Food studies offers a powerful lens through which to consider the complexity of travel, given the ways in which food can bring multiple perspectives to the table. The merging of food studies with the well-established tradition of study abroad, then, provides a platform for incorporating critical thinking and fresh perspectives into the discourse surrounding study abroad. How does food studies abroad reflect the opportunities and reify the concerns posed by study abroad in general? I explore this topic through a case study of a University of Oregon food studies abroad program, Food and Culture in Italy, looking specifically at students’ motivations, on-site experience, and perceived outcomes. I employ the lenses of identity, consumption, and experiential learning to discuss the trends that emerge from the data and conclude with a series of recommendations for moving thoughtfully and critically forward with food studies abroad programming.

Speech-language pathology programs utilize short-term study abroad programs to enhance students’ cultural competence. Yet, an investigation of how study abroad impacts students' cultural competence does not exist. This study’s purpose was to investigate the effects of a study abroad program in Mexico on the cultural competence of SLP master's students. A two group, pre/post mixed methods quasi-experimental design was used. Participants included a treatment and control group. Pre/post-trip surveys and semi-structured interviews were completed and analyzed for differences in cultural competence between groups and for growth in cultural competence for the treatment group from pre- to post-trip. Findings indicated that the treatment group demonstrated gains across all components of cultural competence, and had significantly higher post-trip cultural confidence as compared to the control group. Gains in the treatment group’s cultural competence were influenced by gains in cultural and general professional skills and cultural interactions. Implications for the discipline are discussed.

abstract: First-generation college students are an underrepresented group in terms of study abroad participation nationally and at Arizona State University (ASU). The ASU and International Studies Abroad (ISA) Planning Scholars Scholarship Program was developed to support first-generation college students in their pursuit of study abroad. This mixed-methods study examined what the specific needs of first-generation college students are as they pursue study abroad experiences and what effect the ASU and ISA Planning Scholars Program had on them. A combination of surveys, semi-structured interviews, and a photovoice project provided data for the study. Key findings included that first-generation college students had concerns about finances, finding a study abroad program that would keep them on track for graduation, making friends while they study abroad, and traveling abroad alone. The study indicated that the Planning Scholars program did increase students’ confidence in pursuing study abroad. Additionally, the theory of First-Generation Strength was developed which suggests that first-generation college students possess certain strengths and capital that help them overcome a variety of new obstacles and make them an ideal candidate for study abroad due to their experiences with having to navigate new contexts, such as going to college, independently. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2017

Chinese families investing in education for their children has prompted an increasing number of students to study abroad. Sweden is becoming one of the destinations that attract a large number of Chinese students. Why do they choose Sweden? What are the factors that affect their decisions to study abroad? This article analyzes Micro-level factors (Family Influence, Gaining International Experience, Expectation, Language, etc.), Meso-level factors (Scholarships, Tuitions, Reputation of the Institution, and Quality of Education in host country), and Macro-level factors (Immigration Policy, Security Factors, and Social Culture) to find out the factors influencing Chinese students to study in Sweden. Based on this, it provides suggestions for the future promotion strategies of Swedish Universities to attract more number of Chinese students.    The data was collected through interviews with Chinese students (Exchange, Undergraduate, Master Students as well as Postgraduate Students), Swedish Teachers and Chinese Teachers. Further, surveys were conducted with Chinese applicants for Study in Uppsala University to gather more comprehensive data. Therefore, we used both qualitative and descriptive research to analyze the data.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Thomas Vontz / Motivated by a critical theory of place, this qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of participants in a single embedded case of the Global Opportunities office at Susquehanna University. Through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and participant observation, a thorough exploration of the case was completed over a two year period. This case study explored how 15 students, faculty, and administrators in global learning programs describe their experience across immersive locations—inclusive of locations classified as domestic and international. By using a critical case study methodological framework, this work was framed by equal access to important global learning outcomes by all students—regardless of ability to pay. Global learning programs, traditionally abroad, can be a transformational experience for students able to participate—a steady 2% of university students over the previous few decades (Twombly, Salisbury, Tumanut, & Klute, 2012). As a result, 98% of American university students are not going abroad during their undergraduate experience in an academic context, most not at all. This study explored immersive programs not traditionally thought of as cross-cultural, many considered domestic experiences. Through rigorous qualitative analysis, the data in this study resulted in three themes: i. The domestic/international distinction is insufficient. ii. Civic identity is more salient in domestic and liminal experiences. iii. Location is not enough. Curriculum is essential. Implications of this work could be of interest to students in cross-cultural programs, teaching faculty and staff, student program providers of a variety of types, and university administrators of immersive experiences. Ultimately, this study sought to explore possibilities to broaden access to global learning experiences for all students.

International travel has significant implications on the study of architecture. This study analyzed ways in which undergraduate and graduate students benefited from the experience of international travel and study abroad. Taken from the perspective of 15 individuals who were currently or had been architecture students at the University of Miami and Florida International University or who were alumni of the University of Florida and Syracuse University, the research explored how international travel and study abroad enhanced their awareness and understanding of architecture, and how it complemented their architecture curricula. This study also addressed a more personal aspect of international travel in order to learn how the experience and exposure to foreign cultures had positively influenced the personal and professional development of the participants. Participants’ individual and two-person semi-structured interviews about study abroad experiences were electronically recorded and transcribed for analysis. A second interview was conducted with five of the participants to obtain feedback concerning the accuracy of the transcripts and the interpretation of the data. Sketch journals and design projects were also analyzed from five participants and used as data for the purposes of better understanding what these individuals learned and experienced as part of their study abroad. Findings indicated that study abroad experiences helped to broaden student understanding about architecture and urban development. These experiences also opened the possibilities of creative and professional expression. For many, this was the most important aspect of their education as architects because it heightened their interest in architecture. These individuals talked about how they had the opportunity to experience contemporary and ancient buildings that they had learned about in their history and design classes on their home campuses. In terms of personal and professional development, many of the participants remarked that they became more independent and self-reliant because of their study abroad experiences. They also displayed a sense of global awareness and were interested in the cultures of their host nations. The study abroad experiences also had a lasting influence on their professional development.

Interaction with local speakers of a second language (L2) in a naturalistic setting during study abroad is beneficial to language learning in many respects; particularly in the development of pragmatic competence, or the awareness and ability to use the appropriate language for a specific social context (Kinginger, 2011; Magnan & Back, 2007; Schauer, 2009; Shively, 2011). Service-learning - volunteering in the local community combined with an academic pursuit - during study abroad provides the opportunity for meaningful interaction between language learners and local speakers of the L2 in authentic and collaborative settings (Overfield, 2007). This study examines the interactions of Italian L2 users and local speakers of Italian while engaged in service-learning in Italy. A sociopragmatic framework revealed emergent trends and linguistic norms in this context. Using a discourse analytic approach, this study offers a detailed description of directive use of the L2 learners and the local Italian speakers (Blum-Kulka, et al, 1989; Ervin-Tripp, 1976; Nuzzo, 2007). The study also examines (mis)understandings and relational work (Locher & Watts, 2008) that occur in the interactions. Primary data consists of audio recordings of the naturally-occurring interactions at three service-learning sites during a short-term summer study abroad program in Italy. Secondary data consists of interviews with the L2 users and their interlocutors. The data reveal that the majority of directives came from the local Italian speakers, not the L2 users, likely due to the clear power dynamic and the nature of the activities at each site. The directives were most commonly in the imperative with little or no mitigation for purposes of clarity or urgency of the tasks. Misunderstandings expressed by the L2 users were primarily linguistic, although there were also instances of pragmatic misunderstanding. Relational work emerged in the interactions, yet clear, explicit direction took precedent over face-work and rapport building among interactants. Findings from this study can be used to inform foreign language pedagogical practice in myriad ways; from developing practical applications for situated language use, to using actual transcripts from the data in pre-departure language and cultural activities in U.S. Italian language classrooms. Findings also provide community partners with data regarding the challenges, linguistic and otherwise, that L2 user/volunteers face during service-learning in Italy, and suggest areas for further research.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, Black university students comprised only 4.8% of all study abroad students in the United States, despite being 14.5% of all university students. In an attempt to better foster the experiences of these students, this thesis seeks to understand the evolution of Black women’s self-concept from studying abroad. This qualitative empirical research focuses on the individual experiences of five U.S. Black university women who studied outside of the United States for one term or academic year during 2011-2012. These case studies gathered data through interviews and field texts, including oral history interviews prior to the participants’ departure, field texts collected while the students were on their abroad experiences, and a follow-up interview after their repatriation back to the United States. Too often, academics seek refuge of analysis in conventional theorists to look for new connections and understandings. Using these frameworks with marginalised communities does a disservice to these individuals. We cannot hope to understand the experience of alternative ways of being if we presume that all people fall into mainstream cultural theory. Therefore this study uses African American psychologists (instead of White psychologists) to examine the participants’ understanding of their identity. Specifically I utilise intersectionality and Africentric theory to understand how these women regard themselves in relation to their family structure, nationality, and religion. Black feminist thought is also employed to analyse the participants’ understanding of their gender with regards to sexualised imaging, physical appearance, and hair. I examine academic achievement (including personal and professional advancement, as well as racial contribution) through a Black psychological lens. This research found that study abroad does indeed have a powerful impact on Black women’s identities. All five women expressed higher self-confidence and shifts in how they understood the various aspects of their identities. Yet the shifts that occurred varied for the individual woman, which I attribute not only to the different destinations where these women studied abroad, but also to the complex and unique identities (and individual understanding of those identities) that each woman carried with her into her study abroad experience. These differences indicate that study abroad practitioners should be attentive in offering custom support to every student to allow him or her to reap the most growth from their time abroad.

The goal of the thesis "The use of intercultural training for VŠE exchange students before leaving the university to study abroad" are: -to capture and to evaluate the change of student's personal characteristics after the arrival from abroad such as language skills, international experience, peer and family relationships and simplicity of establishment of relations - to create a suitable tool for evaluation of intercultural competence of VŠE exchange students who are interested in studying abroad -to bring useful information or to make a structure of intercultural training, which VŠE in the future could use to prepare students for study abroad - to compare two forms of intercultural training: an information meeting, which took place at VŠE with personal participation of students and electronic presentation without personal participation - to create a profile of VŠE students who are interested in studying abroad

Research on international students contributes to our understanding of the internationalization of higher education. This study investigates the adjustment of first-year, full-time, postgraduate, international students at a southwestern UK university through a mixed methods research design. The main focus is on reasons for studying abroad, academic experience, and socio-cultural experience. Twenty-six students participated in the qualitative interviews. 250 students responded to a quantitative questionnaire survey. The results indicate that adjustment is a complex set of experiences and many factors may have an impact on it. The data suggest that value of overseas study, personal or family related factors, lack of opportunities at home, and financial or promotional reasons are main motivators driving students to study abroad. Postgraduate international students tend to pay more attention to academic than socio-cultural adjustment because personal agency and cultural identity operate more explicitly in socio-cultural than academic adjustment. Additionally, the data reveal that both acculturation and hybridization account for the processes that inform students’ socio-cultural adjustment. For theories explaining the findings regarding reasons for studying abroad, the push-pull model appears to be more applicable than the Theory of Planned Behavior, whereas Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory is found to be less relevant because international postgraduate students tend to have special characteristics, which differ from those of host country students, and their satisfaction perceptions regarding different needs are guided by various cultural factors. This study also suggests that the U-curve hypothesis is not supported by the research data, as methodological issues, different internal and external factors, cultural expectations, individual responses or attitudes, and technological and world development have the potential to impact on adjustment. This research adds to theoretical knowledge associated with the adjustment of international students and, in practical terms, increases our current knowledge regarding student recruitment and international student support services.