Participant Perspectives: Effects of Arts Based International - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Participant Perspectives: Effects of Arts Based International Service Learning Brian E. Trimble, Ed.D. Educational Leadership About the Author Education BFA Degree in Studio Art Single Subject Credential in Art Education MA in Art
Brian E. Trimble, Ed.D. Educational Leadership
Bennett’s (1993) Model
Sensitivity Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) Seven Vectors of Student Development
What, if any, are the perceived identity development effects of international service learning from the perspective of participants? In what ways, if any, do international service learning programs contribute to perceived intercultural sensitivity and intercultural competence? In what ways, if any, do perceived effects for international service learning programs change as a result of participants’ reflections from reentry to extended reentry?
Selection
Size
Setting
program course, who acted as liaison between the student participants and me. Recruitment
Biographical Data Questionnaire General education and background information Pre-Interview: semi structured Completed within one month prior to the trip Course Reflection Paper
Completed within one month after return from the trip
Post-Interview: semi structured
Completed five to six months after return from the trip
Demographic and background data Age
Gender Racial/Ethnic identity Educational standing Educational major Program and department Previous travel experience Study abroad experience Service learning experience Other languages spoken
Biographical Data Questionnaire
expectations for the trip? (protocol 1)
personal life in the future? (protocol 2) Participants perceived identity development (Research Question 1)
International service learning program contribution to participants’ perceived intercultural sensitivity and intercultural competence (Research Question 2)
feelings about your experiences now? (protocol 2)
Perceived outcomes for international service learning for participants’ after reflection over time after reentry (Research Question 3)
Sample Interview Questions
Constant Comparative Method (Strauss & Corbin, 1990)
Preparing the Data: Transcription Creswell (2007) Developing codes and meta-codes Creswell (2007)
Collecting rich, thick description
Development of themes through Chickering and Reisser (1993) and Bennett (1993) as analytical tool
Pre- Interview Reflection Paper Post-Interview
Chickering and Reisser (1993) Vector 3: Moving Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence Jackson “I’ve always wanted to travel, I haven’t done much. I’ve done a lot of traveling around the U.S., but that was because of other people, grandparents, parents,
really done on my own.” Zaira “I realize I live near such amazing people who I never took the time to speak to for longer than 5 minutes, and since I have, I feel safer here. It's the exact same friends that I have, but they live on a smaller scale, and so I think if we're really longing for the sense of community that we found in the villages it's kind of up to us to bring that spirit back and encourage that interaction with
Chickering and Reisser (1993) Vector 4: Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
Denise “The experience helped me understand more about myself as well as many preconceived notions that I had about Africa. So, the next time someone tells me that everybody in Africa is poor, or it is dangerous and the land not appealing, I will have actual pictures of the happy faces, the beautiful green climate and I will tell them of my experience in East Africa.” Zaira Because you know you hear people say, "Oh, there's people starving in other countries." No one listens to that. I think that's one of the reasons it's so important to travel and to go there and meet these people, because all of a sudden it really does matter to you, because you can connect faces and personalities and spirits to these people that don't have enough food and whose children, they don't name them until their one-year-old because their infant mortality rate is so high. They have a naming ceremony at one-year-old, and before then it's just like the boy or the girl.
Chickering and Reisser (1993) Vector 5: Developing Identity
Sarah “I am experiencing ways in which to rephrase activities or situations so that they may seem less scary to me, and cause me less anxiety. Once I am doing something, it is never as bad as I imagine that it will be. I have to learn to trust that, and to trust myself. I am also learning to trust my personality.” Darin These were some of the issues that I was tussling with along with the indescribable joy and
even know was empty. It was very transformative and this was only one of the things that were such-several other experiences changed the way I looked at the world and my place in it forever. Another of these was the happiness and generosity that was imbued in the spirit of the people of East Africa.
Chickering and Reisser (1993) Vector 6: Developing Purpose
Sarah In my art, I have found greater focus and dedication to knowing why I am doing any one project, or any facet of the project. This trip has caused me to really question what I am doing, and why it is important. Because of this, I feel that my projects are becoming more focused, and that I am learning how to take risks in order to serve these focuses. Jackson You know, I always, before this trip was like, “Oh, I should go volunteer somewhere, or I should go, you know, do this and that.” And I’ve actually, you know, started to take action. I started, you know, doing this volunteer work at this elementary school locally, reading to the kids. Doing that, and then taking care of myself. I’ve been working out more and I quit smoking, and still drink probably too much, but…yeah. Just getting healthier and putting a lot more focus on what I want in my life, and making that important, too.
Chickering and Reisser (1993) Vector 7: Developing Integrity
Zaira “And I do believe that art and the theatre is a tool for change. I completely believe that. And Darin, one of the people who went over there actually said something that made a lot of sense to me and helped center me. He said, "You know the only reason that we're even here right now is because we've chosen to do this with our lives. This is art and theater that brought us here and art and theater that we're using as a bridge to bridge these cultures.” Sarah “What I am trying to say has a whole new importance for me. Now it is not because I should know this, but because it is my responsibility to the world to know this. It is my responsibility to be the best artist I can possibly be. It is my responsibility to give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. If I stop being an artist, voices will die. If I stop being an artist, focus will be lost, wars will take place, people will die. My art is not only my love it is my responsibility.”
Bennett (1993) Stages of Intercultural Development Stage 4: Acceptance of Difference Denise After experiencing that event, I can now go back and tell my friends and anybody who feels that there is a divide between Black Americans and African Americans, that there is. But, it is not a divide that can’t be fixed through educating Black Americans, that many Africans who have not been to or finished their secondary education, are unaware of Africans being stolen and sold into slavery in America four hundred years ago, as well as educating and encouraging Africans to finish their secondary schooling so that they can be educated on their history and help rebuild the divide between Black Americans and Africans.
Bennett (1993) Stages of Intercultural Development Stage 5: Adaptation to Difference Zaira
The first day we asked them to tell us the three most important things in your life now and draw pictures of them. And the second day was, "Tell us what you want to be when you grow up or in the future for your job." So one thing that was really interesting is all of the kids are so practical from the beginning. And they all drew the three most important things in their life, their houses, they all drew some kind of farm animal, which I never would have expected, but it makes total sense. Then a lot of them drew a mode of
thinking in terms of moving things around. These are important tools for survival... And then one kid drew the sun, because he said it was important for growing things. And this is like, of course the most important things.
Bennett (1993) Stages of Intercultural Development Stage 6: Integration of Difference Sarah At first unconsciously, and now consciously as well, I have found myself spending my time with people I truly care about, and whose company I enjoy. After going on this trip, I have found myself focusing on the quality of my friendships, deciding which ones I truly treasure, and which ones I find that do not make me happy. I have found myself to naturally be weaning off of relationships that do not bring me contentment, and cultivating those which feed my need for social and loving satisfaction. Zaira Many of my classmates were saddened by the thought of returning home to a place where they didn’t feel the same sense of connection and community. Although I initially shared this sentiment, have since found comfort in the realization that this spirit of openness is not indigenous to any one place. It lives within the hearts of people and must be nurtured to
home, I had to bring it back with me. Of course, living in a major city makes it impossible to have a community as tightly knit as one found in a small village, but I am striving to strengthen the smaller communities in my life, starting with my neighbors.
Zaira Reflection Paper “I do believe that improving general and arts education is a powerful first step in a positive direction. Knowledge and art are tools of empowerment, self-expression and change. They help humans question their realities, give voice to their hopes, and shape their futures.” Post-Interview “I do believe that art and the theater is a tool for change. I completely believe that, and Darin one of the people who went over there actually said something that made a lot of sense to me and helped center me. He said, "You know the only reason that we're even here right now is because we've chosen to do this with our lives. This is art and theater that brought us here and art and theatre that we're using as a bridge to bridge these cultures.”
Four out of the six participants report complications with reentry that include confusion about the trip’s meaning, questions regarding life choices, and/or difficulties in articulating their positions on the trip. We can situate issues of reentry into Bennett’s (1993) stage 5, Adaptation to Difference as this is the stage that emphasis problem solving Zaira “And when I got home, I felt like something had really shifted inside of me and I didn't completely understand what it was.” Jackson It’s hard to explain in what way. And it was difficult coming home, especially back to the Midwest.”
Four out of the six participants report complications with reentry that include confusion about the trip’s meaning, questions regarding life choices, and/or difficulties in articulating their positions on the trip. Zaira “And when I got home, I felt like something had really shifted inside
Zaira at reentry And I… I just broke down crying and I kind of really held it together up until that point, and I started crying, and I just started saying, “You'll never know what I feel like! I can never tell you what's happened!” Zaira at post-interview “Now I realize that I was just going through trying to reconcile the idea that your life can be something completely different than what you've made it, but I'm happy with all the choices that I made in my life. Like you have to make choices in your life.”
Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) vector 7, Developing Integrity Bennett’s (1993) Stage 6, Integration
Jackson And I’ve actually, you know, started to take action. I started, you know, doing this volunteer work at this elementary school, locally, reading to the
Sarah “I feel like I am learning to develop a more active role in figuring out what that relationship with another person is, in terms of, “What’s my responsibility, and then, “What is my desire? What is my compassion?”, and then, balancing that with, “What can I feasibly do without letting it take
effects of international service learning from the perspective of the participants.
program contributes to participants’ perceived intercultural sensitivity and intercultural competence in multiple ways.
did not report significant changes in their perceptions regarding those changes from reentry to extended reentry. They did not perceive their own position of clarity about the trip, reconciliation of their feelings, and actions concerning their sojourn to East Africa as changes.
play a vital role in the ever developing field of study abroad.
add to participant’s experiences in terms of student development and, more specifically, intercultural development.
student development is evaluated in such programs.