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U.S. study abroad continues to grow in the United States, with 332,727 Americans studying abroad for academic credit at their home institutions during the 2016–2017 academic year (Institute for International Education, 2018). Study abroad is recognized by many students as a valuable and increasingly essential aspect of higher education in America. Developing a better understanding of the factors that contribute to or hinder study abroad participation is crucial to expanding participation. The study examined factors that influence male and female participation at public and private Universities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Arizona who have studied abroad or who plan to study abroad. To answer these questions, this study employed mixed methods explanatory sequential study. The quantitative data were collected through a survey and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews expressing the participant’s experiences in study abroad. Together, the results of the quantitative and qualitative provided information on the variety of factors that influenced student participation in study abroad. The findings of this study derived from both the quantitative and qualitative data. The research questions that guided this study were guided by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action. Previous literature found that intercultural attitudes such as the openness to other cultures and diversity and intercultural communication influenced study abroad participation (Salisbury et al, 2010; Stroud, 2010). The quantitative data revealed that the cost of study abroad had an impact on student’s decision to study abroad as well as student’s whose parents or guardians have a degree. The qualitative data revealed that friends, family, and advisors had a large influence on student intent and decision to study abroad. Results of this study have implications for higher education. Recommendations for future research include a study that involves male and female students who did not elect to study abroad.
The study abroad experience is an important fixture of American higher education, with politicians, institutions, and mainstream media calling for increased participation. Participation in study abroad can potentially benefit students' personal, academic, and career development. However, historical educational data have shown that some groups, such as Students of Color, have been underrepresented in study abroad participation at American colleges and universities. To better understand the racial gap in study abroad participation, this study combined the Theory of Planned Behavior and critical race theory to explore the intersections of race and racism with factors (i.e., attitude, subject norm, perceived behavioral control) that predict students' intention to study abroad, and the role of social and non-social environmental influences on these factors (e.g., advertisements, advisers). The results indicated that for Students of Color and White students, racial identity and expected effects of racism were related in different ways to attitude (i.e., students' evaluation of study abroad), subjective norm (i.e., their sense of social support), and perceived behavioral control (i.e., their sense of the ease of studying abroad). For attitude, Students of Color thought both their race and racism would affect their personal experience and viewed racism as a built-in aspect of the study abroad experience, where White students generally thought neither would affect them. For subjective norm, White students generally did not believe racism affected the kinds of support they received. In contrast, there was evidence of exclusion for Students of Color, such as being ignored by campus recruiters promoting study abroad and being ignored by academic advisers. Students of Color also evaluated the usefulness of information from supportive figures based to the racial identity of the source as a proxy for the ability to understand the nuance of race while studying abroad. For perceived behavioral control, White students thought their racial identity would make it easier to study abroad and did not think racism would affect their ease of studying abroad. Overall, the Theory of Planned Behavior accurately predicted White students' intentions to study abroad, where their positive perceptions of study abroad, support to study abroad, and fewer barriers were generally correlated with their intentions to study abroad. In contrast, Students of Color demonstrated greater behavioral intention to study abroad even though they had negative expectations about their experience, especially with racism, a lack of support from advisers and greater expectations of racism as a potential barrier. In drawing on the lived experiences of Students of Color, these findings suggest that racism may not be well modeled by the traditional patterns described by decision-making theories like the Theory of Planned Behavior. Similarly, the framework does not address the potential moderating role of racial identity. For example, for subjective norm supportive figures like advisers engaged in supportive behaviors as theorized by the framework, but for Students of Color, they were served more as barriers. This study also found that students' beliefs were found to be influenced by both social and nonsocial factors, such as social media and advertisements, the discovery of how race and racism may be intertwined with students' decisions about study abroad creates potential opportunities to improve recruitment strategies that address the beliefs of diverse students. More research is needed to better understand how students make decisions despite potential barriers, as well as the ways in which sources influential to students' beliefs about study abroad may be used to increase the accessibility of study abroad and increase the participation of underrepresented groups. The study abroad experience is an important fixture of American higher education, with politicians, institutions, and mainstream media calling for increased participation. Participation in study abroad can potentially benefit students' personal, academic, and career development. However, historical educational data have shown that some groups, such as Students of Color, have been underrepresented in study abroad participation at American colleges and universities. To better understand the racial gap in study abroad participation, this study combined the Theory of Planned Behavior and critical race theory to explore the intersections of race and racism with factors (i.e., attitude, subject norm, perceived behavioral control) that predict students' intention to study abroad, and the role of social and non-social environmental influences on these factors (e.g., advertisements, advisers).
Studying abroad has become a key educational means for preparing graduates with the intercultural competencies needed to succeed in our global economy. The federal government, business community, and higher education sector are united in their belief that study abroad is critical to such success. This monograph seeks to address two fundamental questions: Who studies abroad (or who does not) and why? What are the outcomes of study abroad? Increasing and broadening study abroad participation have proven particularly challenging, and the authors look to the research for how it might be improved. Although research suggests positive outcomes of study abroad, existing studies leave educators with some challenging questions. Based on their review, the authors pose recommendations for ways in which study abroad in the twenty-first century can renew its purposes and fulfill its promise.
This study examines impact of study abroad on early career outcomes at a professionally-focused northeastern private college. A mixed-methods sequential research design provides a thorough inquiry into the influence of study abroad on early career outcomes at this institution. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, The National Organization of College and Employer's (NACE) First-Destination Survey data is analyzed to assess whether a study abroad experience has an impact on career outcomes. The quantitative results compare career outcomes for 2014, 2015, and 2016 graduates who have studied abroad (n = 523) and those who did not study abroad (n = 661). The quantitative survey contains 1184 participants and represents a response rate of approximately 90% of the total graduates at the college. The second qualitative phase examines the quantitative results in order to help explain and provide insights into the outcomes. A theoretical lens of appreciative inquiry is applied as a framework for interpreting the results and informs the qualitative line of questioning. In this project, studying abroad did not prove to significantly impact early career outcomes. Based on the NACE First Destination Survey, the higher education industry standard for capturing career placement information, graduates from this college got no quantifiable positive early career impact from studying abroad. In fact, some trends in the data even show an early negative effect from having studied abroad especially for female graduates. Further trends in the results contradict assumptions about study abroad that are held by students and international educators. However, meaningful impacts of studying abroad on graduate's vocational clarity along with personal and professional development are revealed in the qualitative phase of the study that simply cannot be captured in the NACE survey.
This book investigates the impact of language learning and study abroad on the career options and choices of US-based alumni of all ages. It reports on the results of a mixed-methods study which used both an extensive nationwide survey and qualitative life history interviews with 54 participants systematically selected to represent a broad range of backgrounds and professions. International education experiences are shown to exert considerable influence on the aspirations and career paths of individuals in a wide variety of fields (e.g. education, healthcare, business, government service). The long-term benefits of language study are illustrated both in narratives from individuals whose work requires proficiency beyond English and from participant comments on improvement in their use of English for international communication. The book will be of relevance to a wide audience of international education professionals in addition to researchers and students in applied linguistics and language education.
The participation rate of Black higher education students in education abroad programs has been significantly compared to their White peers. The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods research study was to examine the participation rate of Black higher education students in education abroad programs by exploring student perceptions relative to barriers and motivations, utilizing the Cultural Approach as the conceptual framework, specifically the economic, social, and intellectual cultural spheres of influence. A web-based questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative items was completed by 248 Black participants and 206 White participants. The quantitative data were analyzed using two logistic regressions, and the qualitative data were analyzed using memoing, segmenting, coding, enumeration, and theme generation. Institutional Factors was the only predicting variable that was statistically significant. The qualitative results suggested that higher education students consider location of program, pacing relative to graduation, program costs, family and employment obligations, length of program, topic of study, and desired learning targets, when deciding whether or not to participate in education abroad programs. Furthermore, participants perceived that higher education students often do not have access to information relative to education abroad programs. Implications include utilizing needs-based financial assistance and specific institutional data in order to design appropriate initiatives to improve equity and provide the benefits associated with education abroad programs to disadvantaged students. In addition, higher education institutions could develop policies and procedures to meet student needs relative to barriers and motivation to improve participation rates for Black higher education students.
Despite the many demonstrated benefits of a study abroad experience, trends in campus internationalization, and large-scale governmental initiatives to promote international education, participation of U.S. students in study abroad remains relatively low. The purpose of this study was to address the disparity between high levels of student interest and low levels of participation by exploring factors that lead to student participation. Previous studies have explored how participation may relate to intent, motivation, or other characteristics and have also identified a number of barriers, both real and perceived, that prevent more students from studying abroad. Prior research has focused mainly on the student; an overlooked resource throughout the literature is the study abroad professional. The current study sought to identify participation factors by gathering the perspectives of professionals who work in the field of international education and have experience working with or at institutions with high or increasing rates of student participation in study abroad. Using a mixed methods triangulation design with a convergence model, results from the 2010 IIE-Forum Snapshot survey of study abroad professionals (n=219) were compared with findings from a focus group and interviews conducted with a total of 17 study abroad professionals from colleges/universities and from third-party program providers / International Education Organizations (IEO). Findings indicate that faculty support and curriculum/academic integration are the key factors that lead to student participation in study abroad. While these factors are not new to the field of international education, their prioritization above the perceived role of funding represents a potential new area of focus. Efforts to address low student participation rates typically involve increased marketing to students and requests to the institution for more funding and staffing. The current study suggests that given the role of faculty support in encouraging higher rates of student participation at successful institutions, outreach efforts aimed directly at faculty may be more effective than trying to convince students to study abroad or trying to target the many barriers individually. Furthermore, working towards curriculum/academic integration can more effectively build an institutional culture that supports study abroad, eliminates barriers, and leads to greater rates of student participation.
While it is assumed that American undergraduates who study abroad derive unique benefits from the experience, until now its actual impact has not been assessed. This book, which presents the findings of a long-term evaluation project, provides the kind of systematic and comprehensive data needed to document and give future guidance to programs of study abroad. Using comparative measures, the authors examine the effects of overseas study in terms of education, career, personal satisfaction, and cultural values. Undergraduates in four U.S. college and university programs involving nearly thirty European institutions were chosen for the study. The focus of the research is the role of study abroad in students' acquisition of foreign language proficiency, knowledge of and concern for foreign cultures and international issues, attitudes toward their home country and its values, and career objectives and accomplishments. Student profiles indicate consistent patterns in motivation, achievement, and satisfaction that relate to the experience abroad. In their conclusion, the authors look at the implications of their findings in the context of our times and society and offer suggestions for some new directions for study abroad in the coming years. This analysis will be relevant for educational decision-makers, funding organizations, government, and the research community.
Study abroad programs on American college and university campuses are booming, with a national goal of sending abroad one million students within ten years. In this timely and thought-provoking look at the benefits of studying abroad, Joshua S. McKeown moves beyond the acknowledged cultural and linguistic benefits to focus on how it promotes intellectual growth in participating students. He shows that for some students—particularly those without substantial prior international experience—study abroad is associated with significant gains in intellectual development. For those students who have traveled abroad previously, the same does not hold true. It is those students who lack meaningful international exposure who seem to benefit most from studying abroad. The First Time Effect describes in a straightforward way what is happening with today's study abroad students and holds broad implications for education policy and practice.