Student Cultural Interaction in a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

ABSTRACT

Empirical studies of the effects of short-term study abroad programs have found mixed results. This study uses a pre-post test design to assess the effect on student cross-cultural adaptability of a 2-week study abroad program to Germany that includes substantial student interaction with Germans. Pretrip to post-trip, students showed a significant increase in personal autonomy. Comparison of pretrip student scores against scale score means identified personal autonomy as the only dimension students were not already significantly above average pretrip. Although Business students demonstrated a significant increase in personal autonomy following the trip, Letters and Sciences students showed no significant change in any of the four cultural dimensions measured.

KEYWORDS:

• Short-term study abroad
• Cultural learning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bruce Niendorf

Bruce Niendorf, PhD, has a PhD in Finance from Florida State University. He teaches Corporate Finance at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and has led several study abroad trips to Germany.

Heike Alberts

Heike Alberts, PhD, has a PhD in Geography from the University of Minnesota. She teaches a wide range of Human Geography classes at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and has led nine study abroad trips to Berlin and other places in Europe.