The Effects of Short-term Study Abroad on Expanding Students’ Culture Perception and Identity

Abstract

The ability to interact effectively with other cultures in the workplace is becoming increasingly important. As such, it is crucial to train students who later enter the workforce to be culturally competent. In this study, an opportunity arose to study students completing week-long study abroad trips with an experiential learning component. Open ended responses revealed interesting results about outsider perceptions of students’ home culture. Viewed as a pilot study, results are important for showing the importance of week-long service-learning study abroad trips and implications for development of a student’s cultural identity as they enter the workforce.