Analytical Review of Research on Teacher Education Study Abroad: Seeking Best Practices in Teacher Preparation

• In Event: Preparing Teachers to Be Global-Citizen-Scholars: Educating Responsibly for Equity and Inclusion in Classroom Practice

Abstract

Objectives
Teacher educators have been encouraged to develop programs that support pre-service teachers’ development of intercultural competence (McAllister & Irvine, 2000). Teacher education study abroad experiences are posited to be a potentially powerful vehicle towards these efforts (Cushner & Mahon, 2009; Malewski & Phillion, 2009; Marx & Moss, 2011). Though there is a growing body of research on teacher education study abroad programs, there has not been a systematic analysis of the literature in this area.
Method
This paper presents the final analytical stage of a literature review that examined empirical studies conducted over the past decade on teacher education study abroad programs. The study followed guidelines for conducting a systematic review of the literature suggested by Cooper (2010). Throughout this study we sought to acknowledge the many potential avenues for international experiences, synthesize current understandings, and identify gaps in the research. We also considered lines of inquiry and research approaches not currently being pursued that could inform best practices in teacher preparation with a focus on collaborating with international partners.
Data Sources
The study began with data-base searches, and snowball sampling technique, to initially examine 86 studies. A second level coding scheme identified thirty-eight (n= 51) studies that met the following criteria: a study abroad or international experience as a formal element of a teacher education program and a peer-reviewed journal article published between 2009 and 2019. The coding scheme was refined recursively throughout an initial process. The authors then did a comprehensive read of each study, using the codes to categorize articles. After discussing the codes for clarity of meaning, the authors also utilized the codes to categorize the data – consensus was achieved between these multiple coders. Data were analyzed to identify gaps and consider lines of inquiry not currently being pursued.
Results
Findings from this analysis propose that researchers need to explicitly attend to the theoretical frames they use in study abroad. While the majority of studies stated that they found evidence of impact on growth, there were few studies that identified a theoretical framework underpinning student learning. As suggested by McAllister & Irvine (2000), we propose that research seeking to understand the impact of international teaching experiences on pre-service teachers should look to theories of intercultural development (Bennet, 1986) or transformative learning (Mezirow, 2008) to analyze growth and to identify best practices in program design. Further, we propose that program design elements must clearly align with program goals supporting student learning.
Scholarly Significance of the Study
Our analysis also uncovered a gap in the research regarding the negotiated context of these international experiences. There is a need to examine the nature of intercultural collaborations between the home and host country to challenge and support pre-service teachers’ intercultural growth as global-citizen-scholars. Finally, researchers should seek to identify best practices of the host country collaborators who play the key role as intercultural guides; a role that has proven pivotal to preservice teachers’ intercultural development (Marx & Moss, 2011) and their ability to teach responsibly as global-citizen-scholars.

Authors

• David M. Moss, University of Connecticut

• Helen Marx, Southern Connecticut State University

• Jon Simmons, University of Connecticut - Storrs