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Students who study abroad improve grades back at home

Published on November 17, 2009 by Andy Nelson

A study has found that students who have studied abroad improve academically upon their return.

The results of the Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative (GLOSSARI), a 10-year study on the trends and benefits of study abroad programs, were presented to the KSU community Nov. 10 at the Siegel Institute.

The study was presented by Dr. Richard Sutton, visiting senior research fellow at KSU’s Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character and Dr. Donald Rubin, UGA professor emeritus and Emory adjunct professor. More than 30,000 students were surveyed since the study’s inception.

“The fact is that more than 200,000 students now go abroad every year. That’s about 8 percent of all undergraduate recipients,” said Sutton. “The increase has been dramatic, up 20 percent in since 2001 and tripling in the university system [of Georgia] as well [from 1998-2008]. It’s a pretty big deal.”

GLOSSARI began during the 2000-01 academic year with moderate funding and focused on six primary objectives: identify the cognitive learning outcomes, identify the impact on academic performance indicators, identify the impact of study abroad on core liberal arts aspirations, identify program characteristics that optimize learning outcomes to guide future program development, identify student characteristics that predict likely participants versus successful participants and to refine, replicate and disseminate methods for assessing the impact of study abroad on student learning outcomes.

GLOSSARI consisted of six different phases: learning outcomes of study abroad participants and non-participants, pre- and post-participation learning outcomes with multiple measures, teaching the same course content abroad and at home, academic performance measures among study abroad participants and non-participants, program design features that make a difference and the impact of the program two to five years after graduation.

“When we first started this project, I was not really aware of the world of study abroad,” said Rubin. “There’s a whole community out there, both in our state and internationally, that sets great stock and follows the rise and fall of study abroad.”

The majority of the study was done through various pre-tests and post-tests, all given to a control group that participated in a study abroad program versus a group that remained in the U.S. The domestic students were selected to match the institution and class standing of their abroad counterparts.

The results of the study indicate that in general, students who participate in study abroad programs tend to see an improvement in navigational skills and cultural context and improvement in academic performance upon their return. Higher graduation rates are also common, especially for at-risk students. The study showed that students who study abroad have an increased 10 percent chance of graduating in four years.

When discussing students’ improved navigational skills, Sutton said, “These are things that come decisively from a study abroad program that don’t come from domestic strategies.”

“It was not surprising at all that study abroad students showed the most aptitude in navigational skills. I experienced that myself as a study abroad student,” said Melanie Brisse, a study abroad advisor.

GLOSSARI will officially end in June 2010. For more information and additional reports, students can visit kennesaw.edu/siegelinstitute/RickSutton.htm.