Through study abroad pre-service teachers can learn a new language, experience another culture, and develop teaching practices. We studied the long-term influence these pre-service sojourns have on sojourners once they are practicing teachers by interviewing 10 alumni who then reflected on their personal and professional learning from their short-term sojourns.
Through study abroad programs for pre-service teachers, sojourners can learn a new language, experience another culture, and develop culturally responsive teaching practices. Benefits of a sojourn experience for pre-service teachers include a greater self-efficacy, development of instructional pedagogy and an increased global mindedness and appreciation for diversity (Roose, 2001; Willard-Holt, 2001). While some faculties of education offer international volunteer teaching programs, little is known about the long-term influence these pre-service sojourns have on sojourners once they are practicing teachers. In particular, while reflective practices are sometimes employed to facilitate learning from the experiences (Savicki & Price, 2015), the complex experiences of personal and professional learning from these sojourns are seldom investigated. In this study, we posed the question: what personal and professional learning from study abroad do teachers reflect on as evident in their current practices? We reconnected 2-3 years post-return with 10 alumni who participated in one specific short-term program. In interviews they reflected on their personal and professional learning and how their previous experiences and reflections influenced their current teaching practices. Drawing from these interviews and their sojourn data, we were able to analyze their language development, intercultural competencies, and teaching practices using a framework adapted by Jiang, Coffey, Devillar, and Bryan (2010). In the findings, these former sojourners articulated empathy toward themselves as learners and toward diverse learners in their classrooms. They spoke of a greater confidence and adaptability in teaching and a deepened awareness of the role of culture on educational systems. While they sometimes saw themselves as transcultural, they also expressed a greater appreciation for the Canadian education system, often for the perceived emphasis on differentiation, but also for the privilege that comes with material resources. This study adds to our understanding of the complex experience of making meaning from a short-term, pre-service sojourn.
