Raising awareness in study abroad

266 Pages·2017·5.67 MB·English

by  Leslie Gassler

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Theses and Dissertations
8-18-2014
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Leslie Gassler
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RAISING AWARENESS IN STUDY ABROAD

by
Leslie A. Gassler

A Dissertation
Submitted to the
Department of Educational Leadership
College of Education
In partial fulfillment of
Doctor of Education
at
Rowan University
2013

Dissertation Chair: MaryBeth Walpole, Ph.D.

i
© 2014 Leslie A. Gassler

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Dedication
This dissertation would not have been possible if it were not for the continuous help and
encouragement from my family and friends. Thank you for your endless support
throughout this process. I would like to extend my appreciation especially to the
following.

To my Mom-mom and Pop-pop, I’m forever thank you for instilling your love for travel
and passion for learning within me. At a very young age, you showed me slide shows of
your adventures in countries I only dreamed of visiting. While on my first trip abroad,
you commented that you opened a door for me that would be hard to close. You were
right!

To my parents, Mom and Dad, thank you for your love, support, and encouragement
throughout my life. Thank you for giving me the strength to reach for the stars and chase
my dreams. Your faith in me allowed me to take risks without fear of failure.

To my husband, Bryan, whose values and spirit match my own. Thank you for
accompanying on this adventure and for encouraging me to dream big. Most importantly,
thank you for being the voice of reason and for your continuous love and support.

To Ben, Reese, and Emma, thank you for encouraging and supporting me without even
knowing it. Your smiles, hugs, and silliness kept me going throughout the process. I love
more than you will ever know.

Thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and guidance throughout this process.

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Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge everyone who has assisted me throughout my
doctoral studies over the years. I would like to express my deepest appreciation and
gratitude to my committee chair, Dr. MaryBeth Walpole, for agreeing to serve as my
adviser and for her patience and feedback during the many courses I took with her and as
I completed my dissertation. Without your guidance and support, this dissertation would
not have been possible. Thank you for believing in me so I could believe in myself and
for remaining optimistic when I faced uncertainty. Most importantly, thank you for not
letting me give up and for giving me the time and confidence I needed to find balance.
You have been an exceptional teacher and mentor and a great inspiration for me.
I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Ane Johnson, and Dr. Corine
Meredith for their support and assistance throughout this process. Dr. Johnson, thank you
for sparking my interest in qualitative research and for providing me with the skills I
needed to collect and analyze data effectively. Dr. Meredith, thank you for sharing an
interest in my research and for your willingness to be a part of my dissertation committee.
In addition, I would like to thank the Doctoral Program faculty. Your engaging
class discussions and optimistic stories about future graduation day helped me to
overcome barriers that I encountered during this process. I truly appreciate and value
everything I have learned from you. I would like to express gratitude to Dr. Carol
Thompson. Thank you for supporting and encouraging my research and for helping me
grow both personally and professionally.
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To my family and friends, thank you for your encouragement and support. To my
husband, Bryan, thank you for your endless patience, help, and support from start to
finish. To my family, thank you for watching Ben so I could attend class.
A special thank you to Trisha Egbert. Trisha, your drive, passion, and confidence
throughout this process inspired me and kept me on track. Thank you for setting the bar
high, for your positive outlook on everything, and most of all, your friendship. I couldn’t
have made it through this program without you by my side.
Kristen Boye, thank you for helping me cross the finish line. Your expertise,
patience, and time were exactly what I needed at the end.

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Abstract
Leslie A. Gassler
RAISING AWARENESS IN STUDY ABROAD
2010/2014
MaryBeth Walpole, Ph.D.

Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership
As a result of globalization, U.S. students need to acquire international
knowledge, intercultural communication skills, and a global perspective in order to
compete, succeed, and contribute to the interconnected world and global economy of the
21st century (Leask, 2001; Obst, Bhandari, & Witherell, 2007). Study abroad programs
have been found to provide students with the necessary skills and competence required
for the 21st century. The purpose of this action research study was to examine honors
students’ intercultural competency and the barriers they saw to studying abroad, and to
develop of online study abroad information and promote a study abroad information
session. This study focused on undergraduate honors students at Greenwich University, a
four-year mid-Atlantic public university during the 2010-2012 academic years. In order
to determine how to raise honors students’ awareness in study abroad, this research study
measured two concepts. One concept measured was an individual’s experience, interests,
and challenges regarding study abroad. The second concept measured was how an
individual understands his intercultural development. The conceptual framework of this
four cycle action research dissertation centered on collecting data to determine honors
students’ intercultural levels and their perceptions of study abroad, and to identify
barriers they believed existed. Data was then used to create an online study abroad
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information link and promote a study abroad information session. Through surveys, focus
groups, and interviews with Greenwich University honors students, I was able to
determine that the online study abroad information link and the promotion of the study
abroad information session affected awareness of study abroad.

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Table of Contents

Abstract .............................................................................................................................. vi
List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiv
Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 1
Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 5
Aims of the Study ............................................................................................................... 5
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2: Leadership Platform ........................................................................................ 10
Research Interest and Experience ..................................................................................... 11
Foundations of Leadership Development ......................................................................... 13
Leadership as Transformational ........................................................................................ 14
Moral Leadership .............................................................................................................. 15
Creating Meaningful and Sustainable Change .................................................................. 23
Framework for Change ..................................................................................................... 23
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 28
Chapter 3: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 30
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 30
The Demand for Study Abroad ......................................................................................... 30
U.S. Students Studying Abroad ........................................................................................ 32
Intercultural Competence Background ............................................................................. 34
Intercultural Competence and Related Terms .................................................................. 35
Intercultural Competence Defined .................................................................................... 36
Culture Influence on Intercultural Competence ................................................................ 37
Characteristics of Intercultural Competence ..................................................................... 38
Components of Intercultural Competence: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills ................ 39
Significance of Intercultural Development and Study Abroad ......................................... 40
Criticism of Study Abroad ................................................................................................ 42
Acceptance of Study Abroad ............................................................................................ 45
The History of Honors Programs ...................................................................................... 46
Current Honors Programs ................................................................................................. 49
Description of Honors Student ......................................................................................... 50
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 50
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Table of Contents (Continued)

Chapter 4: Methodology ................................................................................................... 52
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 52
Greenwich University ....................................................................................................... 55
History of Greenwich University ...................................................................................... 55
Present at Time of Study ................................................................................................... 56
Honors Concentration Program History ........................................................................... 56
Current Honors Concentration Program ........................................................................... 57
International Center and Study Abroad ............................................................................ 57
History of Study Abroad at Greenwich University .......................................................... 58
Current Study Abroad Program at Greenwich University ................................................ 59
Action Research Approach ............................................................................................... 60
Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 63
Research Methods and Instrumentation ............................................................................ 64
Cycle 1 .............................................................................................................................. 65
Population and Sample Selection ..................................................................................... 65
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 66
Data Collection Procedures .............................................................................................. 68
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 68
Cycle 2 .............................................................................................................................. 68
Population and Sample Selection ..................................................................................... 68
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 69
Data Collection Procedures .............................................................................................. 70
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 70
Cycle 3 .............................................................................................................................. 70
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 71
Data Collection Procedures .............................................................................................. 73
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 74
Validating the Accuracy of Findings ................................................................................ 74
Cycle 4: Leadership Assessment ...................................................................................... 75
Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 75
Confidentiality .................................................................................................................. 76
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 76
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