ERIC Number: EJ1156178
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-8926
EISSN: N/A
Navigating Uncharted Waters: Study Abroad Predeparture Activities and the 2-Year-College Student
Woods, Angie L.; Sipple, Susan M.; Otten, Mark R. M.; Roos, Michael E.
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, v41 n12 p867-880 2017
Study abroad programs typically reveal issues that are not commonly found in classes on the home campus. At University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College (UCBA), a 2-year regional campus of University of Cincinnati, we offer three short-term summer study abroad programs each year. Students in these programs have traditionally participated in social gatherings and orientations that include information on culture, behavior, travel logistics, program itineraries, and course curricula prior to travel. To identify student concerns about travel abroad and to measure the effectiveness of how well predeparture activities prepare our students, we administered open-ended student surveys, one predeparture and one posttravel, in our three programs. Using open and axial coding and contrastive analysis, we found that students express a variety of concerns in the areas of behavior and group dynamics, friendship and bonding, and academics and course-related issues. Moreover, posttravel surveys indicate that most of our early preparations positively affected students' experiences abroad. Our findings suggest that well-planned predeparture activities are essential to study abroad program success with 2-year-college students.
Descriptors: Study Abroad, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Summer Programs, Orientation, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Coding, Comparative Analysis, Group Dynamics, Friendship, Student Behavior, Learning Experience, Positive Attitudes, Outcomes of Education, Foreign Countries, Qualitative Research
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ohio (Cincinnati); Costa Rica; Canada; United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A