ERIC Number: ED225918
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1982-Nov-24
Pages: 18
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Impact of a Student Exchange Program on Civic Attitudes and Understanding.
Wood, Leslie; And Others
The political, social, and cultural attitudes of former high school participants in international exchange programs are analyzed. In 1981, faculty members at Indiana University and Purdue University examined survey responses of 57 individuals who participated in the Rotary International Exchange Program between 1971 and 1980. Participants also submitted names and addresses of classmates who were not involved in the exchange, of which 38 comprised the control group. A scale of 28 items measured students' opinions on the need for accepting foreign differences; the desirability of international peace; openness to educational, social, and political change; and the personal impact of the program. Exchange students demonstrated a greater acceptance of and feeling of responsibility toward other peoples. They were slightly more opposed to supporting their country, right or wrong, than the control group. Non-participants supported the importance of foreign language learning slightly more than participants. The values placed on exchange experiences indicate that these experiences brought about essential and desirable personal change. Finally, the impact of the program appears not only to be lasting, but to increase in intensity over time. A copy of the questionnaire and statistical tables are included. (KC)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies (Boston, MA, November 24, 1982).