Study Abroad Programs Research Articles

Systematic review synthesising the effects of study abroad experience on the development of language fluency

ABSTRACT Given the importance of learning contexts in second language (L2) learning, study abroad (SA) has received due attention in the L2 literature, as this context has been proposed to accelerate L2 development. In line with recent efforts to synthesise the effects of SA on L2 learning, the present study reports a meta-analysis of the effects of SA experience on the development of L2 fluency compared to the at-home environment. Our dataset comprised 14 between-group studies, all based on quasi-experimental designs, including a comparison group. The results indicate that the SA context had an overall medium effect (Hedges’ g = 0.65, SE = 0.10, 95% CI [0.44, 0.87]) on the development of L2 fluency compared to its at-home counterpart. We also identified several variables related to learner characteristics and SA programme features and further examined their moderating effects on SA. Based on our findings, an in-depth discussion of how these variables are related to the effectiveness of SA was provided, and recommendations for L2 learners and SA researchers involved in SA programmes were proposed.

Global Horizons: Assessing the Impact of Study Abroad Programs on Intercultural Competence Development Pre-College Technology Students

Across fields, college and university graduates are increasingly expected to perform effectively in diverse, multi-cultural work environments. Given this reality, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are actively designing strategies to help students develop intercultural skills. Prior research has revealed that deliberately structured study abroad programs are an effective approach to nurturing intercultural competence among graduates. Consciously designed study abroad programs can provide students with opportunities to learn and reflect on their experiences. In this study, we aim to understand the impact of a study abroad program on pre-freshmen students enrolled in a College of Technology. Using a mixed-methods design, we examined the intercultural learning gains and experiences of the participating students. The results of the study showed that studying abroad contributed significantly to the intercultural development of the students. Additionally, the study characterized the challenges faced by the students and the valuable insights they gained while interacting with people from different cultures. In summary, our findings confirmed that study abroad programs can serve as a gateway for students by equipping them with the practical skills and strategies needed to navigate the complexities of cross-cultural interactions.

Study abroad experiences in homestay: where complexity, dynamicity, and individuality stay

Abstract Informed by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, this study examines the nature of homestay as a situated language learning site, with an eye toward the development of American student guests and Chinese host families’ homestay experiences within the larger context of the study abroad (SA) program and local community. Drawing on data collected from host families and student guests, this study discovers benefits, conflicts, and co-adaptations in homestay; the evolution of host families’ dispositions toward homestay; student guests’ proficiency gains and interactions with hosts and locals; and contextual factors that influence the proficiency gains and interactions. The findings reveal that homestay is a dynamic, self-evolving subsystem, which constantly interacts with other dynamic subsystems, such as the SA program and local community, within the complex social ecosystem of the entire SA environment. This study also provides suggestions for the design and management of the homestay component in the SA program and future research.

Effectiveness of Short-term Study Abroad Programs: Employing a Program Logic Model and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Participants' Growth Narratives

Effectiveness of Short-term Study Abroad Programs: Employing a Program Logic Model and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Participants' Growth Narratives

Lenition in L2 Spanish: The Impact of Study Abroad on Phonological Acquisition.

Objective: This study investigated the degrees of lenition, or consonantal weakening, in the production of Spanish stop consonants by native English speakers during a study abroad (SA) program. Lenition is a key phonological process in Spanish, where voiced stops (/b/, /d/, /ɡ/) typically weaken to fricatives or approximants in specific phonetic environments. For L2 learners, mastering this subtle process is essential for achieving native-like pronunciation. Methods: To assess the learners' progress in acquiring lenition, we employed Phonet, a deep learning model. Unlike traditional quantitative acoustic methods that focus on measuring the physical properties of speech sounds, Phonet utilizes recurrent neural networks to predict the posterior probabilities of phonological features, particularly sonorant and continuant characteristics, which are central to the lenition process. Results: The results indicated that while learners showed progress in producing the fricative-like variants of lenition during the SA program and understood how to produce lenition in appropriate contexts, the retention of these phonological gains was not sustained after their return. Additionally, unlike native speakers, the learners never fully achieved the approximant-like realization of lenition. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for sustained exposure and practice beyond the SA experience to ensure the long-term retention of L2 phonological patterns. While SA programs offer valuable opportunities for enhancing L2 pronunciation, they should be supplemented with ongoing support to consolidate and extend the gains achieved during the immersive experience.

Integrating Intercultural Competence into a Neuroscience Curriculum through a Short-Term Study Abroad Program.

We sought to enrich our neuroscience curriculum by developing a study abroad program that would address curricular goals and requirements at several levels. "Neuroscience and Technology in Germany" was designed to include a diversity of participants, integrate intercultural competence in participants, fulfill university core curriculum requirements, build on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) foundation of our major, and fulfill major electives. We also hoped that it would serve as a synthetic experience allowing students to integrate foundational coursework with novel ideas and real-world research applications. We developed an itinerary that balanced multiple activities to meet those goals. We included scientific visits, STEM-focused museums, and significant cultural and historical sites. Scientific visits covered a range of topics in the field of neuroscience including cellular and pharmacological neuroscience, development, cognition, mental illness, artificial intelligence, and the mind-body problem. Pre-visit academic activities included review lectures on general topics (e.g., visual system), scaffolded literature reading, and discussion of previous literature from our hosts. Post-visit academic activities integrated previous foundational curriculum with new research. Cultural historical activities encouraged comparison between a student's home culture, predominant North American culture, and German culture. The first iteration was successful academically and logistically. In post-program surveys, 87.5% of students felt the program had met the learning objectives (n=16). Students agreed that scientific visits and preparatory lectures were relevant to the learning objectives, together with several cultural and historical visits. Students responded positively to an outing to the mountains and found a concentration camp memorial visit moving. They nearly universally reported that the program led to their personal growth. Students did not find several guided tours of STEM-related sites were relevant to our learning objectives, and opinions were mixed as to the balance of structured vs. unstructured time, balance of scientific vs. historical/cultural activities, and how to schedule free time. Students asked for more scientific background preparation, so we modified the upcoming iteration to include a "Neuroscience Boot Camp" prior to departure. We also selected guided tours more carefully and modified scheduling according to student feedback.

Internationalized Students: Examining Students’ Experiences in Virtual Study Abroad Programs in Japan

Internationalized Students: Examining Students’ Experiences in Virtual Study Abroad Programs in Japan

Collaborative Cosmopolitan Capital in In-Service Teacher-Led K-12 Study Abroad Programs

Collaborative Cosmopolitan Capital in In-Service Teacher-Led K-12 Study Abroad Programs

Decolonizing study-abroad programs in nursing in low- and middle-income countries

BackgroundStudy abroad programs expose scholars, including nursing faculty and students, to different settings and cultures. However, the world of global health is rooted in colonial practices that have the potential to cause harm to communities. PurposeIn this reflection, we provide lessons we have learned through study abroad that guide strategies for decolonizing our practice while working toward cultural safety and humility. MethodsWe utilized a qualitative case study method. The authors discussed and reviewed study abroad programs through a series of virtual discussions. FindingsDiscussions showed that study abroad programs present opportunities for students and faculty to grow and learn. However, unacknowledged privileges among visiting students and faculty, and lack of understanding of the impacts of colonialism, may lead to harm in communities and inequitable relationships with local providers. DiscussionUnderstanding the privileges that we hold as scholars is important in advancing positive and equitable experiences in study abroad programs.

Study Abroad at Home: The Impact of a Multilingual and Multicultural Classroom Experience on Non-Native Medical Students’ English Language Skills Development

Study Abroad programs yield substantial linguistic advantages in addition to fostering academic and intercultural enrichment. Nevertheless, some students miss these programs due to financial constraints, academic commitments, or insufficient language skills. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative action research study that seeks to evaluate the impact of a multilingual and multicultural class, designed as a quasi-Study Abroad experience, on Hungarian medical students’ perceived English linguistic development by the end of the semester. Semi-structured focus group interviews were carried out with 42 Hungarian medical students at the end of the spring and autumn semesters of the 2021–2022 and the 2022–2023 academic years. The outcomes of the focus-group interviews indicated that the students had a positive experience studying in a multilingual and multicultural environment; their willingness to engage in English communication, along with an increase in self-confidence, was apparent, ultimately showcasing improved perceived proficiency in English communication skills by the end of the term. Creating an educational setting abundant in linguistic and cultural diversity and integrating multicultural project-based learning activities within the curriculum to simulate a quasi-Study Abroad experience represent methodological frameworks that could serve as pivotal models for shaping similar courses in the future.

Learning Through Experience: Analyzing the Impact of Short Study Abroad Programs from the Students’ Own Words

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine what students participating in short study abroad program (SSAP) elective courses learned during their experiences and if they satisfied the course learning objectives. MethodsUniversity of Florida College of Pharmacy students who participated in an SSAP to Scandinavia in the years 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 wrote digital journals describing their experiences. This study used inductive and deductive thematic analysis to analyze the journals and identify codes and themes. ResultsFour cohorts with a total of 39 student journals were analyzed leading to 11 themes being identified. Example themes included Differences in Pharmacy Practice, Differences in Pharmacy Law/Processes, Differences in Pharmacy Education/Training, and History/Culture. These themes were then mapped to the course objectives, and all course objectives were deemed to be fulfilled. ConclusionStudents participating in one College's SSAPs over 4 years through their own words demonstrated a better understanding of health care, pharmacy, and culture as it exists in one or more foreign countries and were able to meet the course objectives.

Why are lower socioeconomic background students underrepresented in Erasmus? A focus on the selection into mobility and degree course organization

ABSTRACT Disadvantaged students in higher education are significantly underrepresented in study abroad programs. Existing research has explored this socioeconomic disparity in student mobility, primarily by comparing mobile and non-mobile students. However, these studies often overlook the extensive selection process students undergo to join a mobility program, encompassing application phases, eligibility assessments, and ability evaluations. This study investigates how these selection steps contribute to the unequal uptake of higher education mobility in Europe, focusing on the European Union’s most popular study-abroad program ‘Erasmus’. Additionally, it explores how the program organization at the degree course level is associated with socioeconomic disparities in student mobility. Using administrative population data from a large Italian university, covering 46,000 graduates, the study finds that, on average, 90% of socioeconomic disparities in Erasmus mobility are due to disadvantaged students shying away from the application, while ability selection is only marginally important. Additionally, degree-level characteristics, particularly the social segregation across fields of study, matter. Although the study is based on data from a single university in Italy, it has implications for an international audience in countries with similar institutional settings for international student mobility, as it demonstrates for the first time the impact of the selection process and degree course organization on the socioeconomic gap in study abroad program participation.

As Teachers Not Tourists: Creating Knowledge During a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

Here, I address the call for teacher education programs to feature international elements to help pre-service teachers craft powerful classroom instruction and successfully work with students from culturally diverse backgrounds. I share a qualitative investigation of participants’ experiences during a short-term study abroad program in Japan that explored contemporary disaster preparedness as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The program sponsors, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoped participants would develop an appreciation for the people and culture of Japan while they learned about disaster preparedness. I wondered if collecting curriculum items during a short-term study abroad program could help social studies pre-service teachers create—not just receive—historical domain knowledge? In Japan, participants collected items to use as featured resources around which they designed classroom activities for secondary students. Their activities demonstrated three levels of second-order historical domain knowledge and two elements of civic competence. This study suggests that pre-service teachers with no previous international experience may require explicit modeling and scaffolding to translate their short-term study abroad participation into dynamic learning. Another implication is that participants need strong support to consider the photographs they capture as artifacts of contemporary material culture.

Exploring the Identities of Korean Americans Through Identity Journey Mapping in a Study Abroad Program

Exploring the Identities of Korean Americans Through Identity Journey Mapping in a Study Abroad Program

Study Abroad Programs and Student Stress: An Animal Science Curriculum Case Study

Study Abroad Programs and Student Stress: An Animal Science Curriculum Case Study

Comparing Influence and Value Based on Study Abroad Program Types

Comparing Influence and Value Based on Study Abroad Program Types

Trust and Transformative Learning: How Faculty-Led Study Abroad Experiences Foster Sense of Belonging and Community

ABSTRACT Study abroad programs (SAPs) in higher education are long known for providing numerous benefits to student participants. However, few studies have looked at the process of faculty-led SAPs (i.e. the role of student engagement, faculty-student interaction) in creating a sense of belonging for students, which is critical for student retention and success. This study explored how student engagement in short-term faculty-led SAPs is related to their sense of belonging and transformative learning. Twenty-nine interviews were conducted among students at a public university in the southern U.S. who participated in short-term SAPs led by tourism and hospitality faculty during spring break. Results showed that trust in faculty leaders premised a sense of belonging, which allowed transformative learning experiences while studying abroad. Results shed light on optimizing the design and operation of short-term SAPs for greater student retention and success.

Short-term Transformative Impacts of a Service-learning Study Abroad Program

Short-term Transformative Impacts of a Service-learning Study Abroad Program

Developing Intercultural Competences in the Study-Abroad Programme Semester at Sea (SAS)

Semester at Sea is a US-American study abroad programme during which students spend a semester on a ship studying while visiting various countries. The purpose of this article is to determine the intercultural competence development in the students during the Fall voyage through a self-assessment questionnaire. The research is anchored in a post-positivistic research paradigm, using an intercultural competence survey questionnaire to determine the intercultural competence at the beginning and at the end of the voyage in 182 participants. Results show that the intercultural competences, in terms of intercultural knowledge, awareness and skills of the students improved significantly during the voyage, when comparing all pre-voyage and post-voyage scores of the three components. This means that the SAS programme creates a diverse and multicultural learning space within the international educational system, promoting cultural knowledge, awareness, skill development through the combination of an academic curriculum and hands-on intercultural experiences. The study contributes to evaluating SAS as a US study abroad programme and provides conclusions and recommendations for future research and practice.

Learners’ Perceptions of Arabic Consonant Contrasts: Gender and Learning-Context Effects

This study investigates the effects of gender and the learning context on learners’ perceptions of Arabic consonant contrasts. To this end, 60 intermediate Arabic learners, half of which were males and half of which were females, were recruited from two different learning contexts: a study-abroad (SA) program in Egypt and an at-home (AH) setting at a western American university. Learners in the two groups were tested before and after a semester of Arabic study using a perception task that involved distinguishing four Arabic consonant contrasts: /d - dˁ/, /h - ħ/, /s - sˁ/, and /t - tˁ/). The results reveal that the advantage of females in segmental identification accuracy was not verified, as female performance did not significantly differ from male performance in any of the four target consonant contrasts. In contrast, the learning context was found to positively impact learners’ perceptions of the target Arabic consonants, as the SA group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the AH environment on the /h - ħ/ and /d - dˁ/ contrasts. However, there were no significant differences between learners in the two different contexts regarding the two other consonant contrasts (i.e., /s - sˁ/ and /t - tˁ/). The findings bring insights into the understanding of the gender-based differences in identifying problematic Arabic consonantal contrasts for English learners in two different contexts of learning, and they shed light on the implications for language pedagogy for pronunciation training.