Awakening Transformative Learning: A Comparison of the Dissonance Experienced by Agriculture Majors During Study Abroad Courses to Costa Rica and Thailand

Abstract

Students who have participated in study abroad courses exhibit an improved capacity for citizenship, emotional growth, and global competence. However, achieving such requires that study abroad courses be designed to allow students to question their underlying beliefs and values – a concept called dissonance. When individuals reflect on dissonance, it has been reported to spur a process in which their previously held perspectives are transformed. As such, this investigation sought to compare the dissonance experienced by agriculture majors (N =21) at Louisiana State University during study abroad courses to Costa Rica and Thailand. We bounded cases by academic college, degree level, and year. However, they were distinct regarding context and duration. As a result, two forms of dissonance were consistent across cases: intellectual and moral. However, within cases, we also distilled context-specific dissonance that students grappled with that helped them reconsider their previously held worldviews. Our findings demonstrated that when students processed dissonance productively, their global knowledge and perspectives were transformed. We also concluded that although shared forms of dissonance existed, it is imperative for faculty to design students’ experiences abroad purposefully to nurture students’ perspective changes in transformative ways. Keywords: Costa Rica; dissonance; study abroad; Thailand; university agriculture student

Transformative Learning in Nicaragua: A Retrospective Analysis of University Agriculture Students’ Long-Term Changes in Perspective After a Study Abroad Course

“…For instance, during a study abroad course to Nicaragua, students encountered four forms of dissonance -environmental, sociocultural, intellectual, and personal -that influenced the transformation in perspectives that students endured (O'Malley et al, 2019). However, in a comparison of the dissonance experienced by agriculture majors during international experiences to Costa Rica and Thailand, Pigg et al (2020) argued the dissonance students encountered appeared to be influenced by the context and duration of their study abroad course, which provided deeper insight into why students may experience variant shifts in perspectives in literature. Although some previous work (Roberts & Edwards, 2015, 2016 has explored whether these transformations are integrated into students' lives after returning home, more knowledge is needed to distill the long-term outcomes of study abroad courses.…”

“…We conclude that students' lived experiences during the study abroad trip exposed them to forms of high-intensity dissonance that made them more deeply ponder the implications of social inequities in the world. Although previous literature (O'Malley et al, 2019, Pigg et al 2020 has reported that university agriculture students experienced some shortterm shifts in perspective in this regard, scant evidence exists in the literature on agriculture…”

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“…We recommend that faculty make existing cultural systems, ideologies, and structures of power visible for students during study abroad courses. Such phenomena appeared to help students make sense of the differences between Nicaragua and Louisiana in the current study (O'Malley et al, 2019;Pigg et al, 2020). Perhaps to make these power dynamics more accessible for students, faculty could embed approaches that seek to illuminate norms and traditions that are often less tangible and difficult for students to grasp (Hartman & Kiely, 2014).…”

“…For instance, during a study abroad course to Nicaragua, students encountered four forms of dissonance -environmental, sociocultural, intellectual, and personal -that influenced the transformation in perspectives that students endured (O'Malley et al, 2019). However, in a comparison of the dissonance experienced by agriculture majors during international experiences to Costa Rica and Thailand, Pigg et al (2020) argued the dissonance students encountered appeared to be influenced by the context and duration of their study abroad course, which provided deeper insight into why students may experience variant shifts in perspectives in literature. Although some previous work (Roberts & Edwards, 2015 has explored whether these transformations are integrated into students' lives after returning home, more knowledge is needed to distill the long-term outcomes of study abroad courses.…”

A reenvisioned agricultural system in Thailand: The growth in human capital experienced by agriculturalists after adoption of the sufficiency economic philosophy

“…However, Wibulswasdi et al (2012) argued the most important change occurred in its agricultural system. A need emerged, therefore, to better understand how the investments to human capital through SEP led to a reenvisioned agricultural system in Thailand (Pigg et al, 2020).…”