Examining Intercultural Growth for Business Students in Short-Term Study Abroad Programs: Too Good to Be True?

In recent years the perceived value and interest in participating in study abroad programs among college students has been increasing. Faculty who endeavor to develop study abroad programs face many challenges, particularly at smaller universities where resources may be very limited. This article offers recommendations to help faculty of regional and small universities who are considering developing a new direct-enrollment short-term program. The article addresses several pertinent issues including: the suitability of faculty, selecting a location, designing the course content, and post-trip evaluation.

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Eastern Promises Fulfilled: The Differential Impact of Marketing-Focused Short-Term Study Abroad Programs in India and Japan

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad ◽

10.36366/frontiers.v31i2.460 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 158-179

Author(s):

Zafar Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Business Students ◽

Differential Impact ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Study Abroad Program ◽

The Impact

This study compares two marketing focused short term study programs in Asia (Indi a and Japan) and highlights reasons as to why students perceive that they learn more in one country than the other . Research to date has sparsely assessed the impact of study abroad programs on students’ perceived growth . The existing literature has rarely focused on short term study abroad programs while focusing mainly on undergraduate non business students studying in Europe in long term study abroad program s Short term study abroad programs (lasting less than eight weeks) are not considere d rigorous enough and several doubts exist as to their effectiveness as a pedagogical technique. This paper uses survey methodology and a sample of 92 undergraduate and graduate business students who have completed a short term study abroad program. The results show that students in these particular short term study abroad programs perceive greater personal, professional, and inter cultural growth than in a 10 week quarter long course. Students’ backgrounds could be a differential impact facto r, but more research needs to be done. Marketing educators, when designing short term study abroad programs, are encouraged to balance freedom and structure, and account for students’ backgrounds.

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Emplacing Berlin: Digital Itineraries and Short-term Study Abroad in the City

International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing ◽

10.3366/ijhac.2018.0204 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 26-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard B. Apgar

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Physical Space ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Digital Maps ◽

Short Term Study ◽

The City

As destination of choice for many short-term study abroad programs, Berlin offers students of German language, culture and history a number of sites richly layered with significance. The complexities of these sites and the competing narratives that surround them are difficult for students to grasp in a condensed period of time. Using approaches from the spatial humanities, this article offers a case study for enhancing student learning through the creation of digital maps and itineraries in a campus-based course for subsequent use during a three-week program in Berlin. In particular, the concept of deep mapping is discussed as a means of augmenting understanding of the city and its history from a narrative across time to a narrative across the physical space of the city. As itineraries, these course-based projects were replicated on site. In moving from the digital environment to the urban landscape, this article concludes by noting meanings uncovered and narratives formed as we moved through the physical space of the city.

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The Ebb and Flow of Study Abroad: A Comparative Analysis of PRC and International Students in Taiwan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13115844 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 5844

Author(s):

Amy Roberts ◽

Gregory S. Ching

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

Study Abroad ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Republic Of China ◽

Short Term Study ◽

The Mean ◽

Cross Tabulation ◽

Pacific Community

The dialogue about study abroad is a contemporary trend. Since 2011, enrolments from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have gradually increased and PRC students have now become one of the largest groups of incoming study abroad participants in Taiwan. In this study, investigators explored the characteristics of PRC students in comparison with other international students studying in Taiwan universities. Data were collected from 1870 study abroad students. Data collected include the various study abroad goals, prior study abroad experiences, the Short-term Study Abroad Situational Change Survey, the revised East Asian Acculturation Measures, the Study Abroad Acculturative Hassles, and their overall study abroad satisfaction. Data analyses included computation of the mean, frequency, cross-tabulation of respondents’ responses for identified questions, and various group comparisons. Implications suggest that the characteristics of PRC students are valuable and potentially transformative markers for sustainable cross-strait ties. Study abroad programs in Taiwan are noted as one piece of the emerging discourse for sustainable co-existence between Taiwan and the PRC. As such, PRC study abroad participants along with faculty and students in Taiwan universities have an opportunity to play a role in reshaping future exchanges as well as transforming themselves into stewards of a trans-Pacific community.

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Study Abroad Objectives and Satisfaction of International Students in Japan

Journal of International Students ◽

10.32674/jis.v8i4.238 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Matthias Hennings ◽

Shin Tanabe

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

Study Abroad ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Language Skills ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Cultural Skills

Many Japanese universities have created short-term study abroad programs with the aim of offering a satisfying study abroad experience to international students. Based on a survey of 131 international students, this paper analyzes these students’ objectives and their relation to student satisfaction. As the results show, many students regard their experience of living in Japan as more important than their academic pursuits. Furthermore, for students with prior knowledge of Japanese, improving language skills tends to result in higher satisfaction, while for students who do not speak the local language, achieving cross-cultural skills is a major factor for having a satisfying experience.

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Talking with ‘Others’: Experiences and perspective transformation in a short-term study abroad program

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad ◽

10.36366/frontiers.v33i2.484 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 35-60

Author(s):

Emmanuelle S. Chiocca

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Transformative Learning ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Classroom Culture ◽

Student Experiences ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Multiple Data ◽

Short Term Study

With the growth of short-term study abroad programs comes the need to develop impactful curricula and to provide supportive environments for deep learning abroad that is more than “upgraded” tourism but rather focused on educational outcomes. This qualitative case study investigates the experiences of five study abroad participants in Israel. Drawing from multiple data sources within an interpretive framework, the purpose of this study is to understand student experiences abroad. Data was analyzed inductively and thematically. Findings suggest that the holistic experience was anchored by (1) directed and diverse conversations, (2) hermeneutical reflections, (3) emotional disequilibrium, (4) intercultural competence development, and (5) student engagement in a classroom culture, which acted together as a gestalt. Results highlight the importance of dialogue, both with locals and within the classroom community, for transformative learning. These findings encourage international educators to provide instructional frames that encourage students to engage with local communities in critical ways.

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Program Design and the Development of Students’ Global Perspectives in Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad

Journal of Studies in International Education ◽

10.1177/1028315320906156 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 102831532090615

Author(s):

Melissa Whatley ◽

Adam C. Landon ◽

Michael A. Tarrant ◽

Donald Rubin

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Program Design ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Global Perspectives ◽

Studying Abroad ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Before And After

This study explores connections between design features of faculty-led short-term study abroad programs and resulting changes in students’ global perspectives. Over 2,000 students provided data for this study, completing the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI) before and after studying abroad. Results indicated that program features such as participation in an internship and opportunities for reflection are positively associated with global perspective development while abroad, whereas features such as number of students traveling together and coursework in English are negatively associated with such development. Given the increasing numbers of students who participate in faculty-led short-term abroad programs, research that provides evidence-based recommendations concerning program design is essential to enhancing global perspectives through study abroad.

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