Risk Management for Secondary School Study Abroad Programs

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Dr. Sora Friedman

Abstract

Since the advent of secondary school study abroad programs in the late 1940s and 1950s, the number of secondary school students participating in study abroad programs has experienced tremendous growth. While data on how many secondary school students (overall) have studied abroad in the past or are participating in study abroad programs presently is currently unavailable, the number is assumed to be growing due to the growth of study abroad programming at the independent secondary school level and at the tertiary level. As a result of this growth, and an increase in legal concerns regarding taking secondary school aged students (minors) abroad, there has been a recent increase in demand for information regarding risk management for secondary school study abroad programs

In this normative, exploratory, and mixed methods study, eight individuals from seven identified key stakeholder groups in the field of secondary school study abroad risk management were interviewed to find out more information about what the study abroad risk management “best practices” are for institutions and organizations offering/sponsoring study abroad programs for secondary school aged students. The qualitative and quantitative data collected in the interviews was analyzed to conclude that while risk management for secondary school study abroad programs is considered to be an important area of focus in the field of secondary school study abroad programming, there is still a limited amount of information available in this field (as well as the greater field of international education) and a lack of agreement by the key stakeholder groups interviewed in this study regarding the “best practices” of secondary school study abroad risk management. Although this was the case, this study presents a preliminary list of “best practices” for secondary school study abroad risk management based upon the research and findings of this study.

Disciplines

Community College Education Administration | Educational Sociology | Higher Education | International and Comparative Education

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