Borders or Barriers? Assessing Geographic, Economic, and Institutional Factors Related to Study Abroad Access and Participation at Four-Year Colleges and Universities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i1.809Keywords:
Institutional stratification, nationally-representative, spatial inequality, study abroadAbstract
Although more students study abroad today than in decades prior, participation still lags behind national goals put forth by the Lincoln Commission. Many students plan to study abroad, yet this often does not correspond with actual participation. This gap suggests there are barriers that prevent study abroad intentions from evolving into program enrollment. This study analyzes full population data and a NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) subset to distinguish study abroad and non-study abroad student intentions and participation between 2007 and 2017 at a four-year public liberal arts university in the U.S. Midwest. The role of demographic, academic, and socioeconomic factors are explored using logistic regression. Findings confirm the alignment of study abroad patterns with student characteristics, which represent barriers as well as opportunities for study abroad participation. Interventions at the institutional and individual level could be useful for addressing social group disparities and the participation gap.
Abstract in SpanishUsando datos de instituciones de educación superior estadounidenses públicas y privadas sin fines de lucro, este estudio explora la estratificación espacial a través de cuestiones de acceso y participación en estudios en el extranjero. A partir de la teoría de la desigualdad espacial, examinamos tres categorías de indicadores espacialmente variables: estructuras económicas, arreglos institucionales y factores de situación/lugar espacial. Los hallazgos ofrecen evidencia de relaciones espaciales desiguales en los estudios en el extranjero. Más específicamente, encontramos que los arreglos institucionales de instituciones de educación superior, muchos de los cuales están íntimamente vinculados a la espacialidad, son predictores significativos tanto de si una institución ofrece estudios en el extranjero como de cuántos estudiantes participan. Por ejemplo, es más probable que las instituciones con enfoque en la investigación se ubiquen en áreas urbanas, y nuestros resultados indican que es más probable que estas instituciones ofrezcan programas de estudio en el extranjero. Estos resultados indican una estratificación no solo de acceso, sino también de participación en estudios en el extranjero, las cuales tienen implicaciones importantes para la práctica de la educación internacional y la investigación futura.
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