Study Abroad and Intercultural Sensitivity: A Meta-Analysis of Program-Level Moderators

A meta-analysis has been conducted concerning study abroad (SA) opportunities and the growth of university students’ intercultural sensitivity. This study extends Burrow’s (2019) meta-analysis, which found that study abroad opportunities had a positive effect. For this review, 22 studies with a total sample size of 1,728 university students were analyzed, and it is grounded in the Bennett Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is used in conjunction with DMIS to assess changes in individuals’ intercultural sensitivity levels. This meta-analysis focused on how moderators of time abroad, destination, immersion style, and program type, correlated with student’s intercultural sensitivity. The strongest correlations are observed among time spent abroad, studying outside of Europe, and programs that offer varied activities and opportunities for valuable intercultural sensitivity. Negative correlations indicative of an ethnocentric disposition were found in programs led by the faculty of the sending institutions and in mixed programs. At the conclusion of the study, actionable suggestions and directions for future research are presented.