Ann Kathryn Waschko

• MA Cross-Cultural Communication
• To investigate and find correlation between the goals and outcomes of all participants in a short-term study abroad program.

The rapid increase in the popularity of study abroad is leaving researchers and institutions alike

in search of valuable data on what it takes to create an experience that is meaningful for students in myriad ways, such as academic achievement, intercultural understanding, and personal growth. Research into the study abroad environment in the past has included analysis of blogs written by students (e.g. Lee 2012, Bell 2016), but observation in the field will provide insight that is more connected to events as they occur naturally. Furthermore, there has been a lack of research consideration for all participants (i.e. not only students but also faculty from both home and local institutions as well as homestay families, guides, etc.) who are involved in the study abroad experience. The students, faculty, and other local associates are all responsible for contributing to this potential success in equal measure through their respective roles as program participants. Amadasi and Holliday suggest “small culture formation on the go” as the sphere in which interactants draw from their own personal trajectories as well as larger notions of culture in order to negotiate intercultural experiences (2017:3). Thus the short-term study abroad environment is a rich opportunity to explore how participants create and develop a ‘small culture’ to achieve their goals.

 Funding source: Newcastle University Expeditions Committee

Supervisor: Dr. Alan Firth