Meaning making of a woman in her life development through the study abroad experience

Abstract

Study Abroad continues to grow as part of the higher education experience. Women participate more often than men in Study Abroad, yet little research has addressed the narrative of a woman's unique voice in the process as an addition to knowledge. The objective of this study was to address the meaning a singular woman made from her participation in Study Abroad and how that meaning was expressed during her life journey.

This qualitative study used narrative inquiry of a singular individual. Methods used for this research included individual interviews, observation, artifacts and photo elicitation. The member's own photos were used for the photo elicitation and proved a strong resource. Data collection from the methods and applied coding process emerged five themes: People are good: this data described an intense need for the participant to acknowledge the goodness of all people. The need to tell: this collected data that demonstrated the participant's need to share her acquired epiphany to enlighten others. Independence: this gathering evidenced a new degree of freedom in solo travel and general self-confidence. Places: location and the need for familiar landscape data grounded the participant. Finally, Race: indicated data that described an attention to people because of their cultural differences. The final analysis includes poetry pulled from Labov's coding process, as well as an acrylic painting to visually represent the findings.

The significance of this study was the reflection she shared as a woman because it begins to fill in gaps from the historical narratives that document history through voice. The study was not intended to generalize to others but rather valued as a unique solo note. There were some possible implications from this study. Learning may grow from how a person views self. Therefore, understanding what is important to the learner may allow for the development of higher education initiatives that enhance participant satisfaction and increase positive results. The most profound meaning pulled from the narrative for this participant was associated with how she approached the world, acceptance of people and finally the courage to believe in herself.