Education Commons^™

The Role Of Education In Post-Conflict Kosovo: A Proposal For An Analysis Of How Experts Understand The Role That Education Has Played In Peacebuilding, Kristal Mitra

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This study seeks to answer the following research question: What is the relationship between Kosovo's education system and the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia? This study uses a mixed purposeful sampling strategy that includes purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The researcher interviewed five different individuals from the following ethnic backgrounds represented in Kosovo which are one Bosnian, one Serbian, two Albanian Kosovars, and one Romani Kosovar. The results showed that education played many roles before, during and after the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo’s education system has historically been used as a tool to promote the political agendas of …

Masters Abroad, Sebastian Chavez

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The research focuses on gaining the perspective and experience of students attaining a master’s degree abroad. The overall study is to answer the following questions: 1) What is the reasoning behind gaining a master’s degree abroad? 2) What kind of impact does a master’s degree have on the identity of students? 3) How might a master’s abroad experience aid international relations? Among the key findings, specifically, students’ main incentives ranged from career development in wanting to advance career objectives or real-world experiences of living and adapting to a new cultural environment. Following identity transformation, students experienced self-growth or discovered new …

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

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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 …

The Radical Imagination: Exploring The Intersection Of The Youth-Led Climate Justice Movement And Education, Calla Sneller

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This paper explores the crossover of the youth-led climate justice movement and education, utilizing The Experiment Digital Climate Change & the Environment as a case study to investigate this crossover globally and locally. A 6-week virtual exchange program designed to connect 100 high school students from 23 countries, The Experiment Digital Climate Change & the Environment aimed to equip youth with radical tools to address the scale of the climate crisis. The study drew on the neo-institutionalism and systems thinking approaches to globalization. Employing qualitative research methods, including a questionnaire and individual interviews, the findings revealed that international relationships improved …

Education Policy And Practice In Nepal: An Exploration Of Education Quality Of Private Primary And Secondary Education In Context Of A Decentralized Education System In Kathmandu, Nepal, Tashina Mcneil

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As a strategy for improving the country’s education sector and meet national development initiatives, the government of Nepal has implemented decentralization measures. Similarly, the government has committed to the Sustainable Development Goal 4, the premise of which is ensuring by 2030 all Nepalese school aged boys and girls have access to quality education. Decentralization, as defined, is the transfer of authority over school management to local governments, the private sector, and local communities. Decentralization, however, is not a panacea for all and when incorrectly implemented the consequences can be deleterious.

Therefore, this study sought to answer this research question: In …

Global Changemakers - Hope For The Future, Ann Flanagan

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This exploratory qualitative research study explores the journey of changemakers and the role of formal and informal curricula in shaping students' understanding of social change and motivating them to take action. In addition, it investigates transformative experiences encountered through critical reflection and experiential learning and the steps universities could take to equip future changemakers with the necessary tools, skills, and mindset.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three male and two female students as well as one female teacher at Ritsumeikan University. The findings suggest that formal and informal curricula significantly shape students' understanding of social change and motivate them to …

System Support For Early Grade Teacher Mentors In Cambodia, Jana Scislowicz

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The early primary education system in Cambodia is working to expand its teacher mentoring network. This quantitative and qualitative study examines the motivational factors of school-based early grade literacy mentors and master mentors who have played these roles in a pilot program implemented by a United States Agency for International Development-funded project during the 2021-2022 academic year in Cambodia. The study finds that mentors are motivated to perform the mentoring roles for intrinsic reasons such as improving student education and peer learning. It also finds that there are areas of improvement for mentor selection, workload assignment, financial remuneration, and recognition …

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

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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.

Bridging Knowledge Systems In The Peruvian Andes: Plurality, Co-Creation, And Transformative Socio-Ecological Solutions To Climate Change, Domenique Ciavattone

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In the current era of anthropogenic climate change, Quechua farmers in the Peruvian Andes are some of the most impacted by, yet some of the lowest contributors to global warming. Dominant Western systems alone have proven insufficient in tackling the climate crisis, and there have been increasing efforts to elevate and center Indigenous voices and epistemologies when addressing climate change. Researchers and communities are calling for a bridging of knowledge systems, in which Indigenous and Western methods collaborate to co-create innovative solutions to climate challenges. This research sought to explore methods and successes in bridging Indigenous and Western knowledge systems …

Australian-American Fulbright Alumni: An Analysis Of The Impact Of The Australian-American Fulbright Program On American Awardees, Maya Kozarsky

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The Australian-American Fulbright Commission was established in 1949 in Canberra, Australia. Remarkably, the Commission had never before conducted an alumni impact report in its 72-year history. Thus, it was vital to carry out this study as soon as possible so as to hear from as many alumni as are willing and able to participate at this time. This study sought to answer the following research question: How have Australian Fulbright scholarships impacted the lives and careers of the American alumni? The research drew on the analysis of secondary survey data and through semi-structured interviews. The major findings of the study …

Supporting Lgbtq International Students Through Resource Visibility: Examining Washington State Community Colleges, Abigail Fredrickson

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College is a time when many students begin exploring their sexual orientation and gender identity. Washington State, and Seattle in particular rank high in support for the LGBTQ community, according to the Municipality Equality Index put out by the Human Rights Commission. The schools that are represented in this study serve approximately 2,000 international students annually.

LGBTQ international students are a demographic that inhabits two minority groups – international students and LGBTQ students, and there is a lack of ongoing support and access to resources to aid these students in their personal growth during their time in community college. This …

Beyond Field Trips: Partnerships Between Schools And Tribal Museums, Lauren Cooke

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This study emerged from a desire to understand how schools and tribal museums collaborate with one another to increase access to tribal museums for K-12 students. For this project, I had the opportunity to work with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Sky City Cultural Center & Haak’u Museum, and the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center to further understand each institution’s educational programming and partnerships. The question examined was, how do schools and tribal museums collaborate with one another to increase access to tribal museums for K-12 students? Interviews were conducted with staff members to discuss the work of these …

Perspectives On Sustainability In Short-Term Faculty-Led Programs, Amanda Staton

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Sustainability is a relatively new topic to the field of International Education. Despite this, its importance is tantamount for the continuation of the industry for future generations. The industry’s significant negative environmental impacts from international student mobility poses a real barrier to the continuation of the industry due to climate change. This research emerged due to the lack of existing research on sustainability in Study Abroad, especially short-term faculty-led programs, which are currently the most popular modality of Study Abroad. Short-term faculty-led programs currently hold a reputation in existing literature for being the most unsustainable form of Study Aboard with …

Building On Best Practices And Organizational Expertise: Informing Curriculum Design For Refugee And Asylum-Seeking Youth At Philadelphia Outward Bound School, Emily Della Fera

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Refugee and asylum-seeking youth experience a variety of barriers within education, social adjustment and inclusion, and mental and physical health when resettling to a new country. These barriers which can be mitigated with outdoor education programs that supplement existing resettlement programs. Outdoor education has proven positive outcomes in youth’s self-perception and confidence, school performance, community and relationship building, and physical and mental health. This course-linked capstone designs curriculum for an outdoor education program that will be proposed to the Philadelphia Outward Bound School. Designed specifically for refugee and asylum-seeking youth, the curriculum fosters environments for participants to build relationships, gain …

U.S. Immigration Policies Affecting Mexican And Central American Youth And Their Access To Higher Education, Margaret Elizabeth Tejada

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Undocumented Mexican and Central American youth, many of whom hold approved or pending Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Central American Minor Refugee and Parole Program (CAM) applications, are a growing population in the United States who are eager to pursue higher education like their U.S. Citizen and U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident peers. Yet, they are significantly limited by federal, state, and institutional policies that are geared towards the success of students with legal status. Through relevant literature and interviews with policy experts and educators who work directly with these youth and/or the regulations …

Foodways In Chile: A Bridge Back To Nature, Kayla Weiss

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As the area of food studies continues to develop and evolve it has been recognized that, not only is food a necessity to life, but it is uniquely tied to understanding culture, history, and other aspects of a society. This study arose from recognizing this influence and importance and I took the opportunity to better understand how Birchwood College might be an optimal site for a short-term study abroad program based in food studies. I conducted a needs assessment through landscape research, surveying students, and interviewing food studies faculty and international educators at Birchwood College. The research findings offered insights …

Navigating The Necessary Evils: Contemplating The Topic Of Sustainability In Study Abroad, Megan Zacher

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Travel is a defining feature of education abroad, instrumental in exposing students to experiences and countries beyond their campus community. The cultural exchange implied in travel aspires to benefit both host communities and students’ home institutions. However, education abroad has negative environmental impacts incongruent with many sustainability efforts. The education abroad sector aims to address this reality by advancing the use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in program design and execution. In this study we conducted semi-structured interviews with representatives of higher education institutions, third-party study abroad providers, and professional associations to assess how stakeholders perceive this incongruency …

Colombia Intercultura Study Abroad, Nadeen Black

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The Colombia Intercultura (CI) summer study abroad program connects racially diverse students from the United States to lesser-known locations in Colombia to foster a unique and comparative educational experience. Most study abroad programs available to foreigners in Colombia are offered in big cities like Bogotá and Medellín. The goal of this program is to facilitate intercultural learning for globally minded learners in various locations off the beaten track in Colombia. A growing economy, improved security, and greater access to social services are among some of Colombia’s most notable achievements towards growth in the last two decades. The civil war that …

Using Social-Emotional Learning To Support Academic Achievement In The Wake Of Covid-19: A Case Study Within Boone County Schools, Jessica Vowell

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The state of West Virginia has one of the highest national rates of childhood poverty, with 25% of WV children living in poverty as of 2018, and 20% of WV households experiencing food insecurity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Boone County Schools (BCS) is located in southern WV and serves many students who must overcome the academic barriers of poverty, food insecurity, adverse experiences, the lasting effects of a regional opioid epidemic, and now the social, emotional, and academic challenges stemming from COVID-19. Research suggests that helping students in these demographics develop emotional intelligence promotes their academic and even lifelong …

Integrating Adult Mentorship Module Within Youth Oriented Programs, Shady Elfaham

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ABSTRACT

World Learning (WL) is a non-governmental entity focused on the advancement of leaders around the world through educational exchange programs and sustainable development initiatives. Its Youth Exchange Unit comprises an experienced and inventive team designing and implementing cultural exchange programs centered on capacity and skills building in civic engagement, teambuilding, leadership, youth workforce development, and entrepreneurship. Through such experiential learning initiatives, WL staff have recognized the correlation between mentorship and positive youth development.

Recognizing the short- and long-term benefits that quality mentorship can generate for youth, this capstone project integrates a tailored adult mentorship module within upcoming WL youth-oriented …

Student Mobility In The Wake Of Covid-19: The Mainland Chinese Parent Perspective, Anna Profatilova

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This study explores the perspectives of mainland Chinese parents on outbound international student mobility (ISM) following the COVID-19 pandemic. A narrative study situated in the qualitative paradigm, this study is informed by the push-pull theory of international student mobility and employed a socio-cultural framework based on the traditional Confucian value system and recent developments in mainland Chinese education. Through semi-structured interviews, the following research questions were addressed: What are mainland Chinese parents’ perspectives on outbound student mobility post-COVID-19? How has the pandemic transformed their motivations, needs, and expectations of international education?

Findings revealed that parents have sustained interest in sending …

Exploring Accessible & Responsive Trauma-Informed Schools: A Regenerative Approach To Student & Educator Support, Kennidy Stood

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Young people are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of stress and trauma. This research explores educator perspectives of school-based trauma-informed care programs in order to understand how programs can become more accessible and culturally responsive. While there are several widely used guidelines for school-based trauma-informed care programs that seek to mitigate trauma and its effects in the classroom, there is not a universally accepted standard. As such, programs vary across settings. This study employed a mixed-methods strategy to survey and interview educators and care providers regarding factors that may limit or enhance the availability of, access to, and appropriateness …

Study Abroad Program For The University Of Glasgow: A Short-Term Life Sciences Program To Indonesia, Shannon Tobin

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The Life Sciences Indonesia Program (LSIP) is a two-week program for University of Glasgow students interested in the fields of Human and Animal Biology, Biomolecular Science, and Infection and Immunity. This study abroad program will provide students interested in these degree areas the opportunity to study at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Sieman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. LSIP is grounded in the theories of self-authorship and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, providing students with the opportunity to curate their own learning experience, learn through real-world experiences, and connect course material to real-life applications. The program is open to all students to apply, but …

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

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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

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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 …

Covid-19’S Impact On Climate Change Research And Institutional Resilience In Higher Education In Vermont And Tanzania, Stephanie Clement

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The COVID-19 pandemic impacts all sectors of society. It is necessary to understand how higher education institutions (HEIs) react to, adapt to, and build resilience in the face of such a crisis. HEIs around the world shifted how they deliver education to their students and struggled to adapt to a changing economy. Yet, there is little information on how HEIs bolster their resilience to exogenous shocks, like the coronavirus. This study assesses how the COVID-19 crisis impacted institutional resilience and climate change research at four HEIs: the University of Vermont (UVM) and Vermont Law School (VLS) in Vermont, United States …

L'Enracinement Et L'Ouverture: A Relevant Global Citizenship Education In Senegal, Alanna Margaret Ross

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As the international community strives to work together to respond to globalization implications in education, global citizenship education (GCE) has become more prominent in the educational agenda of the international community. While much literature has critiqued GCE’s potential neo-imperialist effects in postcolonial context, there have been very few studies that have sought out the voices of key stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers, and school leaders. A total of nineteen school leaders, teachers, parents, and students were interviewed to examine whether they found global citizenship education relevant to students in Senegal. The study found that global citizenship education was perceived …

Supporting Latinx College Students Study Abroad, Nicole Melendez

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Low participation of Latinx students in study abroad is something U.S. educators should be aware of and start to address. As the Latinx student population grows in higher education, growth of this population in study abroad should follow. The purpose of this research is to compile best practices and supports that can be implemented by international education professionals to support Latinx students who study abroad at their institutions. The research will answer the following research questions: how can international educators support Latinx students to study abroad? How can the current supports in place for Latinx students (in higher education) be …

Refugee Perspectives On Transitioning From Higher Education In The United States To Life Post-Graduation, Jessica S. Clarkson

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In 2019, only 3% of refugees had access to higher education. Using qualitative research methods of surveys and semi-structured interviews, this study explores the perspectives of two student affairs professionals and six individuals with formal refugee status granted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and in possession of a refugee travel document, who have not yet been resettled and are pursuing higher education in the United States. It focuses on the students’ preparation for and transition to life post-graduation, since UNHCR supposes that pursuing higher education abroad may be a viable ‘complementary pathway’ toward resettlement, self-reliance, and/or …

Study Away For The Differently Abled: A Study Away Program For Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Emily Huydic

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ABSTRACT

Study Away for the Differently Abled is a seven-day program for young adults aged 18 through 25 who have documented Intellectual Disabilities. During this program, they will live on Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, to develop independent living skills while also interacting with and learning from Yale international students. Study Away for the Differently Abled is grounded in the social approach to disability, aiming to extend access to quality intercultural post-high school programming to young adults who are not able to attend traditional college programs nor travel internationally through study abroad programs.

To ensure that the …