Designing Second Language Study Abroad Research: Critical Reflections on Methods and Data

✍ Scribed by Janice McGregor, John L. Plews

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 337
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This edited book brings together contributions from scholars in different international and educational contexts to take a critical look at the design and implementation of second language Study Abroad Research (SAR). Examining data sources and types, research paradigms and methods, and analytic approaches, the authors not only provide insight into the field as it currently stands, but also offer recommendations for future research, with the aim of revitalizing inquiry in the field of SAR. This book will be of interest to applied linguists, as well as educators and education scholars with an interest in researching international study.

✦ Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction: Inviting Critical Reflections on Methodology from Our Own Field
Whence the Volume Came
Why Study Abroad Research? Why Focus on Methodological Questions?
For Whom is This Collection Intended?
Structure and Content of This Book
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Part I Research Paradigms and Approaches
2 Quantitative Study Abroad Research: Challenges and Recommendations
Objectives of Quantitative Research
Design Features and Quality Criteria
Dilemmas and Challenges to Validity and Reliability
Subject Selection and Assignment to Groups
Control of Extraneous Variables
Group Size and Statistical Power
Assessing Global vs. Specific Skills
Objective vs. Subjective Measures
Conducting Pretests as Well as Immediate and Delayed Posttests
The Full Reporting and Replication of Study Methods and Results
Approaching the Challenges and Potential Solutions
Subject Selection and Assignment to Groups
Control of Extraneous Variables
Group Size and Statistical Power
Assessing Global vs. Specific Skills
Objective vs. Subjective Measures
Conducting Pretests as Well as Immediate and Delayed Posttests
The Full Reporting and Replication of Study Methods and Results
Conclusion and Summary of Recommendations
References
3 The Case of the SALA Project: Constructs and Methods Revisited
Introduction
The Study Abroad and Language Acquisition (SALA) Project: Its Timely Relevance
The European Context and Rationale for the Project
The SALA Project Goals, Methods, and Findings
The Dilemmas in the SALA Project: Theories and Methods in Perspective
Challenges in the Initial Design
Challenges Arising at Later Stages in the Project
Reconsiderations of the Dilemmas and Steps in Future Research
Conclusions and Recommendations
References
4 Toward a Transformative Decolonial Paradigm of Study Abroad Research
To the Field, Part 1: Inclusion and Equity for Whom?
From the Field, Part 1: The Postcolonial Bind
To the Field, Part 2: Toward Global Equity in SA Research
From the Field, Part 2: Cultural Humility in Collaborative Research
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
5 Addressing the Ideologies of Study Abroad: Views from the U.S. Context
Ideologies of Study Abroad
Study Abroad as Educational Tourism
Study Abroad as Personal Transformation
Study Abroad as the Ideal Setting for Language Learning
Study Abroad as Professional Preparation
Reckoning with Ideologies of Study Abroad
Recognizing
Reimagining
Recreating
References
Part II Data and Instruments
6 A Critical Appraisal of Research Interviews as a Qualitative Method of Data Generation in Study Abroad Research
RI Scholarship
In L2 SAR
Critical Contemplations
Ways of Knowing: Epistemological Contemplations
Ways of Doing: Methodological Contemplations
Ways of Accessing: Practical Contemplations
Recommendations
Opening Out
Ongoing Epistemological Engagement
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
7 Are Natural Conversations Natural? Critical Reflections on Using Participants’ Self-Recorded Conversations, the Positioning of Researchers, and Participant Self-Censorship
Introduction
Examples
Diao laoshi in The DormTalk Project
Self-Censorship in the Language and Gender Socialization Project
Reconsideration: Transparency, Credibility, and Ethics in Participant-Made Recordings
Practical Questions
Conclusion
Appendix
Convention of Transcription
References
8 Researching and Measuring Second Language Pragmatic Development in Study Abroad: Insight from Arabic
L2 Pragmatic Competence
The Impact of Diglossia on L2 Arabic Pragmatic Development
Considerations for Research Methods in L2 Arabic Pragmatic Competence Development in Study Abroad Contexts
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Part III Participants and Contexts
9 Expanding Participant Voice Within a Social Justice Framework: A Critical Dialogic Approach
Introduction
The Participant in SA Research
Where to From Here?
Guiding Principles
Ethical Stance and Values: What Matters?
Truth and Reality in SAR: Multiplicity, Dynamism, and Possibility
Conceptualizing Knowledge and Knowing in SAR
Approaches to Participant Voice: Planning and Enacting Research
Final Thoughts
References
10 Understanding Diverse Learning Abroad Through Case Study Research
Research Context
Study Abroad Research (SAR) and Diverse Learning Opportunities
Case studies and Students’ Diverse Learning Experiences
Case Studies in Education, Applied Linguistics, and SA
Case Studies as a Means of Understanding Diverse Learning Experiences
Questions and Directions
Practical Questions
Epistemological Questions
Ethical Considerations
Conclusions and Recommendations
References
11 Challenging the Language Learner as the Only Source of Data in Study Abroad Research
Introduction
The Social Facet of Study Abroad
Moving Beyond the Self-Report in SAR
Social Networks as Other Reports
Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendix
References
12 Sojourners Online: Social Media and Online Communication as a Data Source in Study Abroad Research
Studying Abroad in an Online World
Opportunities and Challenges of Using Social Media Data for Study Abroad Research
Theoretical Considerations of Using Social Media Data
Working with Social Media Data in Study Abroad Research
Possibilities for Social Media Data in Study Abroad Research
Using Social Media to Observe Sojourners’ Socialization Abroad
Investigating the Connections Between Social Media, Social Networks, and Linguistic Development
Using Social Media to Study the Development of Semiotic Repertoires Abroad
Exploring the Role of Social Connections Pre- and Post-Sojourn
Exploring the Effects of Study Abroad on Online Communication
Examining Discourses of Study Abroad Through Social Media
References
13 Decolonizing the Gaze: Intercultural Competence Urgency and Study Abroad Challenges in Africa
Introduction: The Problem with Study Abroad in Africa
The Colonial Gaze: History, Discourse, and Study Abroad in Africa
Study Abroad in Africa: Reframing the “InterCultural” in a Decolonial Context
Global Citizenship and Study Abroad in Africa: Critical Questions, Practical Pedagogies
Conclusion: Summary and Overview of Recommendations
References
14 Implementing Longitudinal, Reflective Follow-Up Study Abroad Research: Following Former Pre-service Teachers into Professional Practice
Follow-Up Study Abroad Research
Longitudinal Follow-Up Research
Reflective Follow-Up Research
Piloting Longitudinal Reflective Study Abroad Research
Considerations for Implementation of a Longitudinal Reflective Research Design
Theoretical Considerations
Ethical and Methodological Considerations
Considerations for Analysis
Practical Steps in Implementation
Conclusion
References
Part IV Analysis of Data
15 Group Interviewing and Multilingualism in Ethnographic Study Abroad Research: Speaking Korean in Tanzania
Introduction: Scene of the Interview
Theorizing and Humanizing the Interview in Study Abroad Research
Representing Shared and Unequal Competence
What Is Group Interviewing?
Semi-Structured Interviews and Social Interaction
Using the Interview to Support Multilingualism: Why and How
Before the Interview: Building Relationships
First Attempt at the Research Interview
Participant Background and Interview Logistics
A Global Trend: South Koreans and Education Abroad
A Desire for English
Countering Negative Korean Prejudices
Creativity and Cultural Meaning in the Interview
Culturally Transformed Meaning
Tanzanians Are “Bright”
Further Insight and Practical Recommendations
References
16 Discourse Analysis in Study Abroad Research
Discourse Analysis in SA Research
Questions that DA Can Address in SAR
Documenting L2 Learning in SA
Addressing These Challenges
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Index