Expand Your Perspective and Learn About Educational Systems Abroad
Dedicated to ensuring that its graduates are fully prepared to serve as productive and socially conscientious global citizens in the years to come, the Neag School continues to expand its international partnerships with a number of institutions around the world, offering students across the Neag School opportunities to live and study abroad, as well as additional professional learning opportunities for others affiliated with the Neag School.
"[It has been] twelve years since I have applied for the London program, and there is not a day that has gone by that I haven’t been grateful for the experience. I am still in contact with former colleagues from my internship site, and what I learned about American education through their lens still impacts my practice."
— Lauren Midgette '12 (ED), '13 MA
Questions?
Contact the Neag School's Director of Global Education with any questions:
Douglas Kaufman
Associate Professor
Director of Neag Global Education
University Teaching Fellow
douglas.kaufman@uconn.edu
860-450-6902
Gentry 404A
Current Experiential Global Learning Opportunities for Neag School Students
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open to students who have completed UNIV 1985/3985: U.S. Anti-Blackness Course or have instructor's consent.
Cape Town, South Africa
Open to admitted Integrated Bachelor's/Master's students during their 5th year.
Cuzco, Peru
Open to admitted Integrated Bachelor's/Master's students during their 5th year.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Open to UConn undergraduates and graduates with an interest in education, languages, and culture. Proficiency in Spanish is beneficial, but not required.
Jamaica
Open to students who have completed ASLN 1103 or higher and/or consent of the instructor.
London, England
Open to admitted Integrated Bachelor's/Master's students during their 5th year.
Nottingham, England
Open to admitted Integrated Bachelor's/Master's students during their 5th year.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Intended for Music Education Majors who have completed their junior, senior, or 5th year and have taken at least two methods courses in music education.
Global Education Research
Research productivity and scholarly influence are a central foundation for the Neag School of Education. Thanks to this foundation, faculty and students are able to engage in research surrounding our own global education programs as well as others. Below is just some of the recent research authored by Neag School faculty and students related to global education.
Interrogating racialized discourses in educator-focused study abroad: An ecological approach.
Back, M. (2024). Interrogating racialized discourses in educator-focused study abroad: An ecological approach. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 36(1), 202–228.
Analysis of a presentation in which four teacher candidates used racialized discourses to describe the indigenous students with whom they worked while studying abroad.
Creating a Content-Specific Education Abroad Program to Support Preservice Mathematics Teachers Learning about Culture.
Izard, B. & Moss, D.M. (2024). Creating a Content-Specific Education Abroad Program to Support Preservice Mathematics Teachers Learning about Culture. Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, 26(2), 239-255.
Many educators are calling for mathematics teachers to incorporate students’ cultures and experiences into the classroom; therefore, preservice teachers must be prepared to see and recognize other cultures. The content-specific education abroad program shared in this publication offers one approach for this type of learning.
Developing the Cultural Competencies of Preservice Mathematics Teachers: A Case Study from Education Abroad.
Izard, B. & Moss, D.M. (2024). Developing the Cultural Competencies of Preservice Mathematics Teachers: A Case Study from Education Abroad. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 36(3), 204-233.
This study reports on an approach to developing the cultural competencies of preservice mathematics teachers—education abroad—with the notion that as teachers develop a sense of culture, they will have the potential to place it front and center in their instruction.
Ten years of global citizenship: An examination of the long-term effects of study abroad
Simmons, Jon & Moss, David M. "Ten years of global citizenship."
Examines the long-term effects of study abroad on preservice teachers, emphasizing the transformative impact on their career paths and teaching methodologies.
Developing Habits of Noticing in Literacy and Language Classrooms: Research and Practice across Professional Cultures
Simpson, Alyson; Pomerantz, Francesca; Kaufman, Douglas; & Ellis, Sue (Eds.). (2020). "Developing Habits of Noticing in Literacy and Language Classrooms."
Focuses on the concept of teacher noticing in literacy and language instruction, highlighting its importance for tailored instruction and understanding student learning nuances.
An Exploration of Self: Examining the Long-term Impacts of a Pre-service Teacher Education
Simmons, Jonathan R. (2023). "An Exploration of Self."
Investigates the long-term impacts of pre-service teacher education abroad programs on intercultural competence, using "identity cartography" to examine personal and professional development.
Assessing the development of global competence in teacher education programmes: internal consistency and reliability of a set of rubrics
Parmigiani, Davide et al. (2023). "Assessing the development of global competence."
Studies the reliability of rubrics to assess global competence in teacher education, based on a survey of 729 pre-service teachers across 10 countries.
Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences
Marcus, Alan S. & Moss, David M. (2015). "Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers."
Discusses education abroad programs in London and Nottingham, aiming to enhance intercultural competence through teaching internships.
Enhancing Orientation to Cultural Difference: The Role of Reentry Work for Teacher Candidates Studying Abroad
Back, Michele; Kaufman, Douglas; & Moss, David M. (2021). "Enhancing Orientation to Cultural Difference." This article discusses the impact of reentry experiences for teacher candidates, emphasizing the importance of reflection on cultural differences after studying abroad.
Homestays as a resource for preservice teachers studying abroad
Back, Michele; Joseph, Rebecca; McCormick, Anna; & Picorelli, Hana. (2022). "Homestays as a resource for preservice teachers studying abroad."
This study explores the role of homestays in Cusco, Peru, for preservice teachers, highlighting the enhancement of Spanish proficiency and cultural understanding.
Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences
Marcus, Alan S. & Moss, David M. (2015). "Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences." Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 22-37.
This article discusses two education abroad programs designed for pre-service teachers to enhance their intercultural competence through teaching internships in British schools. Located in London and Nottingham, these programs immerse participants in diverse instructional settings, challenging their perceptions rooted in U.S. educational norms. The Nottingham program emphasizes the teaching of history and cultural representations of the past, while the London program offers a broader urban education focus. Both programs span a 15-week semester abroad post their domestic student teaching semester, integrating teacher leadership, intercultural learning, and a master-level research project. The article underscores the importance of such experiences in fostering intercultural understanding and offers insights into initiating and sustaining international programs in pre-service teacher education.
Over there… Europe study abroad program
Moss, David M. & Marcus, Alan S. (2015). "Over There: Exploring a WWII-Themed Short-Duration Study-Abroad Program." Explores a two-week study-abroad program in Europe for preservice teachers, focusing on WWII historic sites to develop global perspectives.
Please Mind the Culture Gap
Marx, Helen & Moss, David M. (2011). "Please Mind the Culture Gap."
Investigates the impact of a semester-long teacher education program in London on developing culturally responsive teachers through immersion in a different cultural context.
Identity Work and Intercultural Awareness Through Cultural Excavation: Teacher Candidates Studying Abroad
Back, M. (2023). "Identity work and intercultural awareness through a cultural excavation curriculum."
Analyzes data from cultural excavation activities completed by ten teacher candidates during study abroad in Peru, in which they critically reflected upon their own identities in relation to the cultural environments of their study abroad experience.
Refusing to be co-opted: Revolutionary multicultural education amidst global neoliberalisation
Dunn, A. H. (2017). Refusing to be co-opted: Revolutionary multicultural education amidst global neoliberalisation. Intercultural Education, 28(4), 356-372. Routledge.
Dunn examines how neoliberalism shapes debates on educational reform and equity globally, arguing that reforms like the edTPA in the U.S. and Teach For All internationally co-opt multicultural education, compromising genuine justice, and proposes revolutionary multicultural education as a way forward.
‘Like’ if you support refugees: Preservice teachers’ sensemaking of contested issues in a digitally-mediated multicultural education course
Deroo, M. R., Farver, S. D., & Dunn, A. H. (2017). ‘Like’ if you support refugees: Preservice teachers’ sensemaking of contested issues in a digitally-mediated multicultural education course. Multicultural Education Review, 9(3), 159-174. Routledge.
This study explores how white pre-service teachers use their digital literacy to navigate and make sense of immigration issues in a multicultural education course on Facebook, revealing that blended learning environments enhance their ability to construct new knowledge and identities amid negative public narratives.
“I didn’t know of a better way to prepare to teach”: A case study of paired student teaching abroad
Cross, S. B., & Dunn, A. H. (2016). “I didn't know of a better way to prepare to teach”: A case study of paired student teaching abroad. Teacher Education Quarterly, 43(1), 71-90. Caddo Gap Press.
This study highlights that paired student teaching abroad offers unique benefits by fostering collaborative work and peer reflection, which are crucial for student teachers learning in foreign environments without their usual support networks, although it may also limit engagement with local contexts.
Reconsidering the local after a transformative global experience: A comparison of two study abroad programs for preservice teachers
Dunn, A. H., Dotson, E. K., Cross, S. B., Kesner, J., & Lundahl, B. (2014). Reconsidering the local after a transformative global experience: A comparison of two study abroad programs for preservice teachers. Action in Teacher Education, 36(4), 283-304.
This comparative case study examines preservice teachers' experiences in two different study abroad programs — one in Sweden and one in France — highlighting how both programs enhance their understanding of diversity and global pedagogy, with results emphasizing the importance of interactive assignments and personal growth support for transformative learning.
