Beyond the Augie Bubble: Study Abroad Behaviors and Outcomes Amongst Augustana Students

BEYOND THE AUGIE BUBBLE: AUGUSTANA STUDENTS AND STUDY ABROAD BEHAVIORNicole McCarthy

Purpose and Overview

Purpose and Overview

Hypotheses: Who studies abroad?

Women will study abroad more than men (Summers 2011, Pedersen 2010, Goldstein & Kim 2005, Di Pietro & Page 2008,

Salisbury 2008, Talburt & Stewart 1999, King & Young 1994). The majority of students who study abroad will be

disproportionately white (Salisbury 2008, Talbert & Stewart 1999).

Students with middle and high socioeconomic status are more likely to study abroad than students with low socioeconomic status (Goldstein & Kim 2005, Salisbury 2008, King & Young 1994).

Social sciences and languages majors will study abroad more than natural sciences and professional majors (King & Young 1994, Salisbury 2008, Goldstein & Kim 2005, Summers 2011).

Hypotheses: Foreign language vs. English Students who study or practice a foreign

language abroad will be more culturally immersed, more culturally aware, and have higher self-esteem than students who did not study or practice a foreign language. (Goldstein & Kim 2005, Gorka & Niesenbaum 2001, Di Pietro & Page

2008, Salisbury 2008, Nash 1976, Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966). Students who took intensive language courses

will be more satisfied with their experience abroad than students who spoke only English (Goldstein & Kim 2005, Gorka & Niesenbaum 2001, Di Pietro & Page

2008, Salisbury 2008, Nash 1976, Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966).

Hypotheses: Student Behaviors

Students who live with host families will be more culturally immersed and more culturally aware than students who live in apartments or hotels (Gmelch 2010, Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966)

Students who live with host families will exhibit party behavior less than students who live in apartments or hotels

Students who spend time with nationals will report higher levels of cultural immersion than students who only spend time with American friends (Gmelch 2010, Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966)

Hypotheses: SA students vs. Non SA students Students who have studied abroad will be

more culturally aware than students who have not studied abroad (Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966, King & Young 1994, Nash 1976, Salisbury

2008, Di Pietro & Page 2008, Goldstein & Kim 2005, Kitsantas 2004, Summers 2011, Kowarski 2010).

Students who have studied abroad will have higher self-esteem than students who have not studied abroad (Gullahorn & Gullahorn 1966, King & Young 1994, Nash 1976, Salisbury

2008, Di Pietro & Page 2008, Goldstein & Kim 2005, Kitsantas 2004, Summers 2011, Kowarski 2010).

Definition of Study Variables Gender

Male: 1 Female: 2

Race White: 1 Non-white: 2

Socioeconomic Status Lower-working class: 1 Middle class: 2 Upper class: 3

Major Natural

sciences/Professional: 1

Social sciences/Languages: 2

Definition of Study Variables Cont.

Duration 2-5 weeks: 1 6-9 weeks: 2 10 weeks or more:

3

Self-esteem Likert Scale range between 3

and 12 3 = lowest 12 = highest Ex: I feel my future

will be a bright one, I set goals and feel I can accomplish them, etc.

Definition of Study Variables Cont. Cultural Awareness

ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures as well as the ability to be aware of one’s own culture, have attitudes towards different cultures, and have cross-cultural skills

Both Study Abroad and Non-Study Abroad students asked Likert Scale Range between 4 and 20 4 = least culturally aware, 20 = most culturally aware

Examples comfort in discussing beliefs with people of other cultures curiosity about new and different cultures feelings of being a global citizen remaining in contact with friends and host families of foreign

countries

Definition of Study Variables Cont.

Cultural Immersion the level of which a student submerges themselves into

the customs, traditions, language, etc. of a different culture

Likert scale: range between11and 32 11-20 = the least culturally immersed and 21-32 = the

most culturally immersed Examples:

Eating native food, speaking a foreign language, spending time with other Augie students, volunteering in the community, having an internship, taking class taught by Augie faculty, going on cultural excursions, etc.

Definition of Study Variables cont.

Foreign Language Competency sufficient ability to

speak, understand, read, and write in a foreign language

Likert scale Range between 4 and

20 4 = least fluent, 20 =

most fluent


Satisfaction with Abroad experience fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or

needs in a given situation, in this case, studying abroad

“My study abroad experience was a positive one and shaped who I am as a person in a positive way”

Range between 1 and 4 1 = least satisfied, 4 = most satisfied


Time with Nationals Amount of time

spent with host family, friends, or coworkers from the native country (not American)

Likert Scale

Homestay type of study

abroad program that allows the student to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle


Party Behavior the cumulative time

spent drinking, having a hangover, engaging in sexual activity, using illegal drugs, going to clubs or discos, going to parties, blacking out, or walking home alone while abroad

Range between 8 and 40 8 = high party behaviors,

40 = lower party behaviors

Population 2,443 students of Augustana College

57.56% female 42.44% male

Females and upperclassmen overrepresented in data

Oversampled students who had studied abroad 132 students in addition to random sample Tended to be female, upperclassmen

Sample Classification Augustana

Students

No. Percent

Questionnaires

No. Percent

Difference

Females First Year 386 15.80 10 8.7 -7.1 Second Year 391 16.00 19 16.5 +.50 Third Year 302 12.36 24

20.9+8.54

Fourth Year 327 13.39 38 33.0

+19.91

Total 1406 57.56 91 79.1

+21.54

Males First Year 290 11.87 4

3.5-8.37

Second Year 284 11.62 3 2.6

-9.02

Third Year 212 8.68 8 7.0

-1.68

Fourth Year 251 10.27 9 7.8

-2.47

Total 1037 42.44 24 20.9

-21.54

Percentage Total 100 100

Number 2443 115

Research Procedures Data Collection

Online survey 42 questions

Random sample of 349 students in three waves, oversample of 132 study abroad students

115 usable responses Response rate of 23.9%

Protection of Human Subjects IRB approved Anonymous and confidential Personal info will be

permanently deleted

Data Processing iSalientExcel SPSS Cross-tabulations

Logic of Proof Gamma Chi-square

Findings: Gender

Not Significant

X² .636

Gamma -.111

StudyAbroad1 * Gender2 Crosstabulation

Gender2

Total1 Male2

FemaleStudyAbroad1 1 Yes Count 9 39 48

% within Gender2

37.5% 42.9% 41.7%

2 No Count 15 52 67% within Gender2

62.5% 57.1% 58.3%

Total Count 24 91 115% within Gender2

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: Race

Not quite significant

X² .149

Gamma .511

StudyAbroad1 * Race2cat Crosstabulation

Race2cat

Totalwhitenon-white

StudyAbroad1 1 Yes Count 44 2 46% within Race2cat

43.6% 20.0% 41.4%

2 No Count 57 8 65% within Race2cat

56.4% 80.0% 58.6%

Total Count 101 10 111% within Race2cat

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: SES

Not significant

X² .202

Gamma .064

StudyAbroad1 * SES2cat Crosstabulation

SES2cat

Total

lower/working

classmiddle class

upper class

StudyAbroad?

1 Yes Count 11 27 12 50% within SES2cat

36.7% 50.9% 33.3% 42.0%

2 No Count 19 26 24 69

% within SES2cat

63.3% 49.1% 66.7% 58.0%

Total Count 30 53 36 119% within SES2cat

100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: Major

Not quite significant

X² .161

Gamma -.261

StudyAbroad1 * Major Crosstabulation

Major

Total

Nat. science and

Professional

Social sciences

and Language

Study Abroad?

1 Yes Count 22 26 48% within Major

36.1% 49.1% 42.1%

2 No Count 39 27 66% within Major

63.9% 50.9% 57.9%

Total Count 61 53 114% within Major

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: Language and Immersion

Very significant

X² .000

Gamma -.898

Immersion2cat * IntensiveLang2 Crosstabulation

IntensiveLang2

Total1 Yes 2 NoImmersion Low Cultural

ImmersionCount 2 21 23

% within IntensiveLang2

11.1% 70.0% 47.9%

High Cultural Immersion

Count 16 9 25


88.9% 30.0% 52.1%

Total Count 18 30 48


100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: Homestay and Immersion

Very significant

X² .000Gamma -.765

Immersion2cat * LivingSituation Crosstabulation

Living Situation

Totalhomestaynon-

homestaycombina

tionImmersion Low Cultural

ImmersionCount 0 22 1 23

% within LivingSituation

.0% 71.0% 33.3% 47.9%

High Cultural Immersion

Count 14 9 2 25


100.0% 29.0% 66.7% 52.1%

Total Count 14 31 3 48


100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Findings: Time with Nationals and Immersion

Very significant

.000 x²

Gamma .846

reTimeWithNat2cat * Immersion2cat Crosstabulation

Immersion

Total

Low Cultural

Immersion

High Cultural

ImmersionTime With Nationals

Low time Count 16 4 20

% within Immersion2cat 69.6% 16.0% 41.7%

High time Count 7 21 28


Total Count 23 25 48


Findings: SA students vs. Non SA students

Cultural Awareness 72.9% very high

Self-Esteem 58.3% very high

Cultural Awareness 58.8% very high

Self-Esteem 55.9% very high

Study Abroad Students Non-Study Abroad Students

+14.1% difference in Cultural Awareness+2.4% difference in Self-Esteem

Interesting Findings All hypotheses concerning party behavior

were disproven About 33% of students displayed high party

behavior regardless of living situation, foreign language, etc.

Hypothesis concerning language and self-esteem was disproven 66.7% of students who did not study a

language had very high self-esteem, while only 44.4% of students who did study a language had very high self esteem

Generalizations

Although not significant to .05 level, most did support my hypotheses

Typical study abroad student at Augie: Female White Middle class Social science/language major

Need to find solutions to encourage men, minorities to study abroad

Spending time with nationals and living with host family are two most important factors concerning a student’s level of cultural immersion These are the types of programs

we should promote at Augustana

No matter a student’s living situation, about 1/3 will exhibit excessive “party behavior” while abroad

Demographic variables Behavior abroad

Generalizations cont.

Very significant factor in determining cultural immersion Should promote foreign

language study in place of only English if we truly value cultural immersion during study abroad

No effect on self-esteem as hypothesized No one surveyed had low or

even medium self-esteem, almost all med-high or very high

Students who study abroad had: Significantly higher cultural

awareness Slightly higher self-esteem

To prepare future leaders for globalized world, every student should study abroad Augie Choice Shorter programs Summer programs

Foreign Language Study Study abroad vs. Non-study abroad

Implications for further research

Larger, more diverse sample Very general likert scales

Students could have interpreted them differently, could have led to skewed results

Ex: duration and foreign language Would’ve liked more time to find out why

students chose not to study abroad 89.7% said they wished they’d had the opportunity

to study abroad during college 27 stated strict class schedule, 23 economic reasons

as to why they couldn’t study abroad

References CIRP freshman survey: Augustana College. 2007. Dennison Nash. 1976. "The Personal Consequences of a Year of Study

Abroad." The Journal of Higher Education 47(2):pp. 191-203. Gmelch, Sharon Bohn. 2010. “Let’s Go Europe: What Student Tourists Do

and Learn from Travel.” Tourists and Tourisms: A Reader. Waveland Press: Long Grove, IL. pp: 73-87.

Goldstein Susan B. and Kim, Randi I. 2005. “Intercultural Attitudes Predict Favorable Study Abroad Expectations of U.S. College Students.”

Journal of Studies in International Education 265 (9): pp. 265-278. Gorka, Barbara and Richard Niesenbaum. 2001. "Beyond the Language

Requirement: Interdisciplinary Short-Term Study-Abroad Programs in Spanish." Hispania 84(1):pp. 100-109.

Gullahorn, Jeanne E. and John T. Gullahorn. 1966. "American Students Abroad: Professional versus Personal Development." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 368 (Americans Abroad):pp. 43-59.

References Cont. King, Lynda J. and John A. Young. 1994. "Study Abroad: Education for the 21st Century."

Die Unterrichtspraxis / Teaching German 27(1, German in the 21st Century):pp. 77-87. Kitsantas, Anastasia. 2004. "Studying Abroad: the Role of College Students' Goalson the

Development of Cross-Cultural Skills and Globalunderstanding." College Student Journal 38(3):441-452.

Kowarski, Ilana. 2010. "Colleges Help Students to Translate the Benefits of Study Abroad." Chronicle of Higher Education 56(41):A21-A22.

Pedersen, Eric R., Joseph W. LaBrie, Justin F. Hummer, Mary E. Larimer and Christine M. Lee. 2010. "Heavier drinking American college students may self-select into study abroad

programs: An examination of sex and ethnic differences within a high-risk group." Addictive Behaviors 35(9):844-847.

Pietro, Giorgio D. and Lionel Page. 2008. "Who Studies Abroad? Evidence from France and Italy." European Journal of Education 43(3):389-398.

Salisbury, Mark, Paul Umbach, Michael Paulsen and Ernest Pascarella. 2009. "Going Global: Understanding the Choice Process of the Intent to Study Abroad." Research in Higher Education 50(2):119-143.

Summers, Nick. 2011. "Party Hard, Study Harder." Newsweek 158(12):18-18. Talburt, Susan and Melissa A. Stewart. 1999. "What's the Subject of Study Abroad?: Race,

Gender, and "Living Culture"." The Modern Language Journal 83(2):pp. 163-175.