2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Factors influencing learner outcomes in dual-language study abroad programs
| Project/Area Number |
19K13279
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| Research Institution | Kansai University |
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Principal Investigator |
RAMONDA Kris 関西大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (10626427)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | study abroad / pandemic |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This research aims to elucidate the impact of the coronavirus on participants' study abroad experiences.In the third year of this project (2021-2022), I have finished collecting all the data, including both the quantitative data and the interview data. I have also presented preliminary findings of this research at JALT 2021. I am currently preparing two manuscripts based on the findings that will be send out for review in 2022.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The research plan is basically going according to schedule. Although the first two years were a little difficult due to the pandemic, I was able to adapt my research questions and finally collect data from a sufficient number of study abroad participants. As I am entering my final year of the project, I am in the process of publishing my data.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
I currently have two major sets of data. One involves quantitative measures of participant (N=40) involvement and immersion while studying abroad during a pandemic. The other set involves over 12 hours of interview data based on a semi-structured post study abroad interview with participants. These interviews elicited data about the positive and negative effects coronavirus had on participants' study abroad experience. It also uncovered participants' reaction to various types of distance learning platforms and online teaching schemes.
Among the many findings revealed in the data, one in particular was unexpected, which was that while overall the coronavirus had a negative impact on study abroad participants, those who stayed at a homestay felt they were able to establish more meaningful relationships with their host family since they were not able to travel freely during the lockdowns in the various host countries in which they resided. That is, the increased contact hours they were forced to have with their host family, in most cases, appeared to strengthen the relationships these participants had with their host family, and ultimately improved the quality of their study abroad experience. On the other hand, those students who chose to stay in a dorm facility reported far stronger measures of dissatisfaction.
These findings have been presented at JALT in 2021 but a more comprehensive analysis based on the qualitative data is planned to be presented in 2022, along with the aforementioned two manuscripts, which will be send out for publication later this year.
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| Causes of Carryover |
It was my plan to present at an international conferences in the third year of the grant, but the ones of interest were cancelled due to the coronavirus. Furthermore, the domestic conference I presented at was moved online due to coronavirus, so it ended up costing less than I anticipated.
Now that the pandemic restrictions have been loosened in various countries, I expect I will instead be able to present at an international conference in person this year. To this end, the extra funding from last year was moved to the current one.
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