2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Exploring the impact of online study aboard on students' development of cognitive skills and L2 proficiency
| Project/Area Number |
22K00771
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| Research Institution | Kanda University of International Studies |
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Principal Investigator |
PARK Siwon 神田外語大学, グローバル・リベラルアーツ学部, 教授 (00458639)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | study abroad / L2 Proficiency |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the 2nd year of the project, the main goal was to gather data by having students participate in study-abroad programs. Before attending the online and onsite programs, their cognitive and English skills were evaluated. During and after completing the programs, their reflective journals and survey responses were collected. Additionally, follow-up interviews were conducted to gain deeper insights into the impact of the programs on their learning.
After analyzing the collected data, it was found that the study-abroad experiences had a positive influence on students' understanding of global challenges, helping them to position themselves within a global context. The experiences also encouraged them to explore various career paths. These findings were published in a research report.
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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 is progressing as planned. During its second year, the main goal was to collect data from students participating in targeted study-abroad programs. I enrolled in an online program based in Japan, which lasted about a week. Additionally, I served as a chaperone for one of the four on-site programs. Although I was unable to attend the remaining three on-site programs, I was able to successfully gather reflective journals from students during their time overseas and surveyed their responses upon returning to Japan. Afterward, I conducted follow-up interviews with selected students. Furthermore, I began analyzing the data and drafted a research report, which was later published in an in-house journal.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The upcoming year of this research project will center on the crucial tasks of managing and analyzing data, crafting insightful research reports, and disseminating the outcomes. Over the initial two years, I successfully gathered ample data to address the research objectives and achieve the targeted goals. My aim is to present the findings through publications and presentations that elucidate: 1) the precise technical and contextual obstacles faced during both online and onsite overseas study-abroad programs, 2) the comparative effect of these challenges on student learning, and 3) the impact of students' study-abroad experiences on their academic pursuits and career paths. If necessary, additional interview data will be collected to strengthen the dependability of the research findings.
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| Causes of Carryover |
I did not hire any research assistants for data management and also could not travel as much as I had planned to visit study-abroad sites or attend academic conferences. However, in 2024, since I have collected ample data to be analyzed, I plan to hire research assistants. Moreover, I also intend to attend conferences as frequently as possible to disseminate the research outcomes.
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