Short-term, faculty-led undergraduate study abroad programs using reflection and community engagement as transformation: A mixed method study

Against the backdrop of global concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and international relationship tensions, transformational learning became an important trend in higher education’s efforts to graduate college students who are better prepared to make a positive global impact through international community engagement, critical thinking, and the ability to challenge old assumptions and world views through the process of reflection. Current research challenges include the need to better define the complex construct of transformation and identify specific educational variables capable of generating meaningful and transformative learning. This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the impact of reflection and community engagement on undergraduate students’ transformational learning for short-term faculty-led, study abroad programs during the second year of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that reflection exercises and active global community engagement were found to be key variables that were found to enhance meaningfulness when integrated into the study abroad program. The mixed method evidence about positive impact academic enhancement, increased cultural awareness, and interest in post-travel reflection and community engagement going forward, allows the inference that reflection and community engagement are effective components in fostering transformative learning experiences. Qualitative results showed a clear positive relationship between reflection, community engagement and meaningfulness. This was supported by the interview data showing that meaningfulness was positively associated with academic enhancement, increased cultural awareness and interest in both post-travel reflection and post-travel community engagement going forward. These results allow the inference that reflection and community engagement facilitate meaningfulness and serve as effective components in fostering transformative learning. Recommendations include the need to integrate formal training programs that can prepare faculty for responsibilities that go well beyond their traditional academic settings, such as conveying clear pre-travel goals and expectations, managing group dynamics, and the training necessary to incorporate reflection exercises into the program, pre-travel, post-travel and during the program itself. Given that reflection exercises may involve uncomfortable topics, feelings of vulnerability, difficult emotions, and unexpected behaviors, it becomes imperative that study abroad students, instructors, and administrators are well educated about what reflection is, its benefits, how to practice it, how to navigate its practical and emotional components, and how to integrate it most effectively into study abroad programs.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Egan, Brian Gary

Contributors dc:contributor

• Witt, Allison
• Huang, David
• McCarthy, Cameron
• Liu, Wei
• Lucas, James

• Study Abroad
• Community Engagement
• Reflection
• Education Abroad
• International Education
• Transformation
• Transformative Learning
• Experiential Learning

Statement dc:rights

• Copy Right 2022 Brian G. Egan

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117781

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F117781