The nature of international cross-cultural experiences as articulated by US secondary teachers

151 Pages·2014·1.08 MB·English

by  Kirsten A. Barnes

Digital Commons @ George Fox University
Doctor of Education (EdD) Education
1-1-2013
The nature of international cross-cultural
experiences as articulated by U. S. secondary
teachers
Kirsten A. Barnes
George Fox University
This research is a product of the Doctor of Education (EdD) program at George Fox University.Find out
moreabout the program.
Recommended Citation
Barnes, Kirsten A., "The nature of international cross-cultural experiences as articulated by U. S. secondary teachers" (2013).Doctor of
Education (EdD).Paper 14.
http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/edd/14
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THE NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AS
ARTICULATED BY U.S. SECONDARY TEACHERS

by
KIRSTEN A. BARNES

FACULTY RESEARCH COMMITTEE:

Chair: Suzanne Harrison, PhD
Members: Terry Huffman, PhD and Susanna Steeg, PhD

Presented to Educational Foundations and Leadership Department
and the School of Education, George Fox University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
April 3, 2013

ii

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this microethnographic qualitative study was to explore the nature of
international cross-cultural travel experiences as articulated by U.S. secondary teachers, through
in-depth personal interviews and personal self-reflections. The purposive sample included eight
licensed secondary teachers from a rural high school in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, who
had traveled internationally with each having more than 16 years of teaching experience.
Through the two interviews and reflective journal entries of each participant, I explored the
nature of international cross-cultural travel experiences: (1) how did participants describe their
international cross-cultural travel experiences; (2) what did international cross-cultural travel
experiences mean to the participant; and (3) what did teachers self-report about how their cross-
cultural travel experiences have shaped them as teachers. I used a three-stage strategy of coding
with initial, focused, and thematic analyses of the 125 pages of transcripts. I found 37 themes
during this time that were repeated or similar in nature to at least two or more of the participants.
At the completion of identifying themes, I moved to focused coding, where I collapsed the 37
themes into like categories. In this process, I created a spreadsheet with the 37 themed
categories and then collapsed them into 13 categories. The final step involved thematic analyses,
a process that looked for similarities, patterns, and uniqueness in both the transcript and the
spreadsheet and seven themes emerged. As a result of my research I found eight findings. First,
secondary teachers travel out of curiosity. Second, pre-travel arrangements and philosophy of
travel directly impact participants’ experiences. Third, international cross-cultural experiences
of cultures much different from their own allowed participants a greater understanding of the
minority experience. Fourth, international cross-cultural experiences promoted transformational
learning as participants examined their perspectives. Fifth, international cross-cultural
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experiences encouraged future international travel. Sixth, international cross-cultural
experiences fostered reflection on the teachers’ practices. Seventh, international cross-cultural
experiences encouraged participants to promote student travel. Finally, international cross-
cultural travel energized participants and created opportunities for professional development.
iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am thankful for the support of my family and friends, who have encouraged my pursuit
of a doctoral degree. I am especially grateful to my parents, Rob and Kathy Barnes, for their
unconditional love, support, prayers, and dedication to train me up to follow Christ since the day
I was born. Thank you to my extended family, Silver Creek Fellowship family, and my Red
Cross friends who have encouraged and cheered me to the end.
I am grateful to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and the Gilder
Lehrman Institute of American History for their investment in my education, professional
development, and leadership training that prodded me to take this journey. Both groups have
made significant investments in me as a teacher, while encouraging my pursuit of this degree.
Thank you to Dr. Terry Huffman and Dr. Susanna Steeg for your work as committee
members. I appreciate your questions, efforts and encouragement along the way. A special
thank you to my chair, Dr. Suzanne Harrison, who has invested in me from my first class in the
EDFL program through my last. Thank you, Sue, for all of your time and effort on this project
from extra meetings to help me better understand and clarify ideas, to your patience as you
mentored me along the way, to your prayer and support.
I wish to thank the George Fox EDFL 2010 Cohort who set off on this journey three
years ago and have encouraged each other along the way from the beginning to the end. Special
thanks to my study buddies, Julie, Marisa, Dorie, Chris, and Jim, who took the extra time to
encourage me via email, text, calls, and dinner meetings along I-5; I greatly appreciate our time
together.
A final thanks to the eight secondary teachers who participated in this study. I greatly
appreciate the time you spent sharing your travel experiences, which makes this project possible.
v

DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my family, who has supported me every step of the way. I also
dedicate this work to the teachers who travel internationally, curious to learn more and willing to
share their experience with their students.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………………..... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………………….. iv
DEDICATION ………………………………………………………………………………..… v
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………....... vi
CHAPTER 1..……………………………………………………………………………….…… 1
Introduction………………………………………………………………………...……….... 1
Statement of the Problem.……………………………………………………...………... 3
Research Questions...…………………………………………………………………….. 3
Definition of Terms……………….……………………………………….…………..…. 4
Limitations ……………………..………….….……………………………...………….. 5
Delimitations …………….….…………………………………………………………… 6
Summary……………………………………………………………..………………....... 6
CHAPTER 2…………………………………………………………………..…………………. 8
Review of the Literature…………………………………………………………………….... 8
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….... 8
Cross-Cultural Experience Yields Transformational Learning…………………....….... 11
Global Mindedness Developed Through Cross-Cultural Experience…………….…….. 16
Cultural Humility……………………………...……………………....……………...… 20
Impact of Foreign Travel as Tourist and Traveler ………………………….……..…… 22
Conclusions from the Literature Review………………………………………..……… 26
CHAPTER 3…………………………………………………………………………….……… 28
Method….………………………………………………….……………………….……… 28
Introduction ….………………………………………………………………...…..…… 28
Setting……………………………………………………………………………….….. 28
Participants…………………………………………………………………….…..……. 28
Role of the Researcher………………………………………………………………….. 29
Research Design and Procedures ….……………………………………….…………... 30
Data Analysis .……………………….……………………………………….…….…... 32
Research Ethics……………………………………………………………….……….... 33
Potential Contributions of the Research………………………………...……………… 33
CHAPTER 4 ………………………………………………………………………….………... 37
Findings ………………………………………………………………...……………….… 37
Findings: Initial and Focused Coding ……………………………………………..…… 38
Why Secondary Teachers Travel …….………………………………………………… 42
To see things that they have heard or read about ……….……………………… 42
To learn more about locations and cultures …..……………………….……….. 44
To understand their family roots and history …………………………...……… 45
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To experience a change of pace ……………………..………...……………….. 46
Intrinsic benefits of travel …………………………………………..………….. 48
Summary of why secondary teachers travel ………………………...…………. 49
Ways Secondary Teachers Travel ……………………………………………………… 49
Tourist…………………………………………………………………..………. 50
Best part about travel through the eyes of the tourist ………….………. 55
Worst part about travel through the eyes of the tourist …………..……. 56
Traveler…………………………………………………………………..…….. 60
Solo traveler …………………………………………………………… 62
Best part about travel through the eyes of the traveler ………….…..…. 64
Worst part about travel through the eyes of the traveler …………....…. 66
Servant ………………………………………………………………..…….….. 68
Best part about travel through the eyes of the servant ……...……….…. 71
Worst part about travel through the eyes of the servant …………….…. 72
Summary of the ways that secondary teachers travel …………..……………… 74
Minority Experience …………………………………………………………………… 76
Sticking out like a sore thumb …………………………………………….…… 76
Understanding different cultures …………………………………………….… 78
Summary of the minority experience …………………………………..……… 80
Transformational Learning ……………………………………………………..……… 80
Transformational learning shapes the participant …………………………...…. 82
Understanding how secondary teachers fit in a global world ………………….. 84
Summary of transformational learning …………………………………...……. 88
Cultural Humility ………………………………………………………………………. 88
Appreciation for home …………………………………………………………. 89
Challenges to American materialism ……………………………………….….. 92
Summary of cultural humility …………………………………………..……… 94
Impact of Secondary Teacher Travel on Students and Practice………………………... 94
Encouraging students to travel …………………………………………………. 94
Curriculum development ……………….……………………………………… 97
Examples and experiences to share with students……………………… 99
Changes in practice since the first interview …………………………...…….. 102
Summary of the impact of secondary teacher travel on students and practice .. 104
Future Travel ……………………………………………………………..………....... 104
Traveling with family ………………………………………………………… 105
Summary of future travel ………………………………………..………..…... 108
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………..………...… 108
CHAPTER 5 …………………………………………………………………...…...……...…. 110
Introduction………………………………………………………………….………….... 110
Discussion ………………………………………………………………………..…….... 111
Sub-question #1 …………………………………………………………….…..…….. 111
Secondary teachers travel out of curiosity ……………………………….....… 111
Pre-travel arrangements and philosophy of travel directly impacts
participants’ experiences …………………………………………………..…. 113
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Sub-question #2 ……………………………………………….…………………….... 115
International cross-cultural experiences of cultures much different than
their own allowed participants a greater understanding of the
minority experience………………………………………………………........ 115
International cross-cultural experiences promoted transformational
learning of the participants’ perspectives ………………………..……..…….. 116
International cross-cultural experiences encouraged future international
travel ………………………………………………………………….....……. 117
Sub-question #3 ……………………………………………………….……..……….. 118
International cross-cultural experiences fosters reflection on the teachers’
practices ………………………………………………………………………. 118
International cross-cultural experiences encouraged participants to promote
student travel …………………………………………………………….....…. 120
International cross-cultural travel energized participants and created
opportunities for professional development ………...……………….....…...… 120
Recommendations and Implications …………………………………………….…..…… 121
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………..…… 123

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………..… 124
APPENDICES ….……………………………………………………………….……............ 132
Appendix A: Guided Questions …………………………………………...…………. 132
Appendix B: George Fox University HSRC Initial Review Questionnaire ………..… 134
Appendix C: George Fox University HSRC Approval Letter ………………...……… 138
Appendix D: Letter of Consent .……………………………………………………… 139