“If it makes you happy … it can’t be that bad” An explanatory study of participant wellbeing during international exchange

Authors

  • Timo Homburg
  • Vincent Homburg Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Department of Public Administration and Sociology PO Box 1738 NL3000 DR Rotterdam The Netherlands

Keywords:

international exchange, cultural distance, student exchange, wellbeing

Abstract

This study reports on adolescents’ experiences as exchange students in an international exchange program. Based on a literature review and multivariate analysis of original on-line survey data collected from 408 students from 40 countries that had spent a year in one out of 37 destinations, it is concluded that the student’s language proficiency and perceived social support during the exchange impacted students’ wellbeing during the exchange, while cultural distance between the student’s home country and destination nor the student’s adventurousness as a personality trait had an impact. It is concluded that the students’ social support and ability to interact during the exchange play an important role in enabling exchange students to reap the benefits of international and intercultural exchange in their formative years. 

Author Biographies

  • Timo Homburg

    Student at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

  • Vincent Homburg, Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Department of Public Administration and Sociology PO Box 1738 NL3000 DR Rotterdam The Netherlands
    Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration and Sociology

Downloads

Published

2021-09-13

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2021)

Section

General Refereed Papers

License

The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives is the official journal of the Oceania Comparative and International Education Society. The IEJ, (ISSN 1443-1475), publishes a general volume bi-annually in July and December and also publishes Special Editions occasionally. It is a free, open-access scholarly journal, managed by volunteers. There are no article processing charges, or any charges to authors.

In relation to intellectual property, as of 2020, the IEJ: CP claims only first publication rights; copyright of all work published in the journal remains with the authors under Creative Commons copyright license CC-BY-ND (4.0). Author(s) retain all rights to their works, ensuring that reference to the International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives is clearly stated on any copies made or distribution. Submissions must not involve third parties with a claim to copyright, and be the sole work of the author(s). It is the responsibility of the author(s) to secure permission to reproduce photographs, illustrations, figures or tables. Single images, tables or figures can be re-used . If more than a single image or table are to be re-used authors must attribute first publication to IEJ: CP notify the IEJ: CP Editor. Authors may also make derivative works which are subject to these limitations.

See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ for more detail.

Re-distributed or used material must be referenced to the International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives.