2012
A Comprehensive Analysis of PostTrip Surveys for Short Term Study
Abroad Programs
Kelsey Stolzenbach
4/08/2013
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Academic Standing ......................................................................................................................... 3
Major ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Program ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Reasons for Choosing Specific Programs ....................................................................................... 5
Duration of Study Abroad Programs .............................................................................................. 5
Use of Scales throughout the Survey .............................................................................................. 6
Satisfaction with Information about Health and Safety Abroad ..................................................... 6
Satisfaction with Information about Major Cultural and Religious Differences Abroad ............... 7
Satisfaction with Information about Pre-Trip Itinerary Prior to Departure .................................... 8
Satisfaction with Information about Activities and Events of the Program ................................... 8
Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements to Destination ................................................................... 9
Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements Within Destination ........................................................... 9
Satisfaction with Daily Meals ....................................................................................................... 10
Satisfaction with Sleeping Arrangements ..................................................................................... 10
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Learn Abroad............................................................................ 11
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture ................................................ 11
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Interact with the Local Population ........................................... 12
Satisfaction with the Level of Interaction with Professor or Guide.............................................. 12
Satisfaction with Overall Organization of the Program ................................................................ 13
Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experience of the Program ................................................... 13
Satisfaction with the Value of the Program Relative to the Price................................................. 14
Overall Satisfaction Distribution of the Short-Term Programs .................................................... 14
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 15
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Figures
Figure 1: Academic Standing Overall............................................................................................. 3
Figure 2: Distribution of Survey Respondents by College ............................................................. 4
Figure 3: Program ........................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 4: Reasons for Choosing Specific Programs ....................................................................... 5
Figure 5: Duration ........................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 6: Satisfaction with Information about Health and Safety Abroad ..................................... 7
Figure 7: Satisfaction with Information about Major Cultural and Religious Differences Abroad 7
Figure 8: Satisfaction with Information about Pre-Trip Itinerary Prior to Departure..................... 8
Figure 9: Satisfaction with Information about Activities and Events of the Program .................... 8
Figure 10: Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements ......................................................................... 9
Figure 11: Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements Within Destination ......................................... 9
Figure 12: Satisfaction with Daily Meals ..................................................................................... 10
Figure 13: Satisfaction with Sleeping Arrangements ................................................................... 11
Figure 14: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Learn Abroad .......................................................... 11
Figure 15: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture ............................... 12
Figure 16: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Interact with the Local Population .......................... 12
Figure 17: Satisfaction with the Level of Interaction with Professor or Guide ............................ 13
Figure 18: Satisfaction with Overall Organization of the Program .............................................. 13
Figure 19: Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experience of the Program.................................. 14
Figure 20: Satisfaction with the Value of the Program Relative to the Price ............................... 14
Figure 21: Satisfaction Distribution - Negative, Neutral, and Positive ........................................ 15
Tables
Table 1: Scale 1 ............................................................................................................................... 6
Table 2: Scale 2 ............................................................................................................................... 6
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Introduction
In 2012, students from all three colleges within Longwood University participated in
study abroad programs. These trips included destinations in Western Europe, such as Spain,
Ireland, and Greece, as well as more exotic places including Honduras, Morocco, and Thailand.
Upon their return, the students were asked to fill out a survey designed to determine their
satisfaction with their experience abroad. The students rated their satisfaction with various
services such as food and accommodation, the pre-trip orientation, and the quality of the
instruction, etc. They also divulged their reasons for studying abroad.
The following report provides a breakdown of the twenty-nine student responses to the
survey questions. In total, sixty-seven students participated in the short term study abroad
program, which means that the survey response rate was only 43%. The data sums up the
collective student survey participant opinion of Longwood University’s short term program..
Academic Standing
As shown in Figure 1, of the twenty-nine participants in the survey 7% were freshmen;
24% were sophomores; 41% were juniors and 28% were seniors.
Figure 1: Academic Standing Overall
7%
28%
41%
24%
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Major
Figure 2 shows that 45% of the survey respondents came from the College of
Education and Human Services, followed by 38% in the College of Arts and Sciences, and
finally 17% in the College of Business and Economics.
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Figure 2: Distribution of Survey Respondents by College
College of Arts and
Sciences
38%
45%
College of Business
and Economics
College of Education
and Human Services
17%
Program
The students had six different trip options to choose from:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Economic Development in Thailand
Nursing in Honduras
Practicum II in Ireland
Practicum II in Valencia, Spain
Berber Culture in Morocco
A combination of general education courses in Spain and Greece:
Figure 3 depicts the finding that 48% of the survey respondents chose to go to Spain and
Greece, 21% chose to go to Morocco and Spain, 17% chose to go to Thailand, 10% chose to go
to Ireland, and the remaining 4% chose to go to Honduras.
Figure 3: Program
4%
17%
10%
Honduras
21%
48%
Ireland
Morocco & Spain
Spain and Greece
Thailand
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Reasons for Choosing Specific Programs
The students had many different reasons for choosing each program:





Academic Requirement
Honors Requirement
General Education Goal 9: Diversity
Personal Enrichment
Degree Requirement
Some of the survey respondents listed just one reason for going abroad, while others
listed multiple reasons. Of the 29 survey respondents, there were 54 responses to reasons for
studying abroad. As Figure 4 shows, 32% of the survey respondents indicated that they studied
abroad to obtain personal enrichment, 22% needed to fulfill an academic requirement, 20%
needed to fulfill Goal 9, 17% needed to fulfill a degree requirement, and the remaining 9%
needed to fulfill a Honors requirement.
Figure 4: Reasons for Choosing Specific Programs
Academic
Requirement
17%
22%
Honors Requirement
9%
32%
Goal 9
20%
Personal Enrichment
Degree Requirement
Duration of Study Abroad Programs
Study abroad programs ranged from one week to four weeks in duration. As Figure 5
shows, 41% of the trips that the survey respondents reported were four weeks, 35% of the trips
were two weeks, 21% were three weeks, and the remaining 3% were one week trips.
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Figure 5: Duration
36%
43%
2 weeks
21%
3 weeks
4 weeks
Use of Scales throughout the Survey
There were two different scales that were used throughout the survey. For the sake of
clarity, the subsequent sections will refer to the scales as they are labeled below:
Table 1: Scale 1
Scale 1
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Table 2: Scale 2
Scale 2
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Satisfaction with Information about Health and Safety Abroad
Scale 1 (Error! Reference source not found.1) was utilized for this question. As
Figure 6 shows, 52% of the survey respondents said that they strongly agreed, 41% said that
they agreed, and the remaining 7% said that they disagreed. (Figure 6)
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Figure 6: Satisfaction with Information about Health and Safety Abroad
7%
Agree
Disagree, 0%
Strongly Agree
41%
Strongly Disagree
52%
Niether Agree
nor Disagree,
0%
Niether Agree nor
Disagree
Disagree
Satisfaction with Information about Major Cultural and Religious
Differences Abroad
Scale 1 (Error! Reference source not found.1) was utilized for this question. As Figure 7
shows, 59% of the survey respondents said that they strongly agreed, 38% said that they agreed,
and the remaining 3% said that they disagreed.
Figure 7: Satisfaction with Information about Major Cultural and Religious Differences Abroad
Niether Agree
nor Disagree ,
0%
Agree
59%
Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree
38%
Disagree
Disagree, 0%
3%
Niether Agree nor
Disagree
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Satisfaction with Information about Pre-Trip Itinerary Prior to
Departure
Scale 1 (Error! Reference source not found.1) was utilized for this question. As Figure
8 shows, 59% of the survey respondents said that they strongly agreed, 34% of the survey
respondents said that they agreed, and the remaining 7% said that they neither agreed nor
disagreed.
Figure 8: Satisfaction with Information about Pre-Trip Itinerary Prior to Departure
Strongly
Disagree, 0%
Agree
Neither Agree nor
Disagree
34%
Strongly Agree
59%
Disagree
Disagree, 0%
7%
Strongly Disagree
Satisfaction with Information about Activities and Events of the Program
Scale 1 (Error! Reference source not found.1) was utilized for this question. As Figure
9 shows, 52% of the survey respondents said that they strongly agreed, 38% said that they
agreed, and the remaining 10% said that they neither agreed nor disagreed.
Figure 9: Satisfaction with Information about Activities and Events of the Program
Agree
Disagree, 0%
38%
52%
Neither Agree nor
Disagree
Strongly Agree
10%
Strongly
Disagree, 0%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
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Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements to Destination
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.1) was utilized for this question. As Figure
10 shows, 48% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 45% of the survey
respondents said that they were satisfied, 4% of the survey respondents said that they were
dissatisfied and the remaining 3% said that they were neutral on the topic.
Figure 10: Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements
4% 3%
Dissatisfied
48%
Neutral
45%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Very Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements Within Destination
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
11 shows, 45% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 45% said that they
were satisfied, 7% said that they were neutral on the topic and the remaining 3% said that they
were dissatisfied.
Figure 11: Satisfaction with Travel Arrangements Within Destination
3%
7%
Dissatisfied
45%
Neutral
45%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Very
Dissatisfied,
0%
Very Dissatisfied
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Satisfaction with Daily Meals
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
12 shows, 46% of the survey respondents said that they were satisfied, 36% said that they were
very satisfied, 11% said that they were neutral on the topic, 4% said that they were very
dissatisfied and the remaining 3% said that they were dissatisfied.
Figure 12: Satisfaction with Daily Meals
3%
11%
Dissatisfied
36%
Neutral
46%
4%
Satisfied
Very Dissatisfied
Very Satisfied
Satisfaction with Sleeping Arrangements
Scale 2 (Table 2) was utilized for this question. As Figure 13 shows, 48% of the survey
respondents said that they were satisfied, 31% said that they were very satisfied, 11% said that
they were dissatisfied, and the remaining 10% said that they were neutral on the topic.
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Figure 13: Satisfaction with Sleeping Arrangements
48%
Dissatisfied
Neutral
31%
10%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
11%
Very Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Learn Abroad
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
14 shows, 59% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 34% said that they
were satisfied, and the remaining 7% said that they were neutral on the topic.
Figure 14: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Learn Abroad
Very
Dissatisfied
0%
59%
Neutral
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
34%
Very Dissatisfied
7%
Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
0%
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
15 shows, 76% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 17% said that they
were satisfied, and the remaining 7% said that they were neutral on the topic.
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Figure 15: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Experience a Different Culture
Dissatisfied,
0%
Neutral
76%
17%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Dissatisfied
7%
Very Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Satisfaction with Opportunity to Interact with the Local Population
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
16 shows, 59% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 24 % said that they
were satisfied, 10% said that they were neutral on the topic, and the remaining 7% said that they
were dissatisfied.
Figure 16: Satisfaction with Opportunity to Interact with the Local Population
7%
10%
Dissatisfied
Neutral
59%
24%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Very Dissatisfied
Satisfaction with the Level of Interaction with Professor or Guide
Scale 3 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
17 shows, 66% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 17% said that they
were satisfied, 10% said that they were dissatisfied, and the remaining 3% said that they were
neutral on the topic.
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Figure 17: Satisfaction with the Level of Interaction with Professor or Guide
7%
10%
Dissatisfied
Neutral
24%
59%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Very Dissatisfied
Satisfaction with Overall Organization of the Program
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
18 shows, 45% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 45% said that they
were satisfied, and the remaining 10% said that they were neutral on the topic.
Figure 18: Satisfaction with Overall Organization of the Program
66%
Dissatisfied
Neutral
17%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
10%
Very Dissatisfied
7%
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experience of the Program
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Scale
was utilized
question. As
shows, 66%
respondents
were very
said that
satisfied,
remaining
they were
topic.
Dissatisfied,
0%
10%
Neutral
24%
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
66%
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Very Dissatisfied
2 (Table 2)
for this
Figure 19
of the survey
said that they
satisfied, 24%
they were
and the
10% said that
neutral on the
Figure 19: Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experience of the Program
Satisfaction with the Value of the Program Relative to the Price
Scale 2 (Error! Reference source not found.2) was utilized for this question. As Figure
20 shows, 48% of the survey respondents said that they were very satisfied, 35% said that they
were satisfied, 10% said that said that they were dissatisfied, and the remaining 7% said that they
were neutral on the topic.
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Figure 20: Satisfaction with the Value of the Program Relative to the Price
48%
35%
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Satisfied
10%
Very Satisfied
7%
Very Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied ,
0%
Overall Satisfaction Distribution of the Short-Term Programs
The total number of responses from each category has been tallied and organized by
connotation. The “Positive” category consisted of the total from the following responses:
“Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Very Satisfied”, and “Agree”. The “Neutral” category consisted of
the total from the “Neutral” and “Neither Agree nor Disagree” responses. Finally, the “Negative”
category consisted of the total from the “Strongly Disagree”, “Dissatisfied” and “Very
Dissatisfied” responses. As Figure 21 shows, the results were very positive:, 89% of the survey
respondents gave positive responses, 7% gave neutral responses, and the remaining 4% gave
negative responses.
Figure 21: Satisfaction Distribution - Negative, Neutral, and Positive
4%
7%
Negative
Neutral
89%
Positive
Conclusion
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It is evident from analyzing the survey that most of the survey respondents were very
pleased with their overall study abroad experience in 2012. It was especially apparent in the
comments section, where survey respondents thanked their professors for changing their
perspective on life and raved about their unique experiences such as riding elephants in Thailand,
the ability to teach in Ireland, and riding camels in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Whether their
trips were only one week long or a whole month, studying abroad has provided the survey
respondents of Longwood with unforgettable memories and life-changing experiences.
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