Date Approved

10-2-2019

Embargo Period

10-3-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. Engineering Management

Department

Experiential Engineering Education

College

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Advisor

Streiner, Scott

Committee Member 1

Bodnar, Cheryl

Committee Member 2

Farrell, Stephanie

Subject(s)

Foreign study; Education and globalization

Disciplines

Engineering Education | Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediatory role intercultural wonderment plays in global learning during engineering students' international experiences. Engberg and colleagues have posited a connection between the programmatic components of an international experience (i.e., study abroad) and global learning, with international wonderment serving as a conduit for that connection. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected under an NSF multi-institutional grant that focused on identifying ways global preparedness can be developed in and out of formal curricula. Data included semi-structured, student interviews, student background data, and global perspective scores as measured by the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI). The GPI is a 35 item, Likert-scale instrument that measures global and holistic student learning though their perceptions and experiences. The thesis is broken down into three main areas of study that analyzes the relationships between: 1) the type of international experience and intercultural wonderment facilitation; 2) intercultural wonderment and global learning; and 3) how intercultural wonderment acts as the mediating factor between the type of international experience and global learning. The study resulted in an assessment and identification the opportunities for fostering intercultural wonderment and global learning within study abroad and recreational international experiences. The study found that opportunities for fostering intercultural wonderment in all areas exists between both types of international experiences. The study also found that there is recognized value that can come from recreational experiences. Finally, the study reaffirms the value of study abroad programs which is critical as effort is continued to be directed towards building these experiences for undergraduate engineering students. Qualitative data from the interviews were used to support how intercultural wonderment was fostered across various experience types and how critical it can be in the development of global learning and perspectives of engineering student populations.

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