Abstract

College graduates should be ready to function in a complex global environment, working within and across cultures to achieve organizational goals. Study abroad courses focused in agriculture provide a platform to examine the complex relationships between people (social science) and agriculture (natural sciences). The purpose of this study was to explore how critical reflection can be used in a short-term study abroad program to elicit both cultural awareness and technical knowledge of agriculture students. Students engaged in daily journaling to elicit reflections on their observations about technical subjects and Belizean culture. Through this process, students showed cultural awareness and technical understanding of agricultural issues in Belize. The results support the use of critical reflection journals as an important instructional strategy for study abroad courses.