Examining the impacts and their lasting effects of a short-term study abroad program using the BEVI instrument

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14260
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09050:Tertiary education-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Nagai Atsushi 広島大学, 森戸国際高等教育学院, 特任助教 (00814310)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 留学 / 効果測定 / 国際教育 / BEVI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explored the questions of (i) whether short-term study abroad programs offered at many higher education institutions in Japan have measurable impacts on students and (ii) whether the study abroad impacts last for a prolonged period of time.
In order to answer these questions, a longitudinal study was conducted that assessed 8 Japanese students' changes at 4 time points (before/after study abroad, 6 months after study abroad, 1 year after study abroad), using a psychological assessment tool called BEVI (Beliefs, Events, and Valued Inventory) as well as individual semi-structured interviews. All the students participated in a short-term study abroad program that lasted for one semester or less. The study found a positive answer to each research question. However, it was also found that the study abroad impacts slowly decrease overtime, indicating a need to provide continued and further educational intervention to keep students' study abroad gains alive.

Free Research Field

高等教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は国内の多くの高等教育機関で提供されている短期留学プログラムには実際に効果があることを、客観的測定ツールを用いて明らかにした。短期留学プログラムの教育的価値を高め、ステークホルダーへの説明責任を果たす上で重要な知見である。
また、本研究は短期留学プログラムの効果が、留学から帰国後1年を経ても持続していることを明らかにし、短くてもまずは留学に行くことで肯定的な学習効果が得られることを示した。