Perspectives and Motives Involved in Study Abroad: COVID, Race and SES

Abstract

The pandemic has impacted every aspect of academic life, including study abroad (SA), with 93% of programs canceled worldwide in 2020 (IIE, 2020). Long lasting consequences for SA are expected (Dietrich, 2020): a reduction in participation rates, an increase in online SA, and changes both in the nature and the importance of the factors that students consider for SA, with a potential new emphasis on health and personal safety. Our mixed-methods study relies on surveys and interviews to investigate Covid's impact on students' notions of the nature of SA as well as the factors guiding their choices. The MSA (Motivation to SA questionnaire: Anderson & Lawton, 2015) was adopted, adding two new factors: health and language learning. Two hundred twenty-nine participants were recruited during 2021; they belong in one of three categories: (a) students whose SA plans were canceled due to the pandemic, (b) students planning to SA, and (c) students who had not and will not participate in SA. Results indicate that the original MSA factors remain unaltered, that language development is an important motivation to participate, and that health-related factors rank high, especially for minority and low-income students for whom it is almost the number one factor, suggesting the possibility that participation rates for members of these groups are further reduced. Additionally, interview data reveal that for students, SA programs are defined by an immersive academic experience in another country. However, participants value online collaborations with students and faculty at international institutions when integrated in their on-campus coursework.