Study Abroad - (Contributions to the Study of Education) by Jerry S Carlson & Barbara B Burn & John Useem (Hardcover)

About the Book

While it is assumed that American undergraduates who study abroad derive unique benefits from the experience, until now its actual impact has not been assessed. This book, which presents the findings of a long-term evaluation project, provides the kind of systematic and comprehensive data needed to document and give future guidance to programs of study abroad. Using comparative measures, the authors examine the effects of overseas study in terms of education, career, personal satisfaction, and cultural values.

Undergraduates in four U.S. college and university programs involving nearly thirty European institutions were chosen for the study. The focus of the research is the role of study abroad in students' acquisition of foreign language proficiency, knowledge of and concern for foreign cultures and international issues, attitudes toward their home country and its values, and career objectives and accomplishments. Student profiles indicate consistent patterns in motivation, achievement, and satisfaction that relate to the experience abroad. In their conclusion, the authors look at the implications of their findings in the context of our times and society and offer suggestions for some new directions for study abroad in the coming years. This analysis will be relevant for educational decision-makers, funding organizations, government, and the research community.

Book Synopsis

While it is assumed that American undergraduates who study abroad derive unique benefits from the experience, until now its actual impact has not been assessed. This book, which presents the findings of a long-term evaluation project, provides the kind of systematic and comprehensive data needed to document and give future guidance to programs of study abroad. Using comparative measures, the authors examine the effects of overseas study in terms of education, career, personal satisfaction, and cultural values.

Undergraduates in four U.S. college and university programs involving nearly thirty European institutions were chosen for the study. The focus of the research is the role of study abroad in students' acquisition of foreign language proficiency, knowledge of and concern for foreign cultures and international issues, attitudes toward their home country and its values, and career objectives and accomplishments. Student profiles indicate consistent patterns in motivation, achievement, and satisfaction that relate to the experience abroad. In their conclusion, the authors look at the implications of their findings in the context of our times and society and offer suggestions for some new directions for study abroad in the coming years. This analysis will be relevant for educational decision-makers, funding organizations, government, and the research community.

Review Quotes

?Study Abroad: The Experience of American Undergraduates presents the findings of a long-term evaluation project examining the effects of overseas study in terms of education, career, personal satisfaction, and cultural values. Undergraduates in four U.S. college and university programs involving nearly thirty European institutions were included in the study. In their conclusion, the authors look at the implications of their findings and offer suggestions for some new directions for study abroad in the coming years.?-The Advising Quarterly

"Study Abroad: The Experience of American Undergraduates presents the findings of a long-term evaluation project examining the effects of overseas study in terms of education, career, personal satisfaction, and cultural values. Undergraduates in four U.S. college and university programs involving nearly thirty European institutions were included in the study. In their conclusion, the authors look at the implications of their findings and offer suggestions for some new directions for study abroad in the coming years."-The Advising Quarterly

About the Author

JERRY S. CARLSON is Professor of Education and Cooperating Member of the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. He is the recipient of awards from the Alexander von Humbolt Foundation for research on mental abilities and from the Council on International Educational Exchange for research in the area of international education.

BARBARA B. BURN is Associate Provost for International Programs, Adjunct Professor, and teaches comparative higher education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is the author of Expanding the International Dimension of Higher Education.

JOHN USEEM is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Michigan State University. He is the author of numerous articles, books and monographs and has been awarded Michigan State University's Distinguished Faculty Award, the Society for the Study of Social Problems' Lee Founders Award for Significant Achievement Over a Distinguished Career, as well as other scholarly awards.

DAVID YACHIMOWICZ is Professor of Education and Cooperating Member of the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside.