ERIC Number: EJ1359670
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Oct
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1085-4568
EISSN: EISSN-2380-8144
The Power of Listening: Host Community Members' Perspectives of a Field Research Education Abroad Program in Costa Rica
Noel Habashy; Nicole Webster
Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, v34 n3 p168-202 Oct 2022
Despite the growing body of literature investigating education abroad programs, there remains very limited empirical research examining the perspectives of local community members who interact with visiting students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the varying perspectives of residents within a community in Costa Rica that interact with undergraduate students from a US-based field research program. Utilizing a theoretical framework of critical theory, researchers examined the perspectives of community members with varying degrees of power. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 32 local community members, direct observations, and document analysis. Findings from this study include community members' perceptions of opportunities and challenges of interactions with visiting students, community members' valuing interactions and relationships with students, and the challenge of the locus of control related to community interactions being held by a study abroad organization. This research illuminates ways to incorporate community perspectives into the design, implementation, and evaluation of education abroad programs.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Study Abroad, Field Experience Programs, Community Attitudes, Interaction, Undergraduate Students, School Community Relationship, Critical Theory, Power Structure, Program Design, Program Implementation, Program Evaluation
Frontiers Journal. Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013. Tel: 717-254-8858; Fax: 717-245-1677; Web site: https://www.frontiersjournal.org/index.php/Frontiers
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Costa Rica; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A