THE EFFECT OF STUDYING ABROAD ON PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS

Previous research has suggested that study abroad experiences increased teacher candidates\u27 marketability, reflective practice, cross cultural awareness, and personal confidence (Shiveley & Misco, 2015). To begin my research, I performed a survey on the Faculty within the College of Education at my university who either led study abroad programs, or who studied abroad. I performed a survey to see what would best suit the faculty in regard to study abroad students within the College of Education. The overall consensus of this survey was that the faculty thought that it would be intriguing to know what teachers and teacher candidates learned through their study abroad programs, and how they applied what they learned to during their experiences to their classroom or how they are planning to apply their experiences to their future classroom. Thus, the research question constructed for my study was, how did studying abroad impact teacher candidates\u27 perceptions of teaching or current teachers\u27 classroom practices? This subject sparks my interest due to the impact of studying abroad has had on me. To understand the impact of study abroad on teacher candidates and teachers, I surveyed teacher candidates and alumni of the College of Education who have studied abroad over the last three years. An online questionnaire for the teacher candidates or teachers was sent out this month. Implications for this research will help faculty better design or redesign their study abroad programs. In addition, it will allow teacher candidates to see the benefits of studying abroad can have on them personally and professionally