Education Commons^™

International K-12 Schools Seeking U.S. Accreditation: An Analysis Of The Rationales Involved In Earning Accreditation Through The Western Association Of Schools And Colleges, Kerri Knapp

Capstone Collection

The international K-12 school market is growing fast, and new international schools are opening every year. Hundreds of those international K-12 schools seek out accreditation to help validate their institution’s authenticity. Accreditation allows potential students and families to trust that the education provided is legitimate according to a set of principles and standards provided by the accreditation organization. Colleges and universities, particularly those in the United States, where thousands of international students strive to be accepted, typically require students to matriculate from an accredited school. With this market growth comes a need for accountability, and therein lies accreditation. The United …

U.S. Student Motivations To Study Abroad In East Asia: A Regional Comparison, Nadezhda Braun

Capstone Collection

Many factors influence student motivations to study abroad. This qualitative study examines U.S. student motivations to study abroad in East Asia (Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan), through the lens of push-pull theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study finds that both theories accurately portray student motivations to study abroad in East Asia and that there are important distinctions between student motivations depending on their choice of host country.

Pathway Provider Programs: The International Student Experience, Aaron A. Mendez

Capstone Collection

As part of their commitment towards internationalization, many higher education institutions seek new recruitment practices to increase international student enrollment, to both enhance cultural diversity and increase the potential for revenue. Partnering with third-party pathway providers offers international students an opportunity to refine their English language skills, all while taking for-credit-bearing academic courses that ultimately prepare them for their second year upon matriculating into their degree-seeking programs. One difference between direct-entry international students and pathway program international students is the additional level of support for the latter.

This study explores the following research question: What are the experiences of international …

Diversity And Worldliness At The Compass School, Luiz A. Batista

Capstone Collection

This paper demonstrates how the application of International Education principles and practices to curricula at the Compass School of Westminster, Vermont would augment worldliness and diversity as well as improve the overall quality of education offered at this secondary school. This research identifies deficiencies in areas pertaining to internationalization and diversity and provides recommendations to remedy these deficiencies. The realization of these recommendations would help to increase students’ preparedness for participation in a globalized society and would provide an enhanced educational experience for all. This research is intended to support faculty and staff at the Compass School by providing an …

Strategies Of Higher Education Admissions Professionals To Adapt To The Recent Drop In Foreign Student Enrollment At Us Universities, Peter Plass

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this capstone is to explore strategies employed by graduate-level admissions professionals to counteract the recent fall in international student enrollment as reported by the US Department of State in November of 2018. The US depends heavily on foreign students for economic gains nationally and financial stability at the institutional level. Through the semi-structured interviews with five international admissions professions, this qualitative research study examined the factors that may drive international students away from the US. The findings of this study demonstrate that the cost of education, violence, bigotry on campus, the national anti-immigrant discourse, and the inability …

Robotics In Japan: A Program Design For The Experiment In International Living, Allison Barnes

Capstone Collection

“Robotics in Japan” is a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based program design for The Experiment in International Living (The Experiment). This design is for a four-week program for high school students. It is grounded in The Experiment’s mission and basic program structure. The purpose of Robotics in Japan is to add a STEM-based program to The Experiment’s portfolio in one of The Experiment’s most popular and marketable countries. In addition, this design adds a computer and technology theme, an area within STEM that has even less representation in The Experiment’s portfolio. In this paper, all necessary aspects to …

Designing An Integrated Education And Training Program For English Language Learners At A Community-Based Literacy Organization, Courtney J. Lord

MA TESOL Collection

Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language proficiency, but also help them advance in their educational or career paths. This model has been particularly challenging for community-based literacy organizations (CBLOs) to adopt, as IETs require additional funding streams, collaborative partnerships, and significant support services. In addition, literature regarding how to …

Peacebuilding And Community Development, A Civic Engagement Program For Vietnamese Undergraduate Students In Cambodia, Thuy Nguyen

Capstone Collection

This proposal presents a program design for the Peace Building and Community Development program, a ten-week civic engagement program for undergraduate Vietnamese students in Cambodia during the summer break. This is a new program model proposed to Sarus, a leadership and peace education organization, which has run its programs mostly in the form of short-term exchange programs. The program will be executed by Sarus in partnership with higher education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and community partner organizations in Cambodia. The program aims to give students exposure to a multicultural environment, opportunities for holistic development, as well as …

Making A Diplomat: Study Abroad Pathways To International Relations Occupations, Anthony E. Ciero

Capstone Collection

This case study surveys and interviews alumni of International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) direct enroll study abroad programs to learn about their post-program career path. ISEP alumni study from and in over 50 countries worldwide. Survey and data analysis methodology for this study used Cognitive Information Processing, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Chaos Theory, and Systems Theory of career development to determine what guides alumni toward or away from international relations (IR) related occupations.

Alumni in IR-related careers usually had an internationalized personal history prior to university and reported that their ISEP program improved their ability to secure and perform their …

Going Full Circle: Connecting Re-Entry And Preparation For The Harlaxton Study Abroad Program, Kaylynn Carver

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper is a program proposal for a Harlaxton Ambassador program, to be situated in the Harlaxton College office at the University of Evansville (UE). As the program is in a place of growth and development, this ambassador program is all about going full circle with the study abroad experience at Harlaxton College. In order to address problems of non-UE Harlaxton student retention and preparation and of Harlaxton alumni connections and re-entry, this program connects those students to allow them to support and help each other and create better experiences. Based in theories of student development and learning, informed …

Critical Complexity: A Challenge To Engage For Educators, Elizabeth Johnson

MA TESOL Collection

Education is a means of ensuring the survival of the human race. By passing on knowledge and awareness, humans attempt to craft adaptability of future generations. Adaptability allows humans to respond to unforeseen events that may challenge their survival.

Education is a process that works to achieve change and growth of the individual and the regeneration and transformation of society. The outcomes of interactions in educational systems are uncertain and emergent. Educational systems are open, adaptive, complex, dynamic and non-linear.

In the near past, reducing the complexity of natural and social phenomena has allowed the human race to simplify and …

Connecting Study Abroad To Careers, Graduate School, And Fellowships: An Advising Program For Yale-Nus College, Beth Uding

Capstone Collection

A growing body of research affirms the positive impact of education abroad on career development, however, the value of this connection relies on students’ ability to intentionally “connect the dots” between study abroad and their bigger-picture academic and professional goals. Education abroad advisors, along with their counterparts in career services and other professionally-oriented advising, must consider how to help students identify transferable skills from study abroad and translate them for external audiences such as employers and graduate schools. The program proposed in this course-linked capstone is designed as a companion for semester-long mobility programs at Yale-NUS College. Informed by a …

Addressing The Assumption; A Case Study On Student Motivations And Barriers To Study Second Language Abroad, Rebecca Schano

Capstone Collection

Historically, second language learning and study abroad programming have run in natural conjunction. However, in recent years there has been a slow but steady decline in the number of foreign language students in higher education who are choosing to study abroad to further their second language acquisition. This study explores this topic through a case study at Marquette University, and aims to answer the research question: What are the motivations and barriers of foreign language students to study their second language abroad? Using a student survey and in-person interviews with professionals in the field, data is collected on the most …

Expectations Of Teacher Trainers: To Inspire Or Not To Inspire The Case Of A Mozambican Institute, Francesca Cellini

Capstone Collection

Institutos de Formaçao de Professores (IFP, Teacher Training Institutes) are institutes that train future primary school teachers in Mozambique. By attending IFPs, individuals learn how to become quality teachers. Most IFP students, also referred to as trainees, look up to their teacher trainers as role models for their future task of being teachers. It follows that they would expect trainers to embody and demonstrate the qualities of a good, quality teacher. The aim of this study is to understand what is expected of teacher trainers from society, trainees, and the trainers themselves. To do so, this mixed-methods study will present …

Feedback In The Lesson Observation Process: What Guides A Teacher Towards Development, Lina Kerbelyte

MA TESOL Collection

Lesson observation is a very common practice all over the world. However, rarely does it look at personal and interpersonal aspects that are needed in feedback in order to develop autonomous and successful teachers. This thesis does not look deeper into what constitutes a good lesson, nor what methods are most suitable for students. Instead, it seeks to look deeper into the phenomenon of lesson observation feedback through the eyes of a teacher in order to see what aspects of lesson observation are useful and guide educators towards their development. What does a teacher need in order to find feedback …

Short-Term Program (Re-Entry Workshop) For Graduate International Students Returning From The United States To Kosovo, Marija Nikolic

Capstone Collection

The proposed short-term program is designed to prepare Kosovo graduate students to transition from their academic studies in the United States to their home country Kosovo. The program design is informed by the need assessment based on consulting participants through a survey and extensive professional observations and experience of the author. It is meant to address the participants’ need to get structured support in planning and managing this significant life event, coming back to Kosovo, after one to two years away pursuing Master’s degrees in their chosen field of study, and reintegrating into their country and culture. The program is …

Impact Of Community Level Engagement In Primary Education: A Case Study Of Oyam District, Northern Uganda, Uganda, East Africa, Benson Ocan

Capstone Collection

This study was premised on the basis that primary education is the basic building block for a good quality of life in adult life. It specifically focuses on community level engagement in primary education. The broad research question of this thesis is how can community level engagement be enhanced to improve performance in primary schools? In order to answer this question, three primary objectives of this thesis were to assess the extent which community members are involved in the educational activities focusing the education in primary schools; to ascertain how community members have been involved in various educational activities, and …

International Student Orientation: Engagment Practices At Johnson And Wales University, Sarah P. Habtemariam

Capstone Collection

Johnson and Wales University (JWU) is a four-year private institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. This project is a course-linked capstone that will employ qualitative research techniques to evaluate international student orientation processes. This capstone will connect theory, concepts, and applications from my coursework completed at the SIT Graduate Institute such as foundations, youth programming, international education design and delivery, design concepts and evaluation. The purpose of this project is to design an international student orientation for the fall 2017 to support smooth integration into the campus community and foster student engagement practices.

This proposal will include a customized international …

Ma In International Education - Low-Residency Singapore Program, Joyce Ting (Chen)

Capstone Collection

The Master’s of Arts (MA) in International Education (IE) Low-Residency Singapore Program is a new graduate program designed for SIT Graduate Institute. It is created to value-add to the current program offerings of SIT Graduate Institute. The MA in IE Low-Residency Singapore Program is a two year long program, and is delivered via a unique combination of online coursework and low-residency periods in Singapore. The program is designed to allow current working professionals to keep their current job in the field of International Education while pursuing a higher degree. Participants will study in Singapore for two weeks in the first …

Measuring What Matters: Exploring Student Motivations To Inform International Student Recruitment, Rebecca Lubitz

Capstone Collection

Over the last decade, international students in the United States have surpassed the one million mark (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2016(a). Research found here highlights the goals and motivations of this growing constituency and examines factors that influence international students to choose educational experiences in the United States.

Two online surveys were distributed, one to international recruitment agents that work for UC Berkeley Extension, and another to international students. The paper examines survey responses along with existing research to offer data-driven theories on how international educators might more effectively approach student recruitment and program design. The research concluded that …

Food Allergies Abroad: An Exploration Of The Experiences Individuals With Food Allergies Face While Studying Abroad, Danielle M. Roberge

Capstone Collection

Food allergies are a life-threatening medical condition that can result in a potentially fatal allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Food allergies affect roughly 15 million United States citizens and this number is growing, currently there is no cure. Young adults are most at risk to experience this life-threatening reaction. As more students with food allergies are entering colleges and universities to pursue a higher education, they are also becoming increasingly interested in studying abroad; however, there are few resources available. This research paper aims to explore the various challenges those with food allergies experience while studying abroad. To understand these …

A Well-Rounded Experience: Connecting The Home Campus To The Study Abroad Experience And The Study Abroad Experience To The Home Campus, Mary Aurora Grandinetti

Capstone Collection

Many small liberal arts colleges across the United States partner with third-party providers or foreign institutions to provide their students with an opportunity to study abroad. Denison University, a small liberal arts school in Ohio, traditionally sends 50% of its student body to study abroad before they graduate. Since students have the option to spend a semester or two participating in study abroad, it is important for the students to be well prepared, for the experience to be integrated into their overall Denison education and for the students to transition back to campus successfully. To determine how students were preparing …

What It Means To Be A Global Campus: A Case Study Of Internationalization On The University Of Washington Campus, Catherine Rock

Capstone Collection

The following paper presents an analysis of internationalization on the University of Washington (UW) campus. The UW attracts students from all over the world each year while also sending students abroad for a quarter or two. The goals and purpose of gaining an international education, however, are not clear. As a result, key stakeholders are often left out of conversations surrounding international education because of a lack of communication and no centralized purpose. These ideas led to a series of research questions including: Should the UW have an official statement on internationalization and international education? What is the current state …

Retelling The Education Story: Bringing "Cool" To School Using Progressivism, Faisal Lalani

Capstone Collection

Nepal’s education system is littered with flaws: teachers are underpaid and untrained, development of the curriculum is neglected, and the number of students failing examinations is higher than the number of those who pass. These problems are consistent throughout the country and as a result, the system that supposedly aims to produce future scientists, engineers, and leaders instead churns out citizens and leaders that repeat the mistakes of past generations. In the past, there has been no movement or reform planned for the low quality of schooling. However, different schools and organizations scattered throughout the country are attempting to do …

Enlaces: Transformative Educational Policy For The Latin American And Caribbean Region, Kelcy B. Cox

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper explores ENLACES, the Latin American and Caribbean Meeting Space for Higher Education, or in Spanish, Espacio de Encuentro Latinamericano y Caribeño de Educación Superior (ENLACES). In the same fashion that the UNESCO-Bologna Accords gave rise to the European Higher Education Area, so, too, did the UNESCO-International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean give rise to ENLACES. ENLACES is an evolving, transformative education policy that promotes the region’s integration and internationalization of higher education through collaborative means. This paper explores the region’s educational environment during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that led to the …

Internationalizing Teacher Education: A Case Study Of A School Of Education, Florence Bromfield

Capstone Collection

Schools of Education across the US are some of the furthest behind in the race to internationalize departments across campuses in higher education. What does this mean for students in the K-12 classroom? The purpose of this case study is to explore the internationalization of teacher education within the context of a medium-sized state university in the South-East of the US. Working with the School of Education on this campus, qualitative interviews and surveys were administered to faculty and pre-service teachers to understand the extent of internationalization at the university, and the needs of the K-12 classroom. For this research, …

Law And Order: Lawsuit, Regulations And Implementation Of S.T.E.M. O.P.T. At The University Of Arkansas, Alexandra M. Wallace

Capstone Collection

In 2015, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) reported that over 1,054,000 international students were studying in the United States in F-1 student status (SEVP, 2015). F-1 status comes with many regulations and benefits, such as Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students with F-1 status to work after they complete a degree from an American higher education institution. Students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are allowed an additional 24-months of OPT, called STEM OPT. While this is a benefit in many senses, it is accompanied by a lot of responsibility for the student, the university …

Peer Advising 101: A Training Workshop For Peer Advisors In Study Abroad, Anna Marter

Capstone Collection

Peer advising and peer education programs have been prevalent in all areas of higher education. Recently, there has been growth in peer advising programs in study abroad offices to address the gap between student advising needs and the time constraints of professional staff. While initially intended to take pressure off understaffed offices, other benefits emerged from the use of students as paraprofessionals. Peer advisors were able to encourage students to go abroad, as well as provide valuable insider information about specific programs. While a lot has been written on the topic of peer education in other areas of higher education, …

Returning From Abroad: A Comparative Review, Denver W. Miller

Capstone Collection

Reintegration into the once-familiar community after a sojourn abroad poses unique challenges to the undergraduate population and more could be done to help returnees process their experience. Seven institutions of varying size were surveyed using a qualitative data collection instrument to determine how this sample pool supports their undergraduate students emotionally once they have returned from a credit bearing semester abroad. This capstone examines how institutions are moving students toward the fourth stage of Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle: Active Experimentation. Through this lens, a multitude of reentry approaches are explored with the aim being a comparison of the several …

The International Humanity Foundation Co-Director Training Program, Indonesia: Supporting International Volunteers, Christina Darling

Capstone Collection

The following capstone paper takes a critical look at international volunteer programs and the potential negative consequences these programs may inadvertently have on the host community. The current volunteer Co-Director program at the International Humanity Foundations (IHF) is an archetype of this phenomenon. This paper examines the ways in which IHF falls short in achieving its mission and warns of the possible neo-colonial impact its Western volunteers may be having on the local communities around IHF’s centers.

The International Humanity Foundation Co-Director Training Program, Indonesia has been created in an effort strengthen IHF’s existing program by minimizing any negative impacts …