Abstract
College of agriculture graduates must be prepared to work effectively within a global workforce and to have cross-cultural experiences. Unfortunately, every student is not able to participate in study abroad programing. However, students benefit from global perspectives integrated into the curriculum. Teaching faculty must possess an understanding of culture in order to effectively educate their students. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory to explain the process of cultural adaptation that occurred when one group of U.S. faculty traveled abroad for a short-term professional development experience. The following eight stages emerged from the study: preparation and planning, excitement, frustration, building relationships, cultural comparisons, cultural understanding, cultural appreciation, advancing expertise and future plans. Faculty participants uniquely experienced a variety of stages of cultural adaptation, although not in the same sequence. Facilitators of similar experiences should take these stages into account as they plan study abroad programs.
 8 Conner_2014 NACTA Journal.pdf | [ ] | 338 kB |
