Factors that Affect American College Students' Participation in Study Abroad by Chelsea ...

268 Pages·2009·0.56 MB·English

Factors that Affect American College Students’
Participation in Study Abroad
by

Chelsea BaileyShea

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the
Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

Supervised by

Professor Andrew Wall

Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development

University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

2009
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To Matt, who has always believed in me.
To Kilian and Rory, who make me strive to improve myself.
This is dedicated to you.
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Curriculum Vitae

The author was born in Palo Alto, CA on May 15, 1974. She attended
Connecticut College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and
French in 1996. She attended Middlebury College in Paris, France, graduating
with a Master’s in French in 1999. In 2005, she began her doctoral work in
Educational Policy and Theory at the University of Rochester, where she was
awarded a Scandling Scholarship. While at the University of Rochester she
worked as a graduate research assistant for Dr. Kara Finnigan and Dr. Karen
DeAngelis. In 2008, she was awarded a CIEE Ping Doctoral Research
Fellowship that provided her the opportunity to work full-time on completing
her dissertation over the 2008-2009 academic year.
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Acknowledgements
The completion of this dissertation would not have been possible
without the support and encouragement I received throughout the process
from many individuals.
I would like to thank CIEE for awarding me a Ping Doctoral Research
Fellowship that provided me the opportunity to work full-time for one year on
my dissertation. Without this financial support I would not have been able to
finish my dissertation in a timely fashion. In particular, I thank Michael Vande
Berg and Stevan Trooboff for their interest and support of my research.
Feeling apart of a study abroad community greatly enriched my research
experience.
Thank you to the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at
UCLA for granting me access to use of their datasets for my project. I thank
as well the Rush Rhees library staff at the University of Rochester, especially
Kathy McGowan, and the interlibrary loan staff, who provided me with
endless books and articles in an expedient manner. I am also grateful to the
University of Rochester staff at the Center for Study Abroad &
Interdepartmental Programs, in particular to Jackie Levine and Heidi
Kozireski, for providing me the opportunity to intern in their office, and
answering my myriad questions throughout the years.
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A huge thank you to Brenda Grosswirth and Crys Cassano in the
Student Services Office at the Warner School. Your efficiency,
encouragement, and the unflagging patience with which you answered my
questions throughout the years were invaluable. We are all very lucky to have
you.
A special thank you to Professor Lynn Gordon whose classes inspired
me, and whose support, advice, and encouragement I greatly value.
I thank my committee members, Dr. Kara Finnigan, Dr. Frankie
Santos Laanan, and Dr. Andrew Wall. In particular, I thank my advisor, Dr.
Andrew Wall, for his dedication, enthusiasm, and support of my work and
development as a researcher and scholar. In addition, I would like to thank Dr.
Karen DeAngelis for her time, friendship, and encouragement of me.
Many thanks are due to my Dissertation Support Group friends:
Christina Crispin, Shanna Crump-Owens, Nahoko Kawakyu O’Connor,
Margie Shaw, and Bernie Todd Smith, whose moral support and
encouragement was invaluable, and much of the best part of my graduate
school experience. In particular, thank you to Bernie and Nahoko for your
unstinting support of me and my work, your ability to make me laugh when
nothing seemed very funny, your willingness to help out in anyway you could,
and your insistence that we celebrate any and all milestones. Thank you as
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well to all of my basement colleagues, especially Joyce Duckles and Kankana
Mukhopadhyay, who made my time in “the dungeon” better.
I am deeply indebted to my mom, Anne Bailey, who transmitted her
love of learning to me, and who has always supported, loved, and encouraged
me in all of my endeavors. Without her none of this would have been possible.
A very special thank you to my husband, Matt BaileyShea, whose
unconditional support has always helped me through difficult times. Thank
you for listening to my struggles throughout the years, and believing in me
when I could not. I would also like to thank Kilian and Rory for the joy they
bring to my life, and who always help me keep things in proper perspective.
I have tried to thank and acknowledge those who have helped me
accomplish this project. Should I have overlooked a few I extend my
apologies and appreciation.
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Abstract
The importance of encouraging greater study abroad participation in
American college students is receiving increased attention from public,
governmental, and higher education institutions. However, with increased
attention comes scrutiny of the distinct and quantifiable gender and ethnic
disparities that exist among those who take advantage of this educational
opportunity. With the stated goal of increasing participation, more needs to be
known about what differentiates participants from non participants, in
particular what factors in college affect participation. This study applied a
conceptual framework that explored the inter-relationships of background,
personal beliefs, intention to study abroad, institutional factors, and academic
and extracurricular involvement, to investigate this issue. It drew upon Astin’s
(1993) Input-Environment-Output model (I-E-O), Astin’s (1999) student
involvement theory, and Fisbein and Ajzen’s (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1970, 1980;
Fisbein & Ajzen, 1975) theory of reasoned action (TRA). The goal was to
provide evidence that would support governmental and college and university
policies and initiatives to promote and increase minority participation and
access to study abroad, as well as to reduce the gender disparity. Analysis of
data from the Higher Education Research Institute’s (HERI) 2002 Cooperative
Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey (CIRP) and the 2006
College Senior Survey (CSS) indicated an interplay between socio-cultural
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and institutional factors affected the participation outcome, with differences
found between male and female and White and minority logistic regression
models. Findings suggested that much like issues surrounding college choice,
the study abroad outcome was influenced by the intersection of background,
college involvement, and institutional factors.
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Table of Contents
Abstract vii
Table of Contents ix
List of Tables xv
List of Figures xix
1. Chapter One: Rationale and Statement of the Problem 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Rationale: Interest in Study Abroad: Governmental,
International Administrative Educators, Institutional,
and Public Opinion Polls 5

1.2.1 Governmental Interest 6
1.2.2 Public Opinion Surveys 9
1.2.3 International Administrative Educators 12
1.2.4 Higher Education Institutions 13
1.3 Summary 14
1.4 Statement of the Problem 16
1.5 Purpose of the Study 17
1.6 Research Question 18
1.7 Significance of the Study 18
1.8 Scope of the Study 19

2. Chapter Two: Study Abroad Past and Present 20
2.1 Historical Overview 20
2.2 Study Abroad Today: Perceived Contributors to the
Participation Imbalance 26

3. Chapter Three: Literature Review and Conceptual Framework 33
3.1 Current Research 33
3.1.1 Student Background 35
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3.1.2 Beliefs and Attitudes 41
3.1.3 Student Involvement: Academic 44
3.1.4 Student Involvement: Extracurricular 48
3.1.5 Institutional Factors 48
3.2 Summary of Variables Identified in Study Abroad Literature 50
3.3 Conceptual Framework 52
3.3.1 Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) Model 55
3.3.2 Inputs 57
3.3.3 Environment 57
3.3.4 Outputs 58
3.3.5 Astin’s Student Involvement Theory 59
3.3.6 Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action 61
3.6.1 Intention 62
3.6.2 Attitude 63
3.6.3 Outcome 64
3.4 Summary 64

4. Chapter Four: Methodology 67
4.1 Description of Instruments Used 67
4.2 Data Sample 70
4.2.1 Strengths 72
4.2.2 Limitations 73
4.3 Connecting Research Question to Data 75
4.4 Procedural Approach 77
4.5 Logistic Regression 78
4.5.1 Participant Demographics 84
4.5.2 Background Characteristics 84
4.5.3 Student Beliefs and Attitudes 87