This study examines perceptions of the benefits and barriers to study abroad amongst undergraduate students studying at the Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica, in 2018 and 2019. A total of 49 students representing five different study abroad programs from three institutions participated in the study. Cost, personal obligations,…

Locus of Control (LOC) is measured by a brief survey designed to determine an 'internal' or 'external' locus. Internal LOC signifies ownership of the consequences of one's actions. Individuals with a more internal LOC tend to have higher determents of positive mental health. This study investigated the impact on the LOC of university students…

A relatively small body of research has been conducted on the near- and long-term effects of study abroad (SA) to date. This existing research suggests that SA effects on language skills tend to be volatile, while the impact on various aspects of learners' personal, academic, and professional development may be longer-lasting. Yet, learner…

This article highlights an increasingly popular form of experiential learning, namely overseas exchange programs. Experiential learning is regarded as a valuable way to link up theoretical knowledge and practical skills in hospitality and tourism education. Although some studies have addressed the importance of experiential learning, the factors…

This article calls attention to the complex ways in which study abroad participants make meaning and narrate their experiences abroad. I ask, how do participants understand their study abroad experiences in relation to informing and giving meaning to their conceptions of self? To answer this question, this article uses a qualitative case study…

Background: Knowledge of specific health-related events encountered by students studying abroad and the availability and use of pre-travel healthcare for these students is lacking. Methods: Anonymous web-based questionnaires were sent to study abroad offices, student health centers, and undergraduate students after studying abroad at eight…

This paper is a critical qualitative study of African American male community college students' education abroad experience in Senegal, West Africa. Currently, there is a lack of research that focuses directly on Black men who are studying abroad. Using African American male theory as the framework, four major themes emerged: men to boys,…

Research has examined how people think about their personal risks, but not how students conceptualize the risks they experience abroad. We examined how students describe their risks, how they see risk beliefs and experiences as tied to mitigation, and whether they view study abroad as a time to take (positive or negative) risks. We interviewed…

This study investigated pre-occupational therapy students' descriptions of dissonance during a two-week service-learning immersion program in Guatemala. Thirty-one students participated in student-led group reflections during two program iterations. Qualitative analysis of transcripts yielded three themes: context, experience, and outcome. The…

Chinese students make up the largest and second largest group of internationals in U.S. and Canadian universities, yet they receive scant attention in terms of how they decide to study transnationally in North America. Most of the research on Chinese families' study abroad decision-making has been conducted with those from first tier eastern…

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to explore how 43 educators from Ecuador made meaning of a nine-month international continuing professional education (CPE) program at a higher education institution in the United States. Often categorized generally as study abroad, international CPE encompasses unique modalities focusing on…

Employers are continually looking for graduates who show an understanding of people with diverse cultures, languages, and religions. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how participation in study abroad enhanced the interculturality of undergraduate business students. Participants included two cohorts of U.S. students…

In this paper, we present a study of Turkish international students' experiences in the U.S. by examining data from EksiSozluk, a Turkish social media platform. Drawing on social-emotional learning as a theoretical foundation, we investigated the types of challenges Turkish international students faced in the U.S. and the coping strategies and…

Chinese students studying abroad have been increasing rapidly in the past decades and become a significant financial contribution to receiving countries. Accordingly, understanding their enrollment choice is essential to facilitate college marketing and admission strategies. Though the decision process is believed to be different from domestic…

Few studies have investigated the effects of combining undergraduate research with study abroad. The authors present student self-reported learning gains from two undergraduate courses that embed research within study abroad courses. Students in one course worked in small groups on original research projects; students in the second course…