Presented By: Isabel Whitehead-Adams, University of Arkansas
Co-Authors: Christopher Estepp, University of Arkansas

Study abroad experiences are suggested to provide students with practical experience navigating new cultures, settings, and aid in personal and professional growth. However, access to programs is not equitable across various student demographics, particularly those in rural areas. Rural students face additional barriers to higher education which increase the likelihood that they pursue studies at a community college. The purpose of this study was to examine perceived barriers to studying abroad among rural community college students. Participants included students currently enrolled in classes at the [Community College] campus, who had attended informational sessions about a fully funded international program through the University of [State]. Despite the international program opportunity being fully funded, this group of students opted not to participate. With cost being a commonly reported barrier to studying abroad, the students' decisions to not participate prompted interest in exploring their decision-making processes. Portraiture methodology was used during two rounds of virtual focus groups (n=7) to elicit the participants' experiences and thought processes. Portraiture methodology allows researchers to develop vignettes or ”˜portraits' depicting the ”˜typical' participant experience. Four portraits were created based on participants' experiences that illustrated themes of home, work, relationships, and distrust in the location, titled ”˜The Necessary Homebody', ”˜The Committed Worker', ”˜The Betrothed', and the ”˜Exclusively-Domestic Traveler.' Participants reported struggling with the thought of leaving their family and home for multiple weeks, reconciling their interests with the reality of their work obligations, prioritizing staying near loved ones, and worrying about their safety in another country. The researchers recommend that future studies look into the impacts of trip duration, the locations offered, the introduction of peers who have successfully traveled abroad, and the framing of the information presented in the campus visits on rural community college students' willingness to travel abroad.

Presented By: Javonne Mullins, Wilmington College
Co-Authors: Jason Headrick, Texas Tech University
Kameron Rinehart, Texas Tech University

Today's agriculture students are tomorrow's future workforce. Employees today must welcome and understand the interrelationship of globalization (Zuo et al., 2019). Zuo et al. (2019) emphasizes future agriculturalists must be adaptable to change, whether domestic or abroad. Higher education should prepare students to become globally competent citizens (Kuh, 2008; National Research Council, 2009; Stearns, 2009; Stoner et al., 2014). Many college and university travel abroad programs' primary goals include student growth in cultural experience and global citizenship (Hoeflinger, 2012; Stoner et al., 2014).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine specific components of global competency identified by undergraduate students following short-term travel to Kenya. Hunter's (2004) concept of global competence(GC) and social cognitive theory(SCT) (Bandura, 2002) were used to guide this study. GC is a multi-dimensional notion that requires knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be applied to global situations. GC has been the focus of previous short-term abroad studies and demonstrated that short-term programs can impact a student's ability to develop new knowledge and skills (Schenker, 2019). SCT considers social influence within interactions among an environment or behavior. SCT is complementary for explaining personal adaptation and development in diverse cultural settings such as those experienced by students on travel abroad (Bandura, 2002).

Eleven students utilized reflective journaling prior to, during and following their trip. Entries were reviewed by researchers, identifying common themes related to The Global Competence Model (Hunter, 2004). Emerging themes indicate internal components of open-mindedness, self-awareness, and risk taking. External factors included global awareness, intercultural capability, and collaboration across cultures. Themes echo both theoretical frameworks and show the development of new attitudes, skills, and personal adaptation. They also elucidate the impact of journaling to promote personal development. Short-term study abroad opportunities impact student development and may create stronger global citizens.

Presented By: Jayden Lawrence, Illinois State University
Co-Authors: Drew Lugar, Illinois State University

Students’ studying abroad face a variety of challenges both before they are abroad, as well as while they are there. The present study is a replication of a previous study conducted by the authors which took place in December of 2022. The present study was in a 10-day Animal Science based study abroad program that took place in the Yucatan state of Mexico in January 2024. The study aimed to determine the amount of stress caused by short-term study abroad programs on the participants, and if demographic and experience levels affected these stress levels. This was completed through the collection of physiological stress data measured using a stress index from participant heart rate variability (HRV), psychological stress data measured via Perceived Stress Surveys (PSS), and demographic data from surveys. Stress data was collected four times in the semester leading to the abroad program, and daily while abroad with all measurements taking place prior to 10:00 in the morning. Preliminary analysis of data shows that participants had higher physiological stress abroad, than they did prior to leaving (P=0.02). However, in terms of physiological stress, they were more stressed prior to leaving than while abroad (P<0.01). Ethnicity also played a role in participant PSS where Caucasian participants had higher PSS than non-Caucasian participants (P<0.01). The results from this study are similar to the original study, where ethnicity and period showed the same effect on perceived stress. However, the previous study found no effects on physiological stress, which could be due to the consistency of the daily timing of measurements in the present study. The present study also has a larger, more diverse participant population. It is important to consider continuing studies like these to ensure the best experience for future participants.

Presented By: Sushil Paudyal, Texas A&M University

Cultural competency is a valuable skill for undergraduate students who aspire to work in the global agriculture industry. However, traditional methods of developing cultural competency, such as study abroad and foreign trips, are often limited by resources, time and logistics. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an alternative pedagogical approach that connects students and faculty from different countries to learn from each other through online platforms. In this presentation, we report the findings from a pilot COIL project conducted at Texas A&M Animal Science in collaboration with a partner institution in Nepal. The project was implemented in three semesters (fall 2022, spring 2023 and fall 2023) as part of ANSC 429 Dairy Production Management course. A total of 100 students (56 from the US and 44 from Nepal) participated in the project, which involved completing a team project on a socio-economic problem in the agriculture sector. The students met monthly online to discuss the problem and potential solutions from their respective perspectives. We collected pre-post surveys and student reflections to evaluate the impact of the project. Students rating on the understanding of global dairy system improved from 4 to 9, international agriculture system from 5 to 7.8, Understanding of places outside of USA from 7.9 to 8.8 and understanding of people outside of USA from 7.59 to 8.6 on a 10-point scale. Students indicated that overall cultural competency increased in students from 6.5 to 8.3 on a 10-point scale. A thematic analysis of the student reflections revealed four major themes: small holder agriculture knowledge, international agriculture, teamwork, and knowledge sharing. Based on these findings, we conclude that COIL is an effective and innovative way of enhancing cultural competency in undergraduate students.

Presented By: Mia Sullivan, Pennsylvania State University
Co-Authors: Jeremy Falk, Ross Butler Tech High School
Daniel Foster, Pennsylvania State University
Melanie Miller Foster, Pennsylvania State University
Kasee Smith, University of Idaho

Global citizenship is critical to developing a globally ready 21st-century workforce in food, fiber, and natural resources. Global citizenship comprises three dimensions: social responsibility, global competency, and global civic engagement. Social responsibility is the perceived level of interdependence and social concern to others, society, and the environment. Global competence in people is a nonjudgemental behavior of being open to people and cultures different from their own. Global civic engagement is interaction with civic organizations to engage in global change. Combined, the three dimensions of global citizenship consist of 3 indicators. Educators, along with their knowledge, skills, and dispositions, are key players to developing global citizenship in students. Twenty-nine pre-service agricultural teacher candidates across two years in two cohorts from two different agricultural teacher education institutions from different parts of the US were presented the opportunity to participate in a high impact experience through a program lasting a full academic year. The program included two courses, a group domestic study away to the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues, and small group teams sent to teach global food security to secondary students in agricultural education programs located in communities across the US. We utilized an accepted Global Citizenship Scale modified for the agricultural context and collected data in a pre-post format. Both cohorts of pre-service agricultural teacher candidates increased their global citizenship overall and across all three domains from pre to post assessment after completing the program. Recommendations include continuing domestic global learning opportunities for teachers to gain necessary global knowledge and skills as well as further research on differences in gains in global citizenship achieved from domestic experiences to international experiences. Additionally, future scholarship is recommended one exploring accessibility to high-impact learning experiences to advance global citizenship.

Presented By: Brandon Bixler, The Pennsylvania State University
CoAuthors: Melanie Miller Foster, The Pennsylvania State University
Laura Rice, The University of Minnesota
Daniel Foster, The Pennsylvania State University

This study describes educator perceptions of Nepalese science learning environments and the educational resources with a focus on agriculture as an educational context. Nepalese agricultural and education sectors are frequently characterized by challenges including a lack of resources. We used the photovoice research method with Nepalese science educators to describe individual educator perceptions surrounding their learning environments and educational resources. We visited ten different schools conducting interviews with thirteen educators from government, private, and public trust schools. The rationale by participants for submitted photographs was collected through individual interviews. Photos and transcripts of identified educational resources were analyzed with the Theory of Asset-Based Community Development categorizing submissions into five primary categories of assets: individuals, institutions, associations, connections, and place-based assets. Data highlights potential assets that can be used to solve challenges in low-resource environments for Nepalese science education. Findings indicate the category of individuals and institutions as the primary assets present in the Nepalese science education system and help describe the diverse educational resources shaping Nepalese science education learning environments. While individuals and institutions emerged as the primary asset categories contributing to the Nepalese science education sector, connections, associations, and place-based assets all contribute to the total picture of science education delivery. When equipped with proper access to physical facilities and training, educators find value in delivering applied learning experiences in agricultural contexts that are closely tied to local communities. The participants made clear their desire for increased access to pedagogical and content-specific training, leading to increased teacher self-efficacy when delivering high-impact learning experiences. Recommendations include exploration of policy and practice for increased utilization of agriculturally related assets to achieve science education outcomes. This study suggests advantages to utilizing agricultural contexts in science education to achieve educational goals in low-resource environments.

Presented By: Anthony Auletta, University of Florida

International learning experiences, such as studying abroad and global service learning, can be immensely impactful for students. However, it can be challenging to provide similarly meaningful international opportunities for students who don't have the funding or flexibility to travel abroad. To address this need and help make high-impact global experiences accessible to all students, I have developed a semester-long virtual exchange project (Science Across Borders), which is embedded in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that I teach at the University of Florida. Through this project, students connect virtually with entomology researchers from around the world to learn more about the global extent (and importance) of insect research and the process of collaborating across international borders. Students then use these interviews to reflect on benefits, challenges, and opportunities in global research. To date, this project has connected a total of 187 students with 47 researchers from 29 countries across 6 continents. I will present quantitative and qualitative data that we've collected on the outcomes of this project, showing that it allows students to experience many of the same benefits of a study abroad program without leaving their home campus. Specific gains from the project include an increased understanding of other countries and cultures, enhanced cross-cultural communication skills, practice in active listening, self-awareness, and reflection, and more. Based on student feedback, this project has also inspired students to consider internationally-focused careers in the future and helped foster a better appreciation for science as a global enterprise. I will also share my approach to designing, implementing, and assessing the project, as well as provide resources for educators who are interested in incorporating virtual exchange into their own courses.