Impact of Short-Term Study Abroad Experiences on Transformative Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Walters ◽  
Jennell Charles ◽  
Sue Bingham
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in the number of universities offering students opportunities to study abroad. Traditional semester-long programs have been shortened with many new programs ranging anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks in length. The increased number of short-term programs has enabled professional degree programs, such as nursing, to increase student participation in these programs. These changes are supported by growing evidence of the impact of these programs on student learning, personal and professional development, and understanding of self as a global citizen. Utilizing Mezirow’s transformative learning theory to conceptualize critical reflection, this quantitative study examined the impact of six short-term study abroad programs on critical reflection as a core element of transformative learning. A modified version of the Reflection Questionnaire developed by Kember et al. was completed by 20 participants at 6 weeks following the completion of the study abroad experience. Participants were largely female (90%) and minority students (75%). The results showed that mean critical reflection scores across programs were moderately high (3.84/5.00). Nursing students who went to Haiti scored highest on critical reflection (4.70/5.00) compared to students in the other five programs. Reflective journaling and participation in service learning activities were linked to the highest critical reflection scores. Short-term study abroad programs support transformative learning for students representing a minority population and those in professional and traditional degree programs.

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

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.

Disrupting Liberal Discourse in a Neoliberal World: The Potential of Transformative Education During a Short Term Study Abroad Course in Cuba

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharine Chaput ◽  
Michael D. O'Sullivan ◽  
Christine Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Transformative Education ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study

Can transformative learning experiences be achieved in short term study abroad programs given the hold that liberal and neoliberal ideologies have on student thinking? Basing ourselves on Hall's and Foucault's analyses of liberalism and neoliberalism respectively and Mezirow's work on transformative learning, we examine, and learn from, the experiences of two groups of Canadian students who visited Cuba within the framework of a supposedly transformative program.

scholarly journals Chinese Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Learning:

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 85-88
Author(s):  
Sara Bano ◽  
Qing Xia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
Study Abroad Program

In the past few years, the number of Chinese undergraduate students in short term study abroad programs have substantially increased, especially in the field of public health. However, little is known about the experiences of Chinese undergraduate students' in short-term study abroad programs in the field of healthcare. In this qualitative study, by using Transformative Learning Theory lens we tried to understand the meaning making process of Chinese undergraduate students who participated in a short-term study abroad program in the field of Public Health at an American university. The students considered their participation in short-term study abroad program as an opportunity to develop their careers and global professional identity by learning English and cultural aspects of health profession in the USA.

The Impact of Short Term Study Abroad on the  Identity Development of College Students with Learning Disabilities and/or AD/HD

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Shames ◽  
Peg Alden
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
Students With Ld ◽  
Identity Changes ◽  
The Impact

This article explores the identity changes that college students with LD and/or AD/HD report after participating in a short-term study abroad program. The reflections of thirteen short-term study abroad participants, all of whom have been diagnosed with LD and/or AD/HD are presented. Particular attention is focused on the ways in which these identity changes impacted the students as learners and the factors unique to short-term study abroad that facilitated those identity changes. It concludes by proposing a model of identity development for students with LD and/or AD/HD and recommends methods for greater inclusion of students with LD and/or AD/HD in short-term study abroad programs. We hope that our findings will help to reframe notions about the ability and adaptability of students with LD and/or AD/HD, lower current barriers to participation in study abroad for students with LD and/or AD/HD, and contribute to the dynamic discussion currently underway about study abroad and student outcomes.

scholarly journals Understanding How Program Factors Influence Intercultural Learning in Study Abroad: The Benefits of Mixed-Method Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-45
Author(s):  
Andrea Paras ◽  
Michael Carignan ◽  
Ashley Brenner ◽  
Jane Hardy ◽  
Jodi Malmgren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Intercultural Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
The Impact

With the proliferation of short term study abroad programs at institutions of higher education, there is a need for more rigorous assessment of how these pr ograms contribute to intercultural learning. This article presents a multi institutional comparative study of students’ intercultural learning in six short term study abroad programs in Canada and the U nited S tates , employing both quantitative and qualitat ive methods. The study combines pre and post IDI survey scores with a qualitative analysis of student writing to present evidence about the impact of specific program features on students’ intercultural learning, as well as an analysis of how the students themselves make sense of their experiences abroad. We argue that the extent of pre departure intercultural training has a positive relationship with intercultural learning outcomes. Additionally, we present evidence that service learning opportunities and intra group dynamics contribute to students’ intercultural competence. We conclude that mixed methods analysis provides the most effective way of identifying how different program factors contribute to intercultural growth, when that growth occurs in a pr ogram cycle, and how program leaders can provide effective intercultural interventions to best facilitate student learning abroad.

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

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.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Study Abroad Objectives and Satisfaction of International Students in Japan

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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