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
Definition of Study Variables cont.
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
Definition of Study Variables cont.
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
Definition of Study Variables cont.
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
% within IntensiveLang2
88.9% 30.0% 52.1%
Total Count 18 30 48
% within IntensiveLang2
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
% within LivingSituation
100.0% 29.0% 66.7% 52.1%
Total Count 14 31 3 48
% within LivingSituation
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
% within Immersion2cat 30.4% 84.0% 58.3%
Total Count 23 25 48
% within Immersion2cat 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
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.