The Relationship between International Student Teaching Experience and Students’ Transition to Full-Time Teaching.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Over the past 60 years, universities have expanded internationalization and diversity efforts. This includes developing and extending study abroad and internship abroad programs in their teacher education programs. According to a number of outlets, investment of time and energy into such initiatives is not only important, it is critical as universities' investment in international initiatives are believed to broaden universities' reach, better prepare graduates to participate in the global economy, and develop better relations with others within and outside the United States. However, despite the benefits suggested of international student teaching programs or other internationalization initiatives, questions remain as to who participates in international student teaching and the extent to which participation in international student teaching influences students' transition into full-time teaching positions. To answer these questions, this study uses data from a large, Midwestern university to first estimate students' propensity to participate in the university's international student teaching program through comparison of students who participated in the international student teaching program between Fall 2005 and Spring 2009 against their peers who did not participate in the international student teaching program. This comparison uses logistic regression to control for a variety of factors believed to influence students’ participation including students' age, race, gender, and other pre-college characteristics; their socioeconomic status; and their GPA, major, and other in-college experiences. According to these analyses, participation in international student teaching is not random as students’ gender and academic major are significant predictors of participation or not participating in international student teaching. The study then uses the results of these logistic regressions to estimate students’ propensity to participate in international student teaching to then explore the extent to which international student teaching participation influences graduates' later employment as a teacher. Controlling for factors that influence students’ propensity to participate in international student teaching, international student teaching does not appear to significantly influence students' transition into full-time teaching positions. Limitations of this study and opportunities for additional research are also addressed.