Integrating Study Abroad Research and Practice: African American and Black Students in Focus

Abstract

Although Black students made up 15.7% of all enrollments in higher education in the fall of 2021 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022), they constituted only 4.1% of all Americans studying abroad in the 2020-2021 academic year (International Institute of Education, 2022). Recent research has begun to turn toward a more qualitative investigation of the study abroad experiences of Black students in particular and how these experiences compare to those of their peers (Brunsting, Chiles, et al., 2023). Once an institution has sent Black students abroad, what do the learning outcomes of their experiences look like regarding academic achievement, language learning, intercultural competence, identity development, wellbeing, and career progress? How can educators and study abroad practitioners use these insights to better understand and serve their campus? This brief integrates insights from research and practice to shine light on these questions, which are on the forefront of the minds of many study abroad practitioners across the country. In the case of this brief, the reviewed research shows that Black students' study abroad experiences and learning outcomes seem to be largely positive. Broadly, the Black students whose experiences are documented in reviewed studies made gains in their academic achievement, language learning, intercultural competence, identity development, wellbeing, and career outcomes (Bell et al., 2021; Blake et al., 2020; Bush et al., 2022; Byker & Xu, 2019; Dietz et al., 2011; Edwards, 2020; Lu et al., 2015; Quan, 2018; Smith-Augustine, 2014; White et al., 2011; Willis, 2015).