THE IMPACT OF OUR LANDING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY ON PERSPECTIVE TRANSFORMATION

Study abroad programs over the last decade have been dominated by one demographic: white women. While the beneficial outcomes of study abroad participation are well documented, study abroad processes and practices have not been examined to determine how to expand the type of students who participate and, therefore, reap these benefits. This action research (AR) study explored how the introduction of inclusive and equitable practices in study abroad may change study abroad advisors’ perspectives regarding their current practices. The project’s goal was to introduce study abroad advisors to information regarding inclusive practices and then engage in discourse and reflection guided by transformative pedagogies. This study’s interventions were based on transformative pedagogies and Mezirow’s (1994, 1997, 2000) theory on perspective transformation.While the goals of the study were individual in nature, the systemic context of the study lent itself to group and systematic changes. As such, all interventions were group-based, facilitating learning in concert with others. In this study, both the exposure to new ideas and the support of the participant groups with shared experiences facilitated more transformative outcomes both individually and collectively. The study’s insights support the use of AR to develop and enact workplace initiatives to deepen stakeholder buy-in and highlight the power of small efforts. Regarding perspective transformation theory (Mezirow, 1994, 1997, 2000), an alignment with AR methodology goals is substantiated, the idea that transformation can be realized in group-level learning is introduced, and the nurturing of transformation to reach full integration is discussed.

INDEX WORDS: perspective transformation, action research, study abroad, higher education, communities of practice, adult education, workplace learning