Japanese University Students’ Perspectives on the COVID-19-Driven Cancellation of Their Study-Abroad Program

Abstract

In February 2020, 49 Japanese early childhood education majors attending a private university in central Japan travelled to Australia to study abroad for ten months. As the students were required to acquire a childcare certificate in Australia, their time abroad was not only important for the development of their linguistic skills but also to improve skills which would be valuable as their careers unfolded. However, two months into their program the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and the students’ university required them to return to Japan where their classes were moved online. In this paper the author examines data collected in interviews conducted with six of those 49 students, exploring their thoughts and feelings about the fact that their study abroad program was cut short by the global pandemic. It further analyzes how this sudden change in their plans potentially changed their career paths, along with their experiences, both positive and negative. The author also looks at how the students felt they had changed through this difficult period. By knowing and understanding these students’ views, we can better prepare and plan to assist future students with their study abroad experience should circumstances similar to the COVID-19 pandemic arise again.