Three Manuscripts on Study Abroad by Hee Sun Kim A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment ...

242 Pages·2017·2.21 MB·English

by  Hee Sun Kim

Three Manuscripts on Study Abroad

by
Hee Sun Kim

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Higher Education)
in the University of Michigan
2017

Doctoral Committee:

Profession Janet H. Lawrence, Chair
Dr. Amy J. Conger, Office of the Provost
Professor Stephen L. DesJardins
Professor James P. Holloway
Professor Lisa R. Lattuca
Hee Sun Kim
[email protected]
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6382-8962

© Hee Sun Kim 2017
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To Jin Hyung, Sayeon, and Yubin
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am tremendously indebted to notable and generous individuals who made my
dissertation work rewarding and enjoyable. I am very fortunate and privileged to have worked
with my dissertation chair and mentor Professor Janet Lawrence. She guided and taught me
throughout my doctoral study, and I am deeply grateful for her wisdom, patience, love and
kindness. Professor Lawrence’s profound vision and understanding of higher education will
continue to influence and inspire my scholarly work.
I would also like to thank my stellar committee, Dr. Amy Conger, Professor Stephen
DesJardins, Professor James Holloway, and Professor Lisa Lattuca, for their insights and
support. It has been a real privilege to receive such thoughtful feedback on my work. I consider
each committee member to be a role model, and I only hope that I can reflect such deep expertise
and generosity and integrity in my work with students and colleagues.
I am grateful to excellent administrative staff in the Registrar’s Office, Center for Global
and Intercultural Study, International Programs in Engineering, International Center, and the
International Institute who gave me their time and showed interest in my work. Their knowledge
about study abroad data and insights into international education have helped shape my
dissertation study in valuable ways.
Colleagues at the Rackham’s Institutional Research Office deserve credit for this
dissertation and the completion of my doctoral study. I would like to thank Dr. John Gonzalez,
Merle Feldbaum, Maia Bergman, Dr. Carrie Brezine, and Allyson Flaster for their continuous
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support, encouragement, and guidance throughout my dissertation work. I am fortunate to have
worked with them as the experience enriched my doctoral study in many ways. Support of
faculty members, staff, and colleagues in the School of Education was also essential to
completing this doctorate. I would like to thank Melinda Richardson and Linda Rayle for their
administrative assistance throughout my doctoral study which made my life as a graduate student
much easier. I also thank my Korean colleagues Woojeong Shim, Jiyun Kim, and Jeongeun Kim
for their friendship and encouragement.
Finally, I am grateful for the constant love and support from my parents, Jay Chul Kim
and Jung Im Ha, and my parents-in-law Sung Kyu Kim and Hee Ja Choi. I also thank my sister
Hyun Jung Kim for always being a wonderful friend and my best supporter, and Rosa Kim and
her family for their continued encouragement. I recognize my two most precious gifts from God,
Sayeon and Yubin, who supported me with their lovely smiles, kisses, and hugs every single day.
I offer the greatest thanks to my husband, soul mate, and best friend, Jin Hyung, for his
unconditional love, patience, and support. His positive energy and entrepreneurial spirit are
constant inspirations of my work and life. I am truly grateful and blessed to continue my life’s
journey with him.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii

LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ix

Chapter 1: Three-manuscript Dissertation Overview ..................................................................... 1

Chapter 2: Who Studies Abroad? Understanding Factors that Predict Study Abroad Participation
....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Chapter 3: The Effect of Study Abroad on Academic Performance and Interests of
Undergraduate Students ................................................................................................................ 79

Chapter 4: Measuring Impact of Study Abroad Program Activities ........................................... 153

Chapter 5: Concluding Remarks ................................................................................................. 226
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1. Overview of Three Papers ............................................................................................. 8

Table 2.1. Sample Cohorts ............................................................................................................ 34

Table 2.2. Descriptive Statistics by Study Abroad Participation .................................................. 42

Table 2.3. Logistic Regression – Model Predicting Study Abroad Participation ......................... 43

Table 2.4. Logistic Regression – Long-term and Short-term Study Abroad Participation ........... 45

Table 2.5. Logistic Regression – Characteristics at College Entry Predicting Study Abroad Intent
and Participation ................................................................................................................... 50

Table 2.A1. Variable Definitions .................................................................................................. 75

Table 2.A2. Logistic Regression – Men and Women Study Abroad Participation ...................... 77

Table 3.1. Sample Cohorts .......................................................................................................... 100

Table 3.2. Descriptive Statistics by Study Abroad Participation ................................................ 115

Table 3.3. Treatment Effects for Degree Completion: All Students ........................................... 118

Table 3.4. Treatment Effects for Degree Completion: HS Students ........................................... 119

Table 3.5. Treatment Effects for Degree Completion: Engineering Students ............................ 120

Table 3.6. Treatment effects for Completion of Majors with International Theme ................... 121

Table 3.7. Sensitivity to Hidden Bias in Significant Outcomes: Gamma Values ....................... 123

Table 3.A1. Variable Definitions ................................................................................................ 140

Table 3.A2. List of Covariates included in PSM Models ........................................................... 143

Table 3.A3. List of Majors with Foreign Language Requirement .............................................. 144
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Table 3.A4. Distribution of Covariates for Unmatched and Matched Samples by Treatment
Status for Degree Outcomes: All Students ......................................................................... 147

Table 3.A5. Distribution of Covariates for Unmatched and Matched Samples by Treatment
Status for Degree Outcomes: Long-term Study Abroad and HS Students ......................... 149

Table 3.A6. Distribution of Covariates for Unmatched and Matched Samples by Treatment
Status for Degree Outcomes: Short-term Study Abroad and Engineering Students .......... 150

Table 3.A7. Distribution of Covariates for Unmatched and Matched Samples by Treatment
Status for Completion of International Related Major: HS Students ................................. 151

Table 4.1. Measures of Instructional Practice derived from Faculty and Student Reports ........ 177

Table 4.2. Descriptive Statistics .................................................................................................. 181

Table 4.3. OLS Regression Results: Intended Curriculum ......................................................... 183

Table 4.4. OLS Regression Results: Experienced Curriculum ................................................... 185

Table 4.A1. Variable Definitions ................................................................................................ 207
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1. Peterson’s model of decision to study abroad ............................................................ 27

Figure 2.2. Probability of Study Abroad by Gender ..................................................................... 56

Figure 2.3. Probability of Short-term Study Abroad by Minority Status ..................................... 58

Figure 2.4. Constructs of study abroad intent and participation ................................................... 63

Figure 3.A1. Propensity Score Distributions: All Students ........................................................ 145

Figure 3.A2. Propensity Score Distributions: HS Students ........................................................ 146

Figure 3.A3. Propensity Score Distributions: Engineering Students .......................................... 146

Figure 3.A4. Propensity Score Distributions: Completion of Majors with International Theme
............................................................................................................................................. 147
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ABSTRACT

The three studies in this dissertation contribute to our knowledge about study abroad
program impact, particularly as it relates to understanding the interplay of factors that influence
students’ decision to study abroad, to employing a more robust methodology to examine the
effect of study abroad participation, and to developing and refining measures of instructional
practice that can be used to identify effective features of study abroad programs.
I begin with the first study asking the question, who studies abroad? Utilizing logistic
regression, I identify individual characteristics, experiences prior to college entry, and first year
college experiences that predict study abroad intent and participation. In particular, I examine if
factors that predict intentions at the time of entrance predict actual participation during students’
second or third years in college. Based on findings, I provide implications for studies that use
intentions as a proxy for participation.
The purpose of the second study is to estimate the effect of study abroad participation on
academic performance and interest in international specializations. To address the
methodological limitations of prior research, this study utilizes propensity score matching to
create a sample of study abroad participants and non-participants that are similar in terms of
characteristics that predict involvement. The effects of study abroad on students’ academic
performance (time to degree, 4-year degree completion, total credits earned) and academic
interests (completed an International Studies major, completed a major with
international/global/language theme) are assessed.