SHORT-TERM STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE: A TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING PERSPECTIVE

Xiantong Zhao, Renying Xu

Abstract


This study aims to explore the transformative learning experiences and internal mechanisms of Chinese postgraduate students in Short-Term Study Abroad (STSA) programs. This research adopts a qualitative research method, using purposive sampling and snowball sampling to conduct in-depth interviews with 15 Chinese master’s students who have participated in STSA programs. The study found that the transformative learning mechanism in the STSA program presents a highly integrated path: (1) Triggering events: The conflict between external environmental heterogeneity and internal subjective expectations led to students’ psychological imbalance; (2) Implementation process: Students completed cognitive reconstruction through deep critical reflection, rational discourse in social interactions, and adaptive actions; (3) Developmental effects: Students ultimately constructed a more inclusive and dialectical meaning structure and reshaped diverse values; (4) Enabling conditions: The reflective field, dialogue platform, and safety guarantees provided by the program design were the key external factors that triggered transformation. This study shows that to maximize the educational value of the STSA program, global universities and program designers should go beyond outcome orientation and focus on the design of process mechanisms.


Keywords


Chinese postgraduate students; higher education; short-term study abroad program; Transformative Learning Theory (TLT);

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bloom, M., & Miranda, A. (2015). Intercultural sensitivity through short-term study abroad. Language and Intercultural Communication, 15, 567–580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2015.1056795

Bradly, A., Iskhakova, M., & Ott, D. L. (2024). Short-term study abroad (STSA): A review of key risks and challenges. Journal of International Education in Business, 17(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-04-2024-0036

Cavender, R., Swanson, J. R., & Wright, K. (2020). Transformative travel: Transformative learning through education abroad in a niche tourism destination. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 27, Article 100245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2020.100245

Cubillos JH, Ilvento T (2012) The Impact of Study Abroad on Students’ Self-efficacy Perceptions. Foreign Lang Ann 45:494–511 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2013.12002.x

Cranton, P. (2006). Understanding and promoting transformative learning (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Davis, K. A., & Knight, D. B. (2023). Assessing learning processes rather than outcomes: Using critical incidents to explore student learning abroad. Higher Education, 85(2), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00836-6

Dunn, A. H., Dotson, E. K., Cross, S. B., Kesner, J., & Lundahl, B. (2014). Reconsidering the local after a transformative global experience: A comparison of two study abroad programs for preservice teachers. Action in Teacher Education, 36(4), 283–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2014.948227

Engle, R., & Crowne, K. A. (2014). The impact of international experience on cultural intelligence: An application of contact theory in a structured short-term program. Human Resource Development International, 17(1), 30–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2013.856206

Fletcher, K. A., & Meyer, M. (2016). Coaching model + clinical playbook = transformative learning. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(2), 121–129. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.09.001

Gaia, A. C. (2015). Short-term faculty-led study abroad programs enhance cultural exchange and self-awareness. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, 14(1), 21–31.

Goldstein, S. B. (2022). A systematic review of short-term study abroad research methodology and intercultural competence outcomes. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 87, 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.01.001

Hachtmann, F. (2012). The effect of advertising-focused, short-term study abroad programs on students’ worldviews. Journal of Advertising Education, 16(1), 19–29.

Hou, J., Luo, Y., Liu, D., Yan, M., Zhou, D., & Wang, W. (2018). Exploration on transformative learning theory and its application in medical education. Medicine and Philosophy, 32(3A), 78–80. https://doi.org/10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2018.03a.20

Huang, F. (2024). Changes in transnational degree programs in Chinese universities from 2003 to 2023. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2023.2292531

Iqbal, Z. (2019). Eastern promises fulfilled: The differential impact of marketing focused short-term study abroad programs in India and Japan. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 31(2), 158–179. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v31i2.460

Iskhakova, M., & Bradly, A. (2022). Short-term study abroad research: A systematic review 2000–2019. Journal of Management Education, 46(2), 383–427. https://doi.org/10.1177/10525629211015706

LeCrom, C. W., Greenhalgh, G., & Dwyer, B. (2015). Seeing the world differently: An analysis of the impact of a sport-related study abroad program on global mindedness. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 7(2), 60–87. https://doi.org/10.7290/jasm072adi

Li, X., Dai, K., & Zhang, X. (2023). Transnational higher education in China: Policies, practices, and development in a (post-) pandemic era. Higher Education Policy, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-023-00328-x

Liu, Q., & Jiang, Y. (2015). The outcomes of Chinese visiting scholars’ experiences at Canadian universities: Implications for faculty development at Chinese universities. Frontiers of Education in China, 10(3), 439–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03397079

Martinsen RA (2010) Short‐term study abroad: Predicting changes in oral skills. Foreign Lang Ann 43:504-530 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2010.01095.x

Mather, P. C., Karbley, M., & Yamamoto, M. (2012). Identity matters in a short-term, international service-learning program. Journal of College and Character, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/jcc-2012-1835

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass.

Nguyen, A. (2017). Intercultural competence in short-term study abroad. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 29(2), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v29i2.396

Niehaus, E., & Nyunt, G. (2022). Uncovering the potential learning in short-term study abroad. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 60(3), 417–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2021.1997758

Perry, L., Stoner, L., & Tarrant, M. (2012). More than a vacation: Short-term study abroad as a critically reflective, transformative learning experience. Creative Education, 3(5), 679–683. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2012.35101

Stone, G. A., Duerden, M. D., Duffy, L. N., Hill, B. J., & Witesman, E. M. (2017). Measurement of transformative learning in study abroad: An application of the learning activities survey. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 21, 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2017.05.003

Zhao, X., & Liu, X. (2025). Exploring experiential learning in short-term study abroad: Insights from Chinese students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 105, Article 102156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102156


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.