Exploring Specialized Short-Term Study Abroad: Expectations and Anxieties of Japanese University Students in Early Childhood Education

要旨

<jats:p>This study examines the expectations and anxieties of Japanese university students who participated in a three-week early childhood education internship in New Zealand. Based on quantitative and qualitative survey data, this study examined changes in students’ perceptions of affective, cultural, and linguistic factors related to English learning before and after the program. Before the program, students expressed strong expectations for improving their language skills, developing specialized skills, and learning about the culture, but they also worried about their limited English proficiency and their ability to adapt to the specialized environment abroad. According to the results of the survey, students reported growth in interpersonal skills, patience, and self-reflection, despite a slight decrease in expectations for language skills and specialized skills. Open-ended responses indicated that meaningful experiences, such as interacting with children and observing local teachers’ teaching methods, reconstructed the students’ perspectives on education and their understanding of personal growth. These findings suggest that short-term specialized study abroad programs have the potential to cultivate resilience, cross-cultural adaptability, and the development of professional identity beyond language acquisition.</jats:p>