Bridging Educators’ Transformation: Fulbright-Hays Summer in Guatemala

• In Event: Journeys of Transformation and Strategy: An Insightful Exploration of Educational Approaches, International Higher Education, and EA Perspectives in a Global Context

Proposal

Purpose
An abundance of research has explored the transformative power of study abroad among undergraduate and graduate students as well as pre-service teachers (Dirkx et al., 2014; Dunn et al., 2014; Bain & Yaklin, 2019). However, there is little research that has explored the transformative nature of experiences abroad for practicing educators (Biraimah & Jotia, 2012; He et al., 2017).

Using the framework of Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1997), this paper will present the preliminary results of a multi-institutional study of pre-service and practicing educators in a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program to Guatemala. Program participants represented a generational span of forty years, a range of proficiency levels (Novice-Advanced) in the Spanish language, as well as a range of experience working with Guatemalan and other multilingual students. Some participants had had previous experiences abroad, while for others this was a first.

The program’s design, which included the intensive study of Spanish and K’iche’ (a Mayan language spoken widely in Guatemala) at rural and urban educational centers, embedded language and cultural instruction in the historical and present day contexts of the Guatemalan social, political, and economic landscape, with emphasis on the educational system. The integration of workshops and charlas with local educators and storytellers provided opportunities for participants to contextualize and reflect upon the learning they experienced. Topics included Guatemala’s historical and ongoing struggles with corruption and foreign intervention, bilingual intercultural education, the struggle and exploitation of rural coffee plantation workers, rural education, and the long-lasting consequences of Guatemala’s internal armed conflict and genocide. Participants also shared meals with host families, visited traditional and bilingual schools throughout Guatemala, and collaborated with Guatemalan educators and students.

Conceptual Framework
Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) focuses on changing an individual’s frames of reference (Mezirow, 2000), which usually occurs as a result of an event or experience (Mezirow, 1997). TLT also describes how students make meaning of their experiences (Mezirow, 2000). According to Mezirow (1991), one can develop an understanding of themselves and the world by being in an uncomfortable situation, going through critical reflection, and acting on the new insight (Mezirow, 1991; 2000). Gould (2018) suggests that studying abroad can be a transformative experience for the student as students may be challenged by their previous beliefs, values, and perceptions of the world, regardless of the length of the programs.

Method
This study employed a qualitative research design with a single collective case study approach (Stake, 2000), which aimed to answer the following overarching research question: How does a month-long study abroad program in Guatemala act as a learning experience for practicing and pre-service educators? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with each participant while in Guatemala and again 4-6 months after returning to the US. Several participants were also observed in their educational settings in the months following their return from the program.

Data from in-program and post-program interviews from each participant were analyzed individually and then compared for the identification of emergent themes and patterns. The qualitative design of the study allowed for an in-depth exploration of the participants’ descriptions of their learning experiences, which were influenced by social, cultural, and economic factors.

Significance of the Study
The cultivation of a more linguistically and culturally prepared educator force is a protest against monolingualism, English-only mindsets, and ethnocentrism. In this small state in the northeast U.S., which is home to a significant population of Guatemalan students and families, such an opportunity for educators is of great importance and relevance. The rapidly rising numbers of multilingual learners (MLLs) and culturally and linguistically diverse students in this state, which mirrors trends across the country, calls for a more informed and culturally responsive educator force, as well as for stronger advocacy.

Theoretically, this study will contribute to and enrich the knowledge of Transformative Learning and Experiential Learning Theory, specifically its application in short-term studying abroad experiences. Participants’ learning experiences may provide a window into professional enrichment abroad programs for pre-service and practicing educators. Also, this research will allow the faculty members, administrators, and researchers to reflect on their exchange programs to optimize their teacher education students’ experiences. The data presented will highlight trends in the enriching and transformative experiences of the participants which resulted in changes in professional and personal worldviews as well as educational practices, with the ultimate goal of drawing more attention to the need for broader access to such enriching opportunities for practicing educators. Moreover, the findings of this study will provide relevant information for other higher education institutions on the current context and dynamics of mobility between Guatemala and the U.S.

Authors

• James Cahan, University of Rhode Island

• Rabia Hos, University of Rhode Island

• Erin Papa, Rhode Island College