Exploring the affective and professional journey of teaching abroad

Minniear, Jacob Neal

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117522 Copy

Description

Title

Exploring the affective and professional journey of teaching abroad

Author(s)

Minniear, Jacob Neal

Issue Date

2022-08-09

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

McCarthey, Sarah J

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

McCarthey, Sarah J

Committee Member(s)

• Thorstensson Davila, Liv
• Prendergast , Catherine
• Witt , Mary Allison

Department of Study

Curriculum and Instruction

Discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• study abroad
• teach abroad
• affect
• case studies

Abstract

This qualitative study of elementary pre-service teachers explores their professional and affective experiences in a teach abroad program. Data were collected with seven participants who were in their last semester of their teacher education program. For eight weeks, the participants taught in Lyon, France. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, researcher’s journal, seminar reflections, and focus groups. Consistent with previous literature, the analysis of the data determined that teach abroad programs yield positive results such as increased confidence, adaptability, and cultural understanding. The study aimed to explore how participants arrived at these positive results and how they engaged in their new environment. Through an ethnographic lens, the teach abroad program is documented. Four case studies explore how individuals from the same teacher education program navigated professional challenges in a new context. While there are benefits of teach abroad programs, the journey can be turbulent for preservice teachers as they adjust to a new professional context. Moreover, the participants experienced professional cultural shock, which was eased when professional training and seminars were provided. The role of previous professional teaching and schooling experiences impacted the way participants adapted to their teaching context. Implications for how teach abroad programs can support students in international placements include collaboration between host teachers and the preservice teachers, targeted professional development, and alignment with a pedagogical assessment framework.

Graduation Semester

2022-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Jacob Minniear

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