The Benefits of International Studies for American Education Students
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Middle Grades Education
Minor
Undeclared
Institution
Morehead State University
KY House District #
74
KY Senate District #
21
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Sara Lindsey, PhD.
Department
Middle Grades- Secondary Education
Abstract
In an era of ever-growing international communication, college students are presented with more choices regarding international education. While the sense of adventure may be reason enough to study abroad, there are certainly many more benefits of international experiences. Further, much can be learned from the educational systems of other countries.
The purpose of the research project was to tease out the differences in educational processes in successful systems across Europe to determine what factors might be playing into their success. These factors were then used to create a syllabus for an international course to be offered to American students interested in furthering their knowledge of education. The primary method for isolating differences was to analyze the results of TIMMS 2015, PISA 2015, and PIRLS 2011 in order to identify the top five countries. From there, the researchers pulled relevant, peer-reviewed literature from on-campus library sources to gather information about the systems, focusing on curriculum, teacher preparation, and school setup (length of school day, school year, recesses, age of enrollment, etc.). This information was entered into a spreadsheet and commonalities noted. Articles and websites from the departments of education of each country (Ireland, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands) were also examined. The results entered into the spreadsheet were then compared to the American educational system in order to ascertain which areas might be best for American students to examine in in situ.
Notable commonalities that emerged, including the availability of choice in the European systems, were included in a syllabus designed by the researchers for a comparative education class to be offered to American students who wish to study abroad.
The Benefits of International Studies for American Education Students
In an era of ever-growing international communication, college students are presented with more choices regarding international education. While the sense of adventure may be reason enough to study abroad, there are certainly many more benefits of international experiences. Further, much can be learned from the educational systems of other countries.
The purpose of the research project was to tease out the differences in educational processes in successful systems across Europe to determine what factors might be playing into their success. These factors were then used to create a syllabus for an international course to be offered to American students interested in furthering their knowledge of education. The primary method for isolating differences was to analyze the results of TIMMS 2015, PISA 2015, and PIRLS 2011 in order to identify the top five countries. From there, the researchers pulled relevant, peer-reviewed literature from on-campus library sources to gather information about the systems, focusing on curriculum, teacher preparation, and school setup (length of school day, school year, recesses, age of enrollment, etc.). This information was entered into a spreadsheet and commonalities noted. Articles and websites from the departments of education of each country (Ireland, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands) were also examined. The results entered into the spreadsheet were then compared to the American educational system in order to ascertain which areas might be best for American students to examine in in situ.
Notable commonalities that emerged, including the availability of choice in the European systems, were included in a syllabus designed by the researchers for a comparative education class to be offered to American students who wish to study abroad.