We investigated the effects of social interaction and out-of-class study time on foreign language proficiency and use among two hundred students from a Japanese university who studied abroad for one month. Participants' use of English and English proficiency were measured before and after the programme. Interaction with people from other cultures…

The rapid development of international education has occurred alongside a growing demand for higher education institutions to educate globally competent graduates. Yet, mobility remains a distant opportunity for most students, and Japanese undergraduate students often cite financial, safety, and job-hunting concerns as obstacles to studying…

This paper examined how the interdisciplinary field of volunteer motivation and creativity research helps improve our understanding of social issues. This research focused on the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, and discussed how volunteer motivations support volunteer activities, positive youth…

In this qualitative study, I explored the strategies that international undergraduate students at a public research Midwestern university in the United States employ to persist and survive their educational transition to achieve academic excellence. Using Tinto's (1987) theory of persistence as the theoretical framework, this paper employed a case…

Compares 3 Japanese and 2 U.S. psychology departments, using course catalog data and questionnaire responses from 30 professors and 335 undergraduates. Reports U.S. students studied more and learned specific, career-oriented content, whereas Japanese students emphasized extracurricular activities related to future careers. Links findings to…