Study Abroad and Academic Achievement Sample Clauses

Study Abroad and Academic Achievement. ‌ There is a dearth of literature on the academic impacts of temporary study mobility, compared to the vast literature investigating the relationship between study abroad and intercultural competence of linguistic proficiency, for example (Xxxxxxxx, 2020). Empirical evidence on this topic is limited with the majority of the research reporting evidence of the positive impact of study abroad generated through correlations rather than causation (Xxxxxxxxxx et al., 2021). While some studies, e.g., Xxxxxxxx (2020) have found positive effects of study abroad on academic performance, others such as Xxxxxxxxxx et al. (2021) have found a negative effect of study abroad on grades. However, others such as Xxxxxxxx et al. (2021) have not found significant effects of study abroad on subsequent academic achievement after the sojourn. At the same time, the authors report evidence of differential effects of study abroad participation by performance based on their results which showed that students with better pre-sojourn grades were more likely to have better achievements after the sojourn, compared to lower performing students who were likely to perform worse at the end of their sojourn. In the study by Xxxxxxxx (2020) of 1,320 Law students at Sheffield University which included 361 students who studied abroad for up to one year during a five year period and 959 who did not sojourn, the findings show study abroad had a small but significant impact on grades with students who studied abroad having greater odds of attaining better grades in their degree compared to those who did not study abroad. However, time spent abroad in a foreign country could be detrimental to academic progress due to disruptions that a student may face from being uprooted in the middle of their pro- gramme. Issues like culture shock, language difficulties, and isolation from friends and family may also cause a student to withdraw which could have consequences for their academic achievement. Financial difficulties could also be a cause for concern and distraction because study abroad can be expensive and the scholarships that students are awarded through Erasmus or other exchange programmes is often not enough to cover additional expenses. A review of studies evaluating the sojourn experience of ERASMSUS students by Xxxxxxxx (2004) identifies difficulties in curricular integration at home and abroad as a major challenge. For example, some Erasmus students reported that they took fewer classes abroad...