Does Study Abroad Improve Democratic Engagement after Higher Education? A Longitudinal Analysis from 7 Public Universities in the United States

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Student Outcomes: Democratic Engagement, Academic Attainment, and Digital Challenges

Proposal

Introduction

Study abroad participation among U.S. undergraduates continues to grow. Specifically, many U.S. colleges and universities view studying abroad as a high-impact educational practice that is crucial for experiential education and, more broadly, internationalization (Hopkins, 1999; Stebleton et al., 2013). Studies have investigated the impact of study abroad on behavioral outcomes (Rowan-Kenyon & Niehaus, 2011), academic achievement (Whatley & González Canché, 2022), college completion (Bhatt et al., 2022), and the likelihood of graduating on time (Bell et al., 2021). Additionally, past research has examined the relationships between study abroad participation and learning outcomes (Landon et al., 2017), language learning benefits (Salisbury et al., 2013), global citizenship (Tarrant et al., 2014), student success (Ogden et al., 2023), and student employability (Di Pietro, 2015).

However, few studies have focused on the long-term impact of postgraduation study abroad participation in terms of civic and global engagement (Mitic, 2020; Murphy et al., 2014; Paige et al., 2009). Furthermore, few studies have used longitudinal data to connect study abroad participation among alumni after college (Boulware et al., 2022; Myers et al., 2019; Zhuang & Kinginger, 2024). Hence, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to examine the impact of study abroad participation on one civic outcome previously unexamined: participation in a protest, march, or demonstration. This study has important implications for study abroad practitioners, teacher-scholars, and students who decide to pursue overseas study, and the findings highlight the importance of activism to combat rising inequality, which we predict will be exacerbated only by unequal access to emerging technologies, in line with this year’s CIES conference theme.

Literature Review

Past research has indicated that study abroad experiences positively influence democratic engagement (Nie & Stehlik-Barry, 1996). Dwyer (2004) suggested that exposure to different political systems and cultures can increase students' interest in politics and their understanding of global issues, thereby encouraging political participation. Mitic (2020) claimed that study abroad was linked to post-college volunteerism. Graduates who study abroad are more likely to cultivate a sense of civic responsibility and activism, empowering them to participate in democratic processes both at home and globally (Schmidt & Pardo, 2017). Furthermore, few studies have investigated whether study abroad participation may encourage protest, march, or demonstration after higher education. Prior research has not, however, studied the connection between study abroad and post-college participation in a protest, march, or demonstration.

Research Question

This study addresses the following research question:

What is the relationship between study abroad during college and participation in a protest, march, or demonstration in the ten years after graduation?


Theoretical Framework

This study uses Museus’ (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model which improves on Astin’s (1993) Inputs-Environment-Outputs model. The CECE model posits that undergraduate student outcomes are not only a product of inputs and environmental factors, but also individual factors such as sense of belonging, particularly for a more culturally diverse college population. Moreover, this model emphasizes the association between the campus environment and personal development.

Methods and Methodology

Data Sources

This study uses College and Beyond II (CBII), a longitudinal survey collected from a cohort of students who graduated from one of seven participating institutions in the 2009-2010 academic year and completed a follow-up alumni survey in 2021 (Courant et al., 2022). The analytical sample consisted of 2,342 participants who completed the alumni follow-up survey. The main outcome variable is a dichotomous variable for whether alumni participated in a protest, march, or demonstration. Independent variables included demographic and experiential variables. Descriptive statistics for the study variables appear in Table 1.


Data Analysis

This study employed inverse propensity to treatment weighting (IPTW). IPTW is useful for controlling for selection bias because study abroad is an optional experience in which two students who seemingly have similar characteristics may differ in choice. This procedure involves generating a score from 0 to 1 to predict the likelihood that an individual would choose to study abroad (Austin & Stuart, 2015). After eliminating individuals who fell out of the range of common support, we weighted the sample by the inverse of this probability (Murnane & Willett, 2011). The subsequent regression using IPTW provides a more robust estimation than does logistic regression alone.

Results

We present the full regression results in Table 2 and briefly summarize the study abroad findings here. Several statistically significant relationships were discovered through the IPTW analyses. Study abroad was positively associated with participation in protests, marches, or demonstrations (B = 0.358, p < 0.05). In addition, several sociodemographic and academic major variables were also statistically significant.

Discussion and Implications

This study provides the first evidence that study abroad participation is associated with participation in protests, marches, or demonstrations. With rising domestic and global inequity, humanity requires individuals to stand up to injustice. The history of higher education has long called for students and graduates to be active citizens. McMahon (2009) argues that higher education contributes to democracy and sustainable growth and this study links study abroad to these democratic outcomes. While two decades of reports have shown that study abroad helps promote civic engagement (Kilgo et al., 2015; Kuh, 2008), this study’s robust statistical approach using IPTW helps address the long-standing dilemma of selection bias in study abroad outcome research. An additional source of robustness is the inclusion of several other high-impact practices (e.g., service-learning, student government) known to promote civic and democratic behavior, which is key to accounting for alternative explanations (Myers et al., 2019).

For professional practice, this study offers strong empirical evidence on the societal returns of higher education, both public and private. As colleges and universities rebuild their international education footprint post-COVID-19, this evidence can support not only study abroad and international exchange programs but also calls for programs to be more intentional in their civic learning and community-based outcomes. In this experiential learning environment, students should be given opportunities to reflect on their lives once they return home. Students may observe or participate in activities overseas that can spur civic and democratic action upon their return.

Authors

• Radomir Ray Mitic, William & Mary

• Roy Y. Chan, Lee University

• Bingqing Wu, William & Mary