Towards A Relational Lens: Contemplative Pedagogy And Study Abroad

Abstract

The 21st century has witnessed unprecedented efforts to engage U.S. university students in the study abroad phenomenon. As U.S. study abroad programs grow exponentially, it is vitally important to broaden the prevailing canon of study abroad which is primarily premised on a western understanding of culture, communication, and difference. Specifically, U.S. study abroad must move a mode of engagement steeped in individualistic notions of nation and consciousness to embrace a relational epistemology. This dissertation study suggests the burgeoning discipline of contemplative pedagogy as a critical praxis for introducing a relational approach to intercultural engagement on study abroad programs. This study explores applications of daily mindfulness activities on two Singapore short-term study abroad programs in January 2017 (pilot study) and January 2019 (primary dissertation study). Utilizing action research methodology, this dissertation employs semi-structured interviews, observations, and participant journals to answer the following research questions: 1) How do students understand and enact contemplative pedagogies within the context of a study abroad program? 2) How does contemplative pedagogy inform understandings of intercultural competence on study abroad programs? 3) In what ways might contemplative pedagogy support relational modes of engagement on study abroad programs? The research process illustrates how students’ initial frustration with mindfulness leads them to individualize their enactment of mindfulness activities. Moreover, the students’ concept of mindfulness expands from that of a solo endeavor to include relational interactions with others and the environment. The relational implications of this study further reveal the potential intersection of student identity and group conflict on study abroad programs. The dissertation concludes with a template for the use of contemplative pedagogy on a future study abroad program.