Comparing the transformative experiences of engineering students in short-term study abroad in France and Ghana.
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| Title: | Comparing the transformative experiences of engineering students in short-term study abroad in France and Ghana. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Shandliya, Sukeerti1, Agarwal, Jutshi2, Kwuimy, Cedrick1 cedrick.kwuimy@uc.edu |
| Source: | Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad. Apr2026, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p101-137. 37p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Transformative learning, *Foreign study, *Engineering students, *Cultural awareness, Sociocultural factors, Countries, Ghanaians |
| Geographic Terms: | Ghana, France |
| Abstract (English): | Short-term study abroad programs (STSAs) have become increasingly popular in the United States. They are designed to promote global-mindedness, intercultural awareness, and transformative learning among participants. At the same time, they aim to reduce financial, academic, and personal barriers to make participation more accessible, particularly for students from minoritized backgrounds. However, there exists gap in the literature regarding the impact of study abroad destinations on shaping the degree of transformative learning experiences that students have during short-term study abroad programs. This paper explores the transformative journey from study abroad, in two culturally different destinations - France and Ghana, using mixed methods research. Data was collected through a post-program survey from 15 students of the Ghana cohort and 17 students of the France cohort. Both the study abroad programs lasted 10 days and were comprised of similar programmatic components. The results obtained indicated that students who went to Ghana were more likely to experience profound transformation and changes in their habits of mind as compared to those who went to France. Evidence in the article suggests that study abroad destinations having higher cultural distances from the host institution might offer greater opportunities for impactful experiences in a shorter amount of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (French): | Les programmes d'études à l'étranger de courte durée (Short-Term Study Abroad, STSA) connaissent une popularité croissante aux États-Unis. Ils visent à favoriser l'ouverture internationale, la sensibilité interculturelle et l'apprentissage chez les participants. Parallèlement, ils visent à réduire les barrières financières, académiques et personnelles, rendant ces expériences plus accessibles, notamment pour les étudiants issus de groupes sous-représentés. Cependant, la littérature présente un manque de travaux portant sur l'influence du lieu de destination sur le degré d'apprentissage vécu par les étudiants dans ces programmes. Cet article utilise la theorie de Mezirow pour examiner les trajectoires de transformation d'étudiants en ingénierie participant à des programmes d'études à l'étranger dans deux contextes culturels distincts: la France et le Ghana, en s'appuyant sur une approche méthodologique mixte. Les données ont été recueillies à l'aide d'un questionnaire administré après le programme auprès de 15 étudiants du groupe Ghana et de 17 étudiants du groupe France. Les deux programmes, d'une durée de huit jours, reposaient sur des composantes pédagogiques similaires. Les résultats indiquent que les étudiants ayant participé au programme au Ghana sont plus susceptibles de vivre des transformations profondes, notamment des changements dans leurs leurs habitudes de pensée, comparativement à ceux ayant participé au programme en France. Les résultats suggèrent que les destinations présentant une plus grande distance culturelle par rapport à l'institution d'origine offrent davantage d'opportunités de transformation significative, même sur une courte durée. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad is the property of Frontiers Journal, Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 194630332 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Comparing the transformative experiences of engineering students in short-term study abroad in France and Ghana. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shandliya%2C+Sukeerti%22">Shandliya, Sukeerti</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Agarwal%2C+Jutshi%22">Agarwal, Jutshi</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kwuimy%2C+Cedrick%22">Kwuimy, Cedrick</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> cedrick.kwuimy@uc.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Frontiers%3A+The+Interdisciplinary+Journal+of+Study+Abroad%22">Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p101-137. 37p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transformative+learning%22">Transformative learning</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+study%22">Foreign study</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Engineering+students%22">Engineering students</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+awareness%22">Cultural awareness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sociocultural+factors%22">Sociocultural factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Countries%22">Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ghanaians%22">Ghanaians</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ghana%22">Ghana</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22France%22">France</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract (English) Group: Ab Data: Short-term study abroad programs (STSAs) have become increasingly popular in the United States. They are designed to promote global-mindedness, intercultural awareness, and transformative learning among participants. At the same time, they aim to reduce financial, academic, and personal barriers to make participation more accessible, particularly for students from minoritized backgrounds. However, there exists gap in the literature regarding the impact of study abroad destinations on shaping the degree of transformative learning experiences that students have during short-term study abroad programs. This paper explores the transformative journey from study abroad, in two culturally different destinations - France and Ghana, using mixed methods research. Data was collected through a post-program survey from 15 students of the Ghana cohort and 17 students of the France cohort. Both the study abroad programs lasted 10 days and were comprised of similar programmatic components. The results obtained indicated that students who went to Ghana were more likely to experience profound transformation and changes in their habits of mind as compared to those who went to France. Evidence in the article suggests that study abroad destinations having higher cultural distances from the host institution might offer greater opportunities for impactful experiences in a shorter amount of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract (French) Group: Ab Data: Les programmes d'études à l'étranger de courte durée (Short-Term Study Abroad, STSA) connaissent une popularité croissante aux États-Unis. Ils visent à favoriser l'ouverture internationale, la sensibilité interculturelle et l'apprentissage chez les participants. Parallèlement, ils visent à réduire les barrières financières, académiques et personnelles, rendant ces expériences plus accessibles, notamment pour les étudiants issus de groupes sous-représentés. Cependant, la littérature présente un manque de travaux portant sur l'influence du lieu de destination sur le degré d'apprentissage vécu par les étudiants dans ces programmes. Cet article utilise la theorie de Mezirow pour examiner les trajectoires de transformation d'étudiants en ingénierie participant à des programmes d'études à l'étranger dans deux contextes culturels distincts: la France et le Ghana, en s'appuyant sur une approche méthodologique mixte. Les données ont été recueillies à l'aide d'un questionnaire administré après le programme auprès de 15 étudiants du groupe Ghana et de 17 étudiants du groupe France. Les deux programmes, d'une durée de huit jours, reposaient sur des composantes pédagogiques similaires. Les résultats indiquent que les étudiants ayant participé au programme au Ghana sont plus susceptibles de vivre des transformations profondes, notamment des changements dans leurs leurs habitudes de pensée, comparativement à ceux ayant participé au programme en France. Les résultats suggèrent que les destinations présentant une plus grande distance culturelle par rapport à l'institution d'origine offrent davantage d'opportunités de transformation significative, même sur une courte durée. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad is the property of Frontiers Journal, Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.36366/frontiers.v38i1.1025 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 37 StartPage: 101 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Transformative learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign study Type: general – SubjectFull: Engineering students Type: general – SubjectFull: Cultural awareness Type: general – SubjectFull: Sociocultural factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Ghanaians Type: general – SubjectFull: Ghana Type: general – SubjectFull: France Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Comparing the transformative experiences of engineering students in short-term study abroad in France and Ghana. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shandliya, Sukeerti – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Agarwal, Jutshi – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kwuimy, Cedrick IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Text: Apr2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 10854568 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 38 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
