Differences in Global-Mindedness between Short-Term and Semester-Long Study Abroad Participants at Selected Private Universities

One concern that merits the attention of the educational research community is the growing trend toward shorter study abroad programs. Study abroad offerings in which students have traditionally enrolled for academic credit were primarily either a semester or a year in length. The recent Open Doors (2005) report reveals that the growth of study abroad can be attributed, in part, to the increase in programs involving sessions of eight weeks or less. Recent growth in participation in short-term study abroad programs warrants research on the effectiveness of these programs and raises important questions about the differences in student outcomes between short-term and semester-long study abroad participants. The purpose of this study is to help bolster existing study abroad research by comparing the global-mindedness of student participants at three private universities' study abroad programs. This study seeks to examine the differences between students who have participated in a short-term program, consisting of eight weeks or less and students who have participated in a semester-long program in one particular study abroad model known as an "island program." The study will also establish the baseline levels of global-mindedness of students who have applied and been accepted into a future study abroad program, but as yet have no study abroad experience. Recommendations generated from this study are geared primarily toward administrators of study abroad programs. (Contains 2 tables.)