Exploring the Impact of Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program on Education Students’ Perspectives

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Study Abroad and Cultural Exchange (Table 7)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe the transformation in education students’ perspectives about young children, teachers, and curriculum for young children following a faculty-led study-abroad program in Sweden. Mezirow’s “Transformational Learning Theory” was adopted to examine the changes in pre-service teachers’ perceptions during the program. The researchers collected data through participant pre- and post-experience surveys, oral and written reflective discussions and papers. The participants’ prior perceptions of young children, teachers of young children, and curriculum for young children moved from superficial to real-life representations. Participants' self-reported transformation revolved around the ideals of children’s self-involvement in their own learning, teacher-child interactions and discipline, art and outdoor integration effort in curriculum, and finally, the value of play-based learning.

Authors

• Jale Aldemir, Coppin State University

• Hengameh Kermani, University of North Carolina - Wilmington