Claudia Blandon & Rowena Passy

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ 2

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3

2. The Trips ......................................................................................................................................... 6

2.1. The Gambia ............................................................................................................................ 6

2.2. The Czech Republic ............................................................................................................. 7

2.3. The United States of America ......................................................................................... 8

3. Research Design .......................................................................................................................... 9

4. Results ........................................................................................................................................... 10

4.1. Motivations .......................................................................................................................... 10

4.2. Perceived impacts ............................................................................................................. 11

4.2.1 Personal ............................................................................................................................. 11

4.2.2 Professional ................................................................................................................... 13

4.3. Challenges ............................................................................................................................ 15

4.3.1. Pre-departure preparation ..................................................................................... 15

4.3.2. In-country guidance ................................................................................................. 15

4.3.3. Cultural shock ............................................................................................................. 16

5. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 18

6. Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 19

References ........................................................................................................................................... 20

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the students who came forward to be interviewed for their

time and the generosity of their views. We hope that their trips abroad have

contributed to their personal and professional development in all the ways that they

hoped!

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1. Introduction

I would say to anyone that if they have the chance to raise the money [to travel] then do it! It’s so worth it. By the end of the trip, it was definitely worth more than the money.

In a world where globalisation is advancing at a staggering speed, academic institutions

are reflecting this multi-cultural world by promoting study and educational trips abroad.

The belief is that students benefit both personally and professionally from such

experiences (Birkin et al., 2014), and this is supported by recent government initiatives

that highlight the value of a global education in strengthening international collaboration

and competition, tackling global challenges, and raising education standards at home

and around the world (DfE & DfIT, 2019). To reflect this global trend, at the University

of Plymouth, students are encouraged to have a ‘global outlook’ in order to become

‘highly capable, confident and adaptable global citizens’ (University of Plymouth, n/d).

Although internationalisation strategies might be underpinned by economic motives, for

example by attracting funding, fostering collaboration and encouraging innovation

(Huggins, 2015), the benefits of taking part in educational trips have been grouped in

research literature into three main categories for students: future employability,

educational and personal value.

Future employability is a strong motivator for students to take part in educational trips

abroad (Sheridan & Smith, 2018). Students believe international trips provide unique

opportunities to enhance their employability by gaining particular skills and exposure to

new and different ways of working. It is thought that this exposure supports skills

development and students’ own interest in their professional growth (Hadis 2005,

Orams 1997, Ballantyne 2009).

Educational value has also been noted as an important factor in international trips

(Sheridan & Smith, 2018). For trainee teachers in particular, being exposed to and

gaining a contextual understanding of comparative education studies adds depth to

their academic development and practice (Huggins, 2015). Further educational benefits

include distinctive contextual opportunities to develop students’ intercultural

capabilities. Experiences on international trips can make students aware of what it is

like to be perceived as the ‘other’, because to become culturally aware involves a

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revision of one’s own identity in relation to experiences of different culture (Brock &

Wallace, 2006 cit. Huggins, 2015).

At a personal level, students report that international trips broaden their cultural

horizons and enrich their lives (Sheridan & Smith, 2018). Exposure to different cultures

and geographies offer students an invaluable opportunity to have ‘intercultural

dialogues’ (Castro et al., 2016, p.419) and experiences that provide individual growth.

All these experiences help build students’ identity and status (Campbell-Barr & Huggins,

2011) and ease their ‘transition to adulthood’ through increasing their independence

(Cairns, 2017, p.338) and confidence (Sheridan & Smith, 2018).

However, it is important that students and tutors have a clear and explicit agreement

about what they would like to achieve by the end of the trip, and the type of professional

and personal development they would find beneficial (Stewart & Joines 1987; Clarkson,

2013 cit. Huggins, 2015). The literature suggests there are three main considerations

when organising or participating in an international trip. First, these trips can have a

negative effect on the host culture; it is possible that students can harvest ‘the resources

of international knowledge for their own benefit without necessarily considering the

impact upon the host culture or coming to understand it better. Such personal

motivations may actually interfere with their appreciation of cultural difference’ (Zemach

and Bersin 2007, cit. Huggins, 2015, p.46). Secondly, multi-cultural awareness is not

necessarily gained from international educational trips alone. Research shows that

students’ and tutors’ lack of awareness of the nature and importance of intercultural

capabilities can hinder the learning international trips are supposed to provide (Huggins,

2015). Finally, although international study trips are premised on the benefits of inter-

cultural exposure and dialogue, ‘they will only do so if there is in place a transformational

pedagogy, informed by post-colonial theory and implemented by knowledgeable tutors’

(Huggins, 2015, p.3). Exposure alone does not make a person more multi-cultural

(Merryfield, 2000), and researchers caution that ‘spending time abroad will not

necessarily promote intercultural sensitivity; instead it may entrench negative

stereotypes, encourage a heightened sense of nationality and promote greater

ethnocentrism’ (e.g. Jackson 2010 cit. Huggins, 2015, p.48).

For these reasons, students need to be supported and encouraged to have ‘ongoing

critical reflection on their experiences to make meaning of culture and its relationship

to teaching’ (Phillion & Malewski 2011, p.648). If critical reflection is lacking, students’

existing views are left unchallenged which limits their interpretations of their experience.

This lack of discussion may strengthen rather than undermine, existing social and

political hierarchies (Gorski, 2008); it is fundamental that students are made aware of

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the factors that have led to inequalities in the places they visit or they may fall back on

stereotypical explanations of what they witness. If tutors do not challenge and

problematise students’ assumptions, experiences and observations, these old

assumptions can continue to inform and perpetuate historical roots and social

hierarchies (Gorski 2008, Huggins 2015).

In addition, the length, intensity and degree of cultural immersion may also affect

desired outcomes (Huggins 2015). Students need to be supported and willing to engage

in critical reflection, to respect a new culture and be challenged and modified by the

experience (Merryfield 2000, cit. Huggins 2015). Finally, it is vital that educational trips

have specific learning objectives (Huggins 2015).

Nonetheless, access to international educational trips can be particularly helpful to

trainee teachers who teach increasingly diverse student populations as global mobility

increases. Visiting and learning about teaching in other nations can help future teachers

to become more sensitive to cultural differences, and to understand pedagogical

methods and approaches that are different to the ones they learn while undergoing

their initial teacher education. As a result, the Plymouth Institute of Education (PIoE) at

the University of Plymouth conducted a small indicative study to explore students’ views

on international trips offered by PIoE in the academic year 2017/18.

This document presents the findings of this exploratory research focusing on students’

motivations, together with the perceived impacts and challenges of a number of

international trips organised by PIoE. The report also includes key recommendations

with the view to improving students’ experience of international educational trips in the

future.

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2. The Trips

For several years, PIoE has offered recurrent international student trips to the Gambia,

the Czech Republic, Chile and the United States. Trips to the Czech Republic, the Gambia

and the United States are covered in this report, as the students who visited Chile

returned to England after the research was completed.

This section describes the general approach to each trip and the activities offered in

each location. Organisers conducted at least one pre-departure meeting and

communicated with participating students about the forthcoming trip primarily via social

media and email.

2.1. The Gambia

‘We got sung to on the beach quite randomly which still remains in my memory.’

Trips to the Gambia were one-week long and provided a mix of educational and leisure

activities. Students were placed in basic shared accommodation in the capital city and

visited primary schools in rural areas. At the schools, student teachers had the option

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to engage in, observe or lead teaching activities throughout the day. A few students

chose to lead play-based activities with pupils. In addition to education activities,

students had diverse opportunities to experience unique cultural activities which

included visiting a women’s cooperative, a monkey sanctuary and local touristy sites.

Trip organisers provided students with basic background information on local activities

and tourist attractions and organised a few group outings. Students reported having

heard about the trips to the Gambia via social media and in induction days.

2.2. The Czech Republic

‘[Prague] is really, really stunning ’

‘This is really, really stunning.’

Trips to the Czech Republic were one-week long and focused on early childhood settings

in Prague. In the settings, students had the opportunity to observe and interact with

early childhood pupils and practitioners during morning sessions only. Students were

placed in budget accommodation in Prague with easy access to the early childhood

settings they were visiting.

In contrast to trips to the Gambia, students were given more freedom to explore the

city independently. Students reported having heard about this trip in social media and

from other students who had joined similar trips in the past.

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2.3. The United States of America

‘It was just a constant rollercoaster of fun and excitement.’

The trip to the United States was ten-days long and was based in the town of Fredonia,

New York. Students reported that the trip received substantial in-kind support from the

State University of New York Fredonia, and included daily visits to a local high school as

well as leisure trips to New York City, Niagara Falls and other local amenities. At the

school, students were given the opportunity to interact with pupils, collaborate with

local teachers in delivering lessons or lead sessions within a subject. Students stayed

at university residential halls.

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3. Research Design PIoE students were informed about available international trips via lectures, induction

days, social media and emails. Students could select from visits to the Gambia

(December 2017), the Czech Republic (March 2018), the United States (June 2018) and

Chile (June – September 2018). A total of 45 undergraduate and postgraduate students

participated; the most popular visit was to the Gambia, with 20 participants, and the

least was to Chile, with seven students.

This small qualitative study aimed to gain an understanding of students’ experiences of

the trips. Ethical approval for the project was obtained from the Education Research

Ethics and Integrity Sub-committee, and an invitation to be interviewed was sent to all

38 participants on the Gambia, Czech Republic and United States visits. Participants on

the Chile trip were not approached as the project finished before they returned to

England. A total of seven students responded to the invitation; they had travelled to the

United States, Gambia and Czech Republic, and were a mix of graduate (2) and

undergraduate students (5).

Students who responded were invited to attend focus groups or individual interviews to

explore three broad aspects of the trips: students’ motivations to participate, the

perceived impacts of the trip on their professional attitudes and knowledge, and the

challenges they experienced before and during the visit.

Interviews and focus groups were fully transcribed, and then analysed thematically. We

report on the findings below within three main themes: motivations, perceived impacts

and challenges. Quotations are unattributed to maintain participants’ anonymity.

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4. Results

4.1. Motivations

I wanted to go to a different continent and just see what teaching is like in a different country … I haven’t been to many places before … I’ve never seen a different side to education.

Nearly half of the students interviewed mentioned a love of travelling as a general

motivation to join educational trips. Students reflected on how previous positive

experiences in international trips and personal holidays had triggered a desire to travel

more often and to visit more off-the beaten-path destinations. Students also reported

that the timing and length of the trip were major considerations; those scheduled during

university holiday times were seen to be preferable as they accommodated coursework

and deadlines:

‘[The trip] fitted in quite well with the timings, being the Christmas holidays.’ ‘I wanted to do [the trip to the States] because it was longer and it was after the course had finished. I thought that was a better time because I was still writing my final assignments during the Gambia trip, so I decided not to go to that one and pick this one instead. That’s why I went, and it was such good timing, I didn’t have any stress.’

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Another strong motivation emerging from the data was students’ perceptions that

international trips were beneficial in gaining work experience that would inform their

future practice. Students believed that exposure to different pedagogies, contexts and

resources would inform the focus of their training and their future career, and were

clear that international exposure provided extra-curricular gravitas on their CVs and

therefore a tangible future employability currency. This can be seen in the views

expressed below:

These students’ views resonate with previous research documenting that students’ drive

to join educational trips is fuelled by a desire to improve professional and personal

growth (Lesjak et al., 2015) and be exposed to different cultures.

4.2. Perceived impacts

Students interviewed for this project also expressed a desire to join international trips

to experience a sense of adventure and as means to push themselves outside their

comfort zone. This section describes students’ perceptions of the impact the trips had

at personal and professional levels.

4.2.1 Personal

Unanimously, students reported that feeling welcome and valued by local teachers and

children was a major highlight of their trips that contributed to an increase in their

‘I really want to teach abroad at some point. So I think that it would look good, if I’ve been abroad in schools. So that’s definitely been a massive incentive. I also find that I really like experiencing different cultures. I find that really interesting and I think that would benefit my teaching.‘

‘I think it would be quite beneficial if I’ve seen more of the world before my teaching in the future.‘ ‘Yes, I’m so glad I did it. I think it’s really good on your CV.’

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confidence. Moreover, several students noted that the trips delivered on their ambition

to learn more about themselves by taking them out of their comfort zone:

‘I loved the school visits and how welcoming [people were] and [how] pleased they were just see us.’ ‘I was so glad I did it, it was so out of my comfort zone; that’s why I did it and I’m so glad I did it. I learnt a lot about myself.’ ‘I’ve learnt a lot, and yes personally, I think it was such a tight knit learning atmosphere, and I feel like everyone there, just gave you the time of day, they really did.’

‘We were well valued there, people wanted to speak to us and know our back story; that made it a lot more worthwhile as well. It was just such a lovely experience.’

For several students, the social aspect of the trips was a valuable opportunity to learn

and develop social skills and networks. Students highlighted that forming lasting

friendships and relationships was a major lasting impact of the trips:

‘I think for all of us the trip is going to have a lasting effect because first of all the group of people that we went with were just astounding. It was such a wonderful end for us for the third year of university to have the camaraderie that we all had together and having that is such a lovely moment.’

‘We really became a family … we’re going to be friends for life, we just got on so well and it just really brought us together.’

A few students reported that access to new experiences and personal interactions with

local people gave them unique insight into the places they were visiting:

‘As an experience, it wasn’t something that we would be able to replicate ourselves. We wouldn’t be able to come back with friends and do this trip so it was definitely very exciting to be able to do that.’

‘We had [access to] that more local spirit, I guess. We went into someone’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. You couldn’t buy that! As an experience it wasn’t something that we would be able to replicate ourselves.’

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These findings add to the body of research demonstrating that students who are

exposed to different cultures are likely to develop in new ways, both at personal and

social levels. This development, in turn, is likely to help students become more

interested in and invest in their personal, and professional, growth after they return

home (Hadis 2005, Ballantyne et al. 2009).

4.2.2 Professional

Overall, students reported that international educational trips afforded them unique

professional learning opportunities. The majority of students commented on how

experiencing diverse educational systems in action gave them different insights and

perspectives about learning and teaching approaches:

‘It makes you aware of the importance of education and the way you teach because we saw how rote learning works in a way but not if you do it like 24/7 and it isn’t exactly engaging or fun. So, yeah, [it gave me] a different [perspective] of how you teach.’ ‘One thing that I did really like about [the trip] is that I feel like the children have more freedom in the class… [The pupils] knew more … Maybe that’s because it was more relaxed, and they seemed a lot happier and were better behaved. I think that’s because the children had more of a choice and they had a bit more freedom. I would definitely like to incorporate that more [in my teaching], just more of a relaxed learning environment.’

Reflecting on their learning, especially those who had taken part in trips previously,

students highlighted the advantages of having access to comparing education systems.

For example, for some students this experience increased the confidence in their

teaching skills and made them appreciate the contextual factors of different educational

practices:

‘So professionally, I would say that I built up a lot more confidence in myself. I feel like I can teach … I feel like I’ve learnt a lot more about Great Britain as well. So, I think professionally, I’ve learnt more about my country and teaching about how we are different to America and I’ve learnt the differences between England and America and I can use that in my teaching.’ ‘I would say, personally, it’s given me a totally different outlook on education in Africa.’

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For other students, the experience made them question the focus of their

pedagogical approach and ways in which this questioning could inform their future

practice. These following reflections indicate that students were exercising critical

skills during and after their classroom interactions while abroad:

‘They start school later as well, so it was very different to our nurseries because they were older children. We saw the layout and the kind of activities they did and what kind of supervision they were given … it was really interesting.’

‘[The class] seemed a bit more laid back than ours. They very much gave the children the resources and they would go and play themselves. In another room they would have crafts and activities and stuff. They didn’t do so much maths and English … I would really like to incorporate that more, just more of a relaxed learning environment’

In addition to the value of experiencing diverse educational systems, a few students

also believed that the experiential element of the trips was fundamental to their

professional development. These students found the trips provided them with new ideas

and new ways of learning both for themselves and their future students:

‘Just because if you’ve only done the placement in the UK, you’re not going to have as many ideas – the lessons, and you’re not going to have as much understanding of why they do different things. It’s a case of being open to different ideas and different ways of doing things and if you’ve seen it for yourself, you’re going to remember that so much more than if you’ve just been told in a text book or something. You’ve got to experience it.’

However, the trips could have provided additional impact. Interviews also revealed that

students could have benefitted from ongoing critical reflection on their local placement

and having clarity on the type of skills they wanted to develop. Moreover, as Huggins

(2015) has pointed out, in an African context in particular, it is vital that reflective

discussions are ‘informed by post-colonial theory and implemented by knowledgeable

tutors’ (Huggins, 2015, p.3). Guided reflections are fundamental to transformational

pedagogy where students are supported and willing to engage in critical reflection, to

respect a new culture and be challenged and modified by the experience (Merryfield

2000 as cited in Huggins 2015). Furthermore, as seen below, ongoing critical reflection

could also help alleviate some of the challenges students encounter during international

trips for both novice and experienced travellers.

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4.3. Challenges

Although, generally, students reported high satisfaction with their trips, a number of

students commented on a number of challenges they encountered during their visits.

These challenges fall within three main themes: pre-departure preparation, in-country

guidance and cultural shock.

4.3.1. Pre-departure preparation

The majority of students interviewed lamented a lack of or poor pre-departure

information provided to the group. A number of students mentioned that future trips

could benefit from more clarity on the educational objectives of the international visits

and in-depth discussions about students’ expectations of the trips. Additionally, a few

students believed that having face-to-face meetings with other students joining the trip

would have enhanced their experience abroad:

‘I would have liked some more [pre-departure] meetings.’

‘The thing that would have enhanced it even more would have just been knowing everybody beforehand [in pre-departure meetings].’

‘It would be useful for the [hosting] school to say what their expectations are’

Several students believed that opportunities to meet the travelling group before

departure would have eased tense situations while abroad, as they would have known

people’s preferences. Moreover, students felt that having a mix of formal and informal

pre-departure meetings could have also provided the opportunity to explore individuals’

concerns and expectations.

4.3.2. In-country guidance

A few students found challenging the limited guidance and information given by tutors

about leisure activities and tourist attractions, particularly in the Gambia. For these

students, the lack of structured daily guidance was overwhelming and frustrating as

they expected a clear daily programme of activities closely monitored by tutors,

particularly in challenging and unfamiliar environments. This group of students reported

higher levels of anxiety whilst going out abroad and chose to move in larger groups to

feel safe:

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‘I think we should travel in small numbers. We would occasionally bump into another group and, again, because [the place] was new to everybody, I think it was safety in numbers and people wanted to tag along with other groups.’

In contrast, however, other students interpreted the limited information as a deliberate

approach to encourage exploration as means to increase confidence as they became

familiar with the place:

‘So, we went off for a walk trying to find this geocache which we didn’t find but it was really nice to be able to feel at home in somewhere that was totally different when we first went.’

Overall, students interviewed felt that future trips might benefit from a detailed daily

programme that caters both for students who need more precise information and for

those who have a strong sense of adventure and value more independence.

4.3.3. Cultural shock

Several students reported experiencing cultural shock both at professional and

personal levels. For example, at a professional level, some students found local

teaching practices difficult to handle, particularly managing what they considered

offensive behaviour in the classroom. This type of interactions provided students with

opportunities to assess their own cultural and pedagogical approaches:

‘I had something inside me, I really wanted to say something, but I didn’t because I thought it’s not my place and it’s not the culture of the school. Because I was only there for a day – he said something rude to me and he made me feel quite uncomfortable and then I realised it’s a different culture…’

However, some of the students also reported a reverse shock experienced by local

practitioners when they were comparing and contrasting teaching techniques and

cultural practices:

‘There were only 18 kids in my class and some of them had 16 in their class and the class sizes were a lot smaller than they are here. They were really shocked when I told my teacher that we usually have 30 in a class and they were like, well that’s mad, they thought it was crazy.’

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‘[In the U.S] they pledge allegiance to the flag every morning, which I thought was really interesting, so each class have a massive USA flag and before they start their day, they put their hands on their chest and they say a speech about being proud to be American… I said to them that we don’t do that in England, they were really shocked and some of the kids were like, are you not proud to be English, are you not proud to be part of your country? I was like, I’m very proud of my country but we just don’t do that in our schools, we don’t pledge allegiance like that. So, they found that really different.’

These exchanges are a prime example of how reflective discussions with tutors could

benefit students not only professionally but also at a personal level as they discuss

personal bias and preconceptions. In fact, some students reported surprise at finding

language barriers during their placements abroad, particularly in countries where

English is spoken as a primary language:

‘I didn’t realise how many different things we have; I was saying to them: “Put that in the bin.” And they’d be like, “Bin? Do you mean the trash can?” So, for the last two days of the trip, I really just got their language and I could really communicate with them and they understood why I said things differently and I think they enjoyed that.’

Reflecting on their experiences, students acknowledged that events they initially

identified as challenging were later recognised as learning opportunities that allowed

them to question assumptions, routines and beliefs. These reflections show that much

of the personal benefit and professional learning comes from dealing with daily

challenges in unfamiliar settings and having an opportunity to reflect critically (Gmelch,

1997).

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5. Conclusion

Overall, students reported having a positive experience in educational trips organised

by the IoE. The majority of students interviewed reported that ‘right timings’ within the

academic year, the length of the trip, and the opportunity to enhance future

employability were key motivators to join international trips.

Students also felt that taking part in international trips have had positive impacts on

their personal and professional development. Some students reported adopting

behavioural (water conservation, recycling, donating) and professional (adopting certain

teaching techniques) changes after they returned. Moreover, students felt their

confidence and resilience increased and were pleased to have forged strong friendships

and relationships during the trips.

However, students noted that they could have benefited from more pre-departure and

in-country information. A few students found this lack of information challenging and

frustrating. Some students also reported feeling challenged by some cultural and

professional practices in the countries they were visiting.

Although students’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive, students’ learning could have

benefited from ongoing, tutor-led critical discussions. Huggins (2015) cautions against

assuming that certain types of learning will result from participation in educational trips.

It is vital that organisers give careful analysis of how to bring about learning (academic,

personal and professional) more reliably and effectively (Huggins 2015).

Based on the data collected, the following section discusses how students’ perceptions

of the trips could inform future provision of educational visits to ensure that students

do indeed gain the professional and personal learning they seek.

It’s just such a nice way to end two years at university and I’m really glad that I did it, it’s a learning curve as well. Yes, I’m so glad I did it. I think it’s really good on your CV!

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6. Recommendations

In reviewing the findings from this research, this report highlights a range of

recommendations that need to be considered in order to improve student mobility

exchange policies, educational trips and marketing policies.

Have comprehensive pre-departure preparations that include several

meetings. Consider first time travellers’ needs and concerns

Develop and incorporate key discussions points and reflection sessions

during the trip

Invite previous participants to share their experiences in pre-departure

meetings

Discuss in detail the educational activities the students are expected to lead

and the objectives and outcomes of such activities

Provide daily in-country itineraries and instructions

Consider the timings (in the year) and length of the trips

Integrate the trip into the coursework and facilitate students’ attendance

by subsidising the trip

Structure the trips to cater to both students who need structure and those

who are keen to explore on their own

In short trips, provide concise information and structure to allow students

to feel independent and confident

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