Research Articles

Assessing the impact of a virtual short-term study-abroad program on Japanese university students’ global-mindedness

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21827/jve.5.38652

Keywords:

global competence, global‐mindedness, global‐mindedness scale, study‐abroad, virtual exchange, virtual mobility

Abstract

Short-Term Study-Abroad (STSA) programs are popular in Japanese higher education; however, participating students’ experiences are under-researched, particularly in areas outside of second-language acquisition. This study empirically assessed the impact of a six-week study-abroad program with a US university (conducted online as a virtual program due to the COVID-19 pandemic) on sophomore Japanese university students’ Global-Mindedness (GM). This mixed-methods study employed experimental (n=53) and control (n=82) groups to investigate the following research question: What is the impact of a virtual STSA program on the GM of participating students? Quantitative data were collected at three time periods (pretest/posttest/post-posttest) using a modified version of the 30-item, five-factor GM Scale (GMS, see Hett, 1993). Descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVA analyses revealed a significant increase in the experimental groups’ posttest results, which then returned to similar pretest levels in the post-posttest period. Reflection papers, surveys, and semi-structured interviews informed the qualitative perspective, and findings suggested a need for sustained post-program supportive measures to help maintain students’ GM.

Author Biographies

Brad Deacon, Nanzan University

Brad Deacon is an Associate Professor at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, where he is a teacher and program coordinator in the Global Liberal Studies faculty. His research interests include active learning, study-abroad programs, intercultural communication competence, and teacher development.

Richard Miles, Nanzan University

Richard Miles is an Associate Professor at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, where he is a teacher and the English language program coordinator in the Global Liberal Studies faculty. His research focuses on rhetoric, linguistics, teacher development, and anything related to oral presentations. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Macquarie University, in Australia.

Published

2022-12-19

Issue

Vol. 5 (2022)

Section

Research Articles

Copyright (c) 2022 Brad Deacon, Richard Miles

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