Understanding the Feelings, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Students Who Participate in a Service Study Abroad Program

This study was designed to understand the experience of being a service study abroad student. It examined feelings, perceptions and attitudes that developed as students from Brigham Young University participated in a service-centered study abroad program to Guadalajara, Mexico. The study enumerates participants' initial, developing, and final impressions during service study abroad and shows that students go through an extensive process of discovering, reformulating, and solidifying their attitudes and perceptions as they interpret their experiences. The study examined factors related to language and culture, but focused on the service component of the program. It found that service study abroad participants feel their experience is more successful when they perceive that the service they render is needed, service assignments align with personal interests, duties are clearly outlined, and meaningful responsibilities are assigned.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Grantor dc:publisher

Brigham Young University - Provo

Author dc:creator

• Jackson, Jennifer Jean

• service-learning
• service
• study abroad
• experience
• attitudes
• perceptions
• impressions
• qualitative
• Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1175

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-2174