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A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of Study Abroad Programs on Intercultural Competence

Mon, April 15, 3:15 to 4:45pm, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Bay (Level 1), Bayview A/B Foyers

Proposal

This study explores the elements of study abroad programs that contribute to cultivating intercultural competence. Through an empirically based quantitative examination of 303 Japanese students who study abroad to the United States and Canada from 13 different Japanese universities, the research attempts to gain an understanding of the factors that enhance the development of intercultural competence. Considering that many previous studies worked about students in English-speaking countries, this study aims to examine whether an investigation of Japanese students would yield similar results given the different context. This study looks at three student factors - gender, prior international experience and prior local language proficiency and five program factors - program duration, program type, stay type, destination and pre-departure orientation. The primary findings show that program types, prior local language proficiency and pre-departure orientation are predicted to have significant impact. The findings clearly demonstrate the importance of data-evidenced arrangements of study abroad programs based on student and program profiles to enhance students’ intercultural competence. In other words, sending students abroad without carefully designed institutional arrangements is ineffective to facilitate the development of intercultural competence. The data will be helpful not only to international educators at Japanese universities but also to study abroad coordinators at receiving universities in the United States and Canada to understand Japanese study abroad students.

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