Why students participate in international fieldwork programs: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

International fieldwork programs that provide learning opportunities abroad have become increasingly popular in undergraduate education worldwide. Gaining insight into students’ motives to engage in these programs can assist in formulating strategies for program development; however, few studies have investigated this topic. This study addresses the existing research gap by comparing Japanese university students who participated in international fieldwork programs and those who did not by applying the theory of planned behavior. Our findings suggest that constructs, such as perceived behavioral control and positive attitudes toward participation may positively affect the student’s intention to participate in international fieldwork. Further, the approval and support of individuals close to those students, notably their relatives, influenced their participation. This study also suggests the importance of including past behaviors as an additional reinforcing factor. Based on our findings, we make suggestions about how international fieldwork programs should be promoted.

KEYWORDS:

• fieldwork
• motivation
• theory of planned behavior
• higher education
• comparative study

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mr. Togawa Takanori, Mr. Kazuyoshi Shimizu, and Ms. Maika Katou from Recycle Design; Mr. Kenji Hosaka and Mr. Syuhei Okuno from the Yokohama City Hall; Mr. Hidenobu Kawahara from the Taiyo Jyuken; and Mr. Yasushi Suzuki from Kozukue Elementary School.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [JP19K12451]