scholarly journals Students’ Stories of Studying Abroad: Reflections Upon Return

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Costello

Study abroad brings an enriching experience to students’ academic and personal lives. This narrative essay relays two students’ experiences with study abroad sojourns and touches upon their technology use during their study abroad as recounted in semi-structured interviews. Details of their cultural experiences and reflections thereof as well as the impact these experiences had on their lives are presented. Student participation in study abroad semesters is increasing each year. Understanding previous students’ experience studying abroad, how this impacted their studies and life afterwards can inform decision making of other students considering this option. Additionally, awareness of the technologies used to stay in touch with those at home informs administrative and technical decisions for institutions to consider.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Chen

Nowadays, Vietnamese students choose to study abroad in Asian countries, with Taiwan being one of the most appealing locations so far. The purpose of this research is to explain the planning process used by Vietnamese students to study abroad (the host country is Taiwan), as well as to suggest an appropriate model for students' decision-making once the desire to study abroad is established, in which the impact of career path on school selection is clarified and the importance of motivation to study abroad is emphasized.This research used a mixed-methods approach. In-depth interviews with 30 Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan are conducted using a qualitative methodology. The data gathered during those interviews is utilized to build questionnaires that will be sent to over 300 samples for quantitative study.The research findings demonstrate the primary elements influencing students' desire to study abroad, career planning, and decision-making in Taiwan, as well as the model of students' decision-making process. It is obvious that students' desire to study abroad has a direct effect on their career-planning factor, while this factor acts as a mediator between the aforementioned motivation and the students' decision-making factor.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette M. Racicot ◽  
Diane L. Ferry

<p>The current study used a time-lagged design to examine the effects of Metacognitive and Motivational Cultural Intelligence (CQ) prior to studying abroad on the experiential behavior of students during their study abroad trip and their future interest in work and study abroad opportunities. Using Hayes’ conditional process analysis, results indicated that Motivational CQ predicted Metacognitive CQ which predicted cultural experiences pursued while studying abroad which in turn predicted future interest in working/studying abroad. Implications for improving the study abroad experience and training of students for study abroad programs are discussed.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6581
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Hwang ◽  
Anita Eves ◽  
Jason L. Stienmetz

Travellers have high standards and regard restaurants as important travel attributes. In the tourism and hospitality industry, the use of developed tools (e.g., smartphones and location-based tablets) has been popularised as a way for travellers to easily search for information and to book venues. Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews based on the face-to-face approach was adopted for this study to examine how consumers’ restaurant selection processes are performed with the utilisation of social media on smartphones. Then, thematic analysis was adopted. The findings of this research show that the adoption of social media on smartphones is positively related with consumers’ gratification. More specifically, when consumers regard that process, content and social gratification are satisfied, their intention to adopt social media is fulfilled. It is suggested by this study that consumers’ restaurant decision-making process needs to be understood, as each stage of the decision-making process is not independent; all the stages of the restaurant selection process are organically connected and influence one another.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Warsaw ◽  
Andrew Jones ◽  
Abigail K. Rose ◽  
Alice Newton-Fenner ◽  
Sophie Alshukri ◽  
...  

Introduction: Screen-based and mobile technology has grown at an unprecedented rate. However, little is understood about whether increased screen-use affects executive functioning (EF), the range of mental processes that aid goal attainment and facilitate the selection of appropriate behaviors. To examine this, a systematic review was conducted.Method: This systematic review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus databases to identify articles published between 2007 and March 2020, examining the use of mobile technologies on aspects of EF in healthy adults aged 18–35 years. In total 6079 articles were screened by title, and 39 screened by full text. Eight eligible papers were identified for inclusion. Our methods were pre-registered on the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews.Results: A total of 438 participants were included across the eight studies. Five of the eight studies examined more than one EF. Five studies measured inhibition, and four studies measured decision-making. Smartphone use was negatively associated with inhibition and decision-making. Working memory performance was found to be improved by increased time engaging in video games and by refraining from smartphone use prior to bedtime. Quality assessments indicated high risk of methodological biases across the studies and a low quality of evidence for determining the relationship between technology use and executive functioning.Conclusions: This review highlights the scarcity of the literature in this area. It presents a call for rigorous and objective research to further our understanding of the impact of mobile technology on different aspects of executive function.


2022 ◽  
pp. 275275302110687
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Pyke-Grimm ◽  
Linda S. Franck ◽  
Bonnie Halpern-Felsher ◽  
Robert E. Goldsby ◽  
Roberta S. Rehm

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer must negotiate the transition between childhood and adulthood while dealing with a life-threatening illness. AYA involvement in decision making varies depending on the type of decision and when decisions occur during treatment, and evidence suggests that AYAs want to be involved in decision making. Objective: To explore involvement of AYAs with cancer in day-to-day decisions affected by their cancer and treatment. Methods: This qualitative study used interpretive focused ethnography within the sociologic tradition, informed by symbolic interactionism. Semi-structured interviews and informal participant observation took place at two quaternary pediatric oncology programs. Results: Thirty-one interviews were conducted with 16 AYAs ages 15 to 20 years. Major day to day decision-making categories identified included: (1) mental mindset, (2) self-care practices, (3) self-advocacy, and (4) negotiating relationships. Participants described how they came to grips with their illness early on and decided to fight their cancer. They described decisions they made to protect their health, how they advocated for themselves and decisions they made about relationships with family and friends. Conclusions: Through day-to-day decisions, participants managed the impact of cancer and its treatment on their daily lives. Research should focus on developing and implementing interventions to empower AYAs to participate in day-to-day decisions that will affect how they manage their cancer, its treatment and ultimately their outcomes. Implications for Practice: Healthcare providers can facilitate AYA's participation in day-to-day decision making through encouraging autonomy and self-efficacy by providing support and through effective communication.


Author(s):  
Carolyn Walker Hitchens ◽  
Patricia Clark ◽  
Anthony Kline ◽  
Winnie Mucherah ◽  
Scott Popplewell ◽  
...  

This chapter presents information about Ball State University's Study Abroad Program within the Department of Elementary Education. A general description of students enrolled in the Elementary Education program is given, both historically and currently. Then the origins of the Ball State Elementary Education Study Abroad program are explained, followed by a description of countries and program types that have occurred over the years. A general overview of program considerations, including making contacts, recruiting students, and working with schools is then provided. Next, three travel programs in the department are described, including development, recruitment, and vignettes focusing on experiences in each program. Next, research about program experiences is presented, including the impact of study abroad experiences on students. Personal reflections from instructors who have participated will then be shared. Finally, suggestions about developing and implementing programs will be identified.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Altahtooh ◽  
Thamir Alaskar

Despite the importance of milestone as a key knowledge in project management, there has been lack of research to understand the relationship between milestones and decision-making. This paper presents a pragmatic research context that aims understanding the nature of milestones and their relationship with different decision-making structures and responsibilities across projects. Data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with project managers and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings explore the concepts of project milestones among project managers in Saudi Arabia. The paper finds that there is a relationship between milestones and the impact on decision-making.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e033277
Author(s):  
Clarabelle T Pham ◽  
Catherine L Gibb ◽  
Robert A Fitridge ◽  
Jon Karnon ◽  
Elizabeth Hoon

ObjectivePatients with comorbidities can be referred to a physician-led high-risk clinic for medical optimisation prior to elective surgery at the discretion of the surgical consultant, but the factors that influence this referral are not well understood. The aims of this study were to understand the factors that influence a surgeon’s decision to refer a patient to the clinic, and how the clinic impacts on the management of complex patients.DesignQualitative study using theoretical thematic analysis to analyse transcribed semi-structured interviews.SettingInterviews were held in either the surgical consultant’s private office or a quiet office/room in the hospital ward.ParticipantsSeven surgical consultants who were eligible to refer patients to the clinic.ResultsWhen discussing the factors that influence a referral to the clinic, all participants initially described the optimisation of comorbidities and would then discuss with examples the challenges with managing complex patients and communicating the risks involved with having surgery. When discussing the role of the clinic, two related subthemes were dominant and focused on the management of risk in complex patients. The participants valued the involvement of the clinic in the decision-making and communication of risks to the patient.ConclusionsThe integration of the high-risk clinic in this study appears to offer additional value in supporting the decision-making process for the surgical team and patient beyond the clinical outcomes. The factors that influence a surgeon’s decision to refer a patient to the clinic appear to be driven by the aim to manage the uncertainty and risk to the patient regarding surgery and it was seen as a strategy for managing difficult and complex cases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Tim Felton ◽  
Dan Wootton

The impact of hospital-acquired pneumonia and the pressure to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing has lead to the publication of prescribing guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. This editorial gives an overview of the guidelines and emphasises the need for more high-quality evidence to inform decision making in this group of patients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandru V. Roman

The last two decades have witnessed a tremendous growth in the body of literature addressing the importance and the impact of contracting and public procurement within the context of devolution of government. The austere budgetary and financial outlooks of the future suggest that the significance of the area will only continue to grow. As such, generating explanatory frameworks, within dimensions such as decisionmaking and accountability in public procurement, becomes crucial. Drawing from original research this article suggests one possible frame for understanding administrative decision-making in complex environments. Based on semi-structured interviews with public procurement specialists, the study identifies two decision-making patterns− broker and purist. It is asserted that the decision-making dynamics exhibited by administrators are contingent on their perceptions regarding environmental instability, in particular the political volatility surrounding their work.


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