| Popis: |
The internationalization of curricula, faculty, and students is underway at many, if not most, universities around the world. One of the most popular ways to internationalize institutions of higher education has been to use study abroad programs. Increasing student participation in study abroad has not only become a stated goal of many institutions of higher education, it has also been established as a goal by legislation of the U.S. congress. Existing literature on international education, and specifically on study abroad, has focused on the skills and benefits students gain during international experiences. There has been limited research, however, on student motivations to study abroad. This study investigated student motivations to participate in foreign study experiences and how these motivations impact both students who study abroad and the faculty and administrators involved in recruiting students for foreign study programs. This study’s findings partially support the hypotheses that student motivations to study abroad can be categorized as intrinsic or extrinsic and that students’ beliefs about study abroad impact their interpersonal development and experience. The hypothesis that students’ extrinsic motivations actuate their intentions to study abroad was not supported. The hypothesis that students’ intrinsic motivations actuate their intentions to study abroad was supported, however, as was the hypothesis that students study abroad to develop interpersonally, to develop specific skills, and to gain new experiences. |
