The Power of Listening: Host Community Members’ Perspectives of a Field Research Education Abroad Program in Costa Rica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v34i3.673Keywords:
Community perspectives, community-engaged education abroad, Costa Rica, field research, qualitative researchAbstract
Despite the growing body of literature investigating education abroad programs, there remains very limited empirical research examining the perspectives of local community members who interact with visiting students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the varying perspectives of residents within a community in Costa Rica that interact with undergraduate students from a US-based field research program. Utilizing a theoretical framework of critical theory, researchers examined the perspectives of community members with varying degrees of power. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 32 local community members, direct observations, and document analysis. Findings from this study include community members’ perceptions of opportunities and challenges of interactions with visiting students, community members’ valuing interactions and relationships with students, and the challenge of the locus of control related to community interactions being held by a study abroad organization. This research illuminates ways to incorporate community perspectives into the design, implementation, and evaluation of education abroad programs.
Abstract in SpanishA pesar del crecimiento en la literatura de los programas de investigación en el extranjero, la investigación empírica que examina las perspectivas de los miembros de la comunidad local que tienen interacción con los estudiantes extranjeros sigue siendo muy limitada. El propósito de este caso de estudio cualitativo es explorar las diversas perspectivas de los residentes de una comunidad en Costa Rica que interactúan con los estudiantes del programa de investigación de campo. Utilizando como marco teórico la teoría crítica, los investigadores examinaron las perspectivas de diversos miembros de la comunidad, todos según sus diversos grados de poder dentro de la misma. Los datos se recolectaron a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas a 32 miembros de la comunidad local, observaciones directas y análisis de documentos. Los hallazgos de este estudio incluyen las percepciones de los miembros de la comunidad sobre las oportunidades y los desafíos de las interacciones con los estudiantes visitantes, la valoración de las interacciones y relaciones de los miembros de la comunidad con los estudiantes, y el desafío del grupo de estudio relacionado con las interacciones comunitarias que tienen con una organización de estudios extranjera. Esta investigación ilumina las formas de incorporar las perspectivas de la comunidad en el diseño, la implementación y la evaluación de los programas de educación en el extranjero.
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