Relationships, Participation, and Characteristics of a Community of Practice in Short-Term Adult Study Abroad

Abstract

This study examines the role relationships have in learning among graduate students during a short-term cross-cultural field study in Italy. During group and personal reflections, students expressed the value of relationships and engagement, and how they perceived these experiences to influence their learning. Using relational learning and communities of practice as our framework, we analyzed blogs written by master’s and doctoral students as well as interviews conducted with the nine students to determine how relationships and interpersonal interactions may have helped shape their experiences abroad. Our findings provide insight into relationships, participation, and characteristics of a study abroad program to support becoming a member of a knowledge community of comparative international adult education. Our findings also provide implications for design, implementation, and facilitation for faculty and others who conduct educational programs abroad for adults.