debe ser su papel y donde se pueden obtener los recursos específicos para los padres. Palabras claves: Estudios al extranjero, participación de los padres, educación superior, experiencia internacionalItem Parental Involvement in U.S. Study Abroad: Helicopters or Helpers(2017-05) Dostal Dauer, KevinParental involvement in higher education has received much attention since the 1990s, though mostly through mainstream media sources. The term “helicopter parents” is now used to describe over-involved parents who ‘hover’ over their children, intent on ensuring that their children’s needs are addressed. The perception within higher education is that such parenting is detrimental to student development and unnecessarily complicates the relationship between the student and their institution of higher education. Study abroad has been widely shown to have wide-ranging positive impacts on the development of undergraduate students including gains in academic success, life skills, and psychosocial development. Parental involvement in study abroad has been reported as one of the top ten concerns for international education professionals for the past decade, but relatively little research has been done that explores the intersection of parental involvement and study abroad. Research has not definitively ascertained whether the notion of parental over-involvement in study abroad is anecdotally-driven or a documented reality. This study examined the extent to which parents are involved in the undergraduate study abroad experience of their student and the ways in which particular characteristics of the parents and students are related to that involvement. The study was conducted using an original, web-based survey instrument and was administered to undergraduate students at three study abroad providing institutions, two public land-grant research universities and one study abroad consortium of 14 private liberal arts colleges. The survey was completed by 382 students for a 19.7% response rate. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation, and three regression model analyses. Findings indicated that parents were significantly less involved in initial choice of study abroad program than they are in other higher education experiences prior to study abroad, thus lending support to the idea that helicopter parenting may not apply uniformly to all aspects of study abroad. A relationship was found between parental involvement in student choice of study abroad and the geographic location of the student’s program. Parents were found to be more likely to communicate more frequently with a female student and more likely to communicate more frequently if their student was participating in a long-duration program. Numerous variables were shown to be related to parents’ decision to visit their student during a study abroad experience, including previous parental study abroad experience, level of previous student travel, type of institution from which the student was studying abroad, the geographic location of the study abroad program, and the duration of the program. Findings support a framework for understanding parental involvement in study abroad and provide helpful insights for future design and allocation of resources for parental interactions with study abroad offices.Item Politeness and social interaction in study abroad: Service encounters in L2 Spanish(2008-06) Shively, Rachel LouiseThis study examines the second language (L2) learning of politeness and social interaction in study abroad within a sociocultural and rapport management framework, reporting on longitudinal, ethnographic research of service encounters recorded in situ between L2 learners of Spanish and local Spanish service providers in Toledo, Spain. Service encounters are defined as interactions between a customer and a service provider in which some commodity will potentially be exchanged. The participants in the study were seven U.S. American students who studied abroad for one semester in Spain during 2007. The data consist of naturalistic digital recordings that participants made of themselves while visiting local stores, banks, information desks, and other service providers. The study was longitudinal with five recordings made at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester by each student, for 113 recordings total. Other sources of data included students' weekly journals describing their service encounters and learning of politeness, interviews with participants and local Spaniards, and the researcher's field notes as a participant observer. The findings indicate that, during the semester abroad, participants learned target language norms of politeness regarding requests, openings, and discourse markers. These developments over time in L2 politeness were connected to students' descriptions about how they learned specific politeness features, namely, through explicit instruction, observation of Spaniards, participation in service encounters, and reactions of interlocutors. Learners managed rapport in service encounters through tone of voice, positive assessments, and other face-enhancing moves.Item Underrepresented Students and Study Abroad: What Is Missing?(2012) Andersen, Lyndsey; Williams, JuliaInstitutions of higher education have acknowledged the importance of global education and global awareness as a necessity for graduates. Study abroad is one aspect of global education that universities have embraced. The number of American students studying abroad has risen dramatically for the last ten years. Students categorized with underrepresented racial populations study abroad less than White students and consequently have not seen the same dramatic increase or high numbers in participation. This study will review the participation of students from an underrepresented racial category in study abroad programs to further examine why this population is missing from the global education initiative.