Logic Model

Below is a graphical depiction of the inputs, outputs, and intended outcomes of the

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad project in 2018. Funding permitted Dr. Jin to recruit and

invite twelve teachers from around the US to travel with her to China to learn more about

China’s role in the 21st century, observe Chinese students and faculty in schools, and visit

specific cultural and historical sites. The intention is to enhance teachers’ experience with travel

abroad so they may enhance their lesson planning and instruction with specific learning and

experiences from their trips. The scope of this evaluation is limited to short term outcomes only.

Outputs Outcomes -- Impact

Inputs
Activities Participation Short Medium Long
 F-H Grant  Orientation 12 participants Increased Translation of Students of
funding  Online attended intercultural China trip participants
 Curriculum modules orientation and sensitivity to experiences into obtain deep
 Staffing  Reading traveled to lives of Chinese instructional plans and accurate
materials China people (ICCS) (Evaluation understanding
 Trip to
survey) of China’s
China Improved role in
knowledge of Improved lesson trade/politics
modern Chinese plans informed by and an
history and role vivid, first -hand appreciation
in global trade knowledge of for Chinese
and politics their instructor culture and
(POKS) people.
Positive
experience with
preparation,
visit, and return
for all
participants
(Evaluation
Survey)
Measures

ICCS. The Inventory of Cross-Cultural Sensitivity is a 32 item measure developed by

Cushner (1986) to assess competencies in global citizenship and multicultural awareness. The

measure was developed with multiple goals in mind (formative or summative assessment),

including as a pre-post measure of intervention effectiveness (Mahon & Cushner, 2014). For this

evaluation it was administered by email to all twelve participants prior to leaving for their trip

and again following their return.

POKS. The Pre-Orientation (and Post-Orientation) Knowledge Survey (POKS) was

developed for the purposes of this project to identify specific categories of prior knowledge

participants had about China and then after responding to the survey after the trip, learn what

they believed they learned about. The intention was to have participants explain in detail what

they knew before leaving for China and what they learned during the trip. There are twelve

questions on the POKS students completed prior to the trip and eleven post-trip. A comparison of

pre and post-knowledge will help understand the overall effect of the program, but also show

participants’ differences in prior knowledge and learning from the trip.

Evaluation. Because the program is ongoing, Dr. Jin is very interested in understanding

what elements of the program work well and which ones may need modification. An eighteen

item evaluation survey was developed for the purposes of the program to collect participants

feedback on their experience. Participants responses to three aspects of the experience; Pre-trip

orientation (three questions), Immersion (twelve questions), and Post-trip experience (three

questions) were obtained at the same time the post-trip ICCS and POKS were requested.
Findings

ICCS. One participant skipped two items on the pre-trip ICCS and one on the post-trip

ICCS. Another skipped one item on the pre-trip ICCS. Median item responses for both cases

were imputed for the three missing data points. One item (q9) had no variance on the pretest and

was dropped from the total score computation and two had this problem on the post-trip ICCS

(q8 and q21). These items were:

Pretest

9. Culturally mixed marriages are wrong

Posttest

8. It is better that people from other cultures avoid one another

21. Residential neighborhoods should be culturally separated

All twelve respondents strongly disagreed with item 9 at the pre-test and items 8 and 21

at the post-test. Items 9, 21 underwent major modifications in the recent update of the ICCS.

Because retaining these items would add a constant to each total score but no variance, these

three items were dropped from the total score computation at both assessment times. These items

were revised in updates of the ICCS (Mahon & Cushner, 2014). For this reason, the pre-trip

ICCS and the post-trip ICCS scores are based on 29 instead of 32 items. Total scores were

computed as the averages of the remaining items; 5.3 (SD = 0.6) and 5.4 (SD = 0.6) for pre- and

post-trip means respectively (Table 1). A paired-group t-test was conducted on the pre- and post-

trip total ICCS scores which revealed that the difference between the two means was not

significant, t(11) = 0.56; p = 0.59.

Table 1.

Participant Mean ICCS Scores and Means

ID Pre Post Difference

101 5.8 5.7 0.1

102 4.7 5.0 -0.3
103 5.2 5.7 -0.5
104 5.5 4.6 0.9
105 6.3 6.3 -0.1
106 5.3 4.4 0.9
107 5.4 5.6 -0.1
108 5.4 5.4 0
109 5.4 5.1 0.3
110 6.0 5.4 0.6
111 4.1 4.6 -0.4
112 5.3 5.8 -0.4
M (SD) M (SD) M (SD)
Total 5.3 (0.6) 5.4 (0.6) 0.08 (0.5)

Interestingly, half (n = 6) of participants’ ICCS scores decreased by at least 0.1 unit from

pre-trip to post-trip. An inspection of individual item responses may help reveal particular item

attitude changes for participants. Participant difference scores from pre-trip to post-trip were

computed for each item. Then these differences were displayed in a heatmap (Figure 1) with

items making up the rows, participants making up the columns, and large differences in either

positive or negative direction are shown as a dark color in the interior. The graphical depiction

shows particular items and specific participants that reported large changes in scores. Using the

principal of maximal variation sampling, participants who reported large changes in attitude can

be identified. A closer look at their evaluation responses may help identify factors associated
with attitude change. Moreover, specific items that tend to register changes in attitudes can be

identified and considered for common features.

Figure 1.

Heatmap of Difference Scores

An inspection of the heatmap shows that participants 103, 104, 106, and 111 reported

multiple large changes across several items. These participants were also happened to be those
whose total ICCS scores changed the most from pre-trip to post. Their responses to items on

which they changed the most are shown in Table 2.

Table 2

Selected Item Responses from Participants Whose Item Differences Exceeded Two Units

ID Item Pre-trip Post-trip Favorable attitude

Score Score change
103 Q10 “I think people are basically alike” 2 6 +
103 Q13 “It makes me nervous to talk to people from other cultures” 1 6
103 Q19 “I feel uncomfortable when in a crowd of people” 2 6
103 Q29 “I read more national news than international news in the daily 5 1 +
newspaper”
103 Q30 “Crowds of foreigners frighten me” 1 7
103 Q6 “I can not eat with chopsticks” 1 7
104 Q10 “I think people are basically alike” 6 3
104 Q11 “I have never lived outside my own culture for any great length of time” 7 2 +
104 Q14 “I enjoy studying about people from other cultures” 7 1
104 Q19 “I feel uncomfortable when in a crowd of people” 5 1 +
104 Q27 “There should be tighter controls on the number of immigrants allowed 5 2 +
into my country”
104 Q4 “Foreign influence in our country threatens our national identity” 5 2 +
104 Q7 “I avoid people who are different from me” 6 1 +
106 Q19 “I feel uncomfortable when in a crowd of people” 5 2 +
106 Q23 “I dislike eating foods from other cultures” 7 1 +
106 Q24 “I think about living within another culture in the future” 1 6 +
106 Q6 “I can not eat with chopsticks” 7 2 +
111 Q15 “People from other cultures do things differently because they do not 1 4
know any other way”
111 Q23 “I dislike eating foods from other cultures” 1 5 +
111 Q24 “I think about living within another culture in the future” 4 1
111 Q26 “I like to discuss issues with people from other cultures” 1 6 +
111 Q27 “There should be tighter controls on the number of immigrants allowed 1 4
into my country”
111 Q29 “I read more national news than international news in the daily 1 7
newspaper”
Note: 1 = strongly disagree 7 = strongly agree

The table shows that participants 103 and 111 became less favorable about intercultural

sensitivity, whereas participants 104 and 106 reported more favorable attitudes after the trip.

Each of these participants’ trip evaluation responses were reviewed to see if any pattern of

evaluation response could be associated with changing attitudes.

Participant 104 was generally satisfied with the preparation prior to leaving, was

delighted and moved by his experiences on the trip, and had detailed plans for outreach on his

return. He had this to say about his most memorable moment and favorite parts of the trip:
 “There was no one shining moment for me. This is a question I am asked often. There

were different aspects that really impressed me. I enjoyed discussions with teachers from China.

Really the best knowledge is when you are allowed to dialogue with another person. It was

absolutely heart-warming to meet students as well. The talk at the embassy was awesome. I

believe it was because of the incredible speaker, and the information she shared. The Great Wall,

the Wall of Xian, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, The Giant Buddha, The River Cruise, The

Broadway style show "Railway to Tibet", acrobat show and Song Dynasty Dance show, (Shows

are awesome). The temples and museums were great, especially the small and specific ones like

the Jewish-Shanghai Museum, Irrigation Town, the Liquor City, and the Propaganda Museum.

The trip was simply one amazing experience after another. I am sorry, but the itinerary was

absolutely perfect. Pandas, Terra Cotta warriors, Hong Kong, etc.”

Participant 106 wrote that she wished the preparation would have been more organized

and included information on day to day interactions with people. She also had planned three

outreach activities, including a regional conference presentation. However, like Participant 104,

she too was also delighted by particular excursions and found them very meaningful:

“I was completely impressed with the Great Wall. As I mentioned to some people, I was

worried that it would be an anti-climactic experience. Pictures that we see all of our lives are

magnificent but sometimes in real life can be less than stellar. This was not the case with the

Great Wall. There really was a sense of awe. The site we visited was beautifully surrounded with

wilderness and a river. The landscape and the breath of the Wall really helped me put into

perspective what a massive undertaking building the Wall must have been. …I fell in love with

Repulse Bay in Hong Kong. A small group of us visited the beach on our last day in China and

our only day off in Hong Kong. The beach was beautiful as well as the Bay and surrounding

visuals. Swimming in the South China Sea was amazing. I stopped several times to verbalize to

the group how lucky and wonderful we were to be where there. While this particular experience

may not have been historically or culturally significant, it was a moment that I could stop and
 truly appreciate being selected for the trip, traveling for five weeks in China, and ending it in one

of the most relaxing, beautiful places in the world.”

Participant 103 was generally satisfied with the preparation for the trip and was grateful

for Dr. Jin’s help during the orientation period. She had more focused favorite elements of the

trip than participants 104 and 106, but like them, had several detailed outreach plans including

presenting at a regional conference. She wrote this about her most memorable moments and

favorite places:

“Seeing Railway to Tibet (modern dance show in Beijing)--a beautiful work of art that

was deeply laced with propaganda, particularly around issues of ethnicity and minority rights,

which was very interesting and thought-provoking…I really enjoyed all of Sichuan province; I

liked the spicy food, I enjoyed being in an area that was somewhat less crowded, and I liked our

activities: seeing Chengdu, some scenic areas, going to a panda research center, etc. I think I

knew less about what to expect in Sichuan, and liked that it was so different from Beijing,

Shanghai, and Xi’an (our three previous stops). ”

Participant 111 was somewhat critical of the orientation experience, reported a narrow set

of memorable/favorable experiences, and had detailed plans for outreach to include his school

colleagues and students, alumni from his university, pre-service teachers he works with, and

friends. He had several suggestions for improving the orientation experience. First, he claimed

the online orientation did not occur and felt unprepared by emailed materials sent in place of the

online experience. Second, he suggested the orientation include language terms, customs, and

past participants’ suggestions for what to pack and do while on the trip. Third, he believed that

the content of the online experience should focus on specific provinces and be more inclusive

beyond high school curriculum to include middle-school. When asked about his most memorable

moment and favorite place he said this:

 “Being able to find resources at the Shanghai Museum Gift Shop that were in English….

XiAn due to the greenery of the city and great hotel and TerraCotta Warriors”

He felt that not all of the presenters during the trip were prepared and would have liked

more than two debriefing sessions.

These four participants’ ICCS responses seem to indicate two different sets of

experiences: one a movement toward more favorable attitudes about intercultural sensitivity (104

and 106) and the other characterized by movement toward unfavorable attitudes (103 and 111).

The former group enthusiastically endorsed the trip and described multiple highlights whereas

the latter group identified a much smaller set of experiences they found enjoyable and

meaningful. Satisfaction with the orientation did not distinguish the groups since a mix of

general satisfaction and a desire for a more focused and organized experience was found among

them. Nor were the planned outreach activities informative about the ICCS changes, since all

four of these participants planned several specific activities to different audiences including

students and colleagues. Although the association between the subjective experience of the

excursions and change in cultural sensitivity attitudes seems clear, the causal nature of this

relationship is unclear.

An inspection of the items (horizontal rows of the heatmap) shows that at 80% of the

twelve participants reported change on the following items

2. The way other people express themselves is very interesting to me

6. I can not eat with chopsticks
15. People from other cultures do things differently because they do not know any other way
24. I think about living within another culture in the future
29. I read more national news than international news in the daily newspaper
 31. When something newsworthy happens I seek out someone from that part of the world to discuss the
issue with

These items may be more sensitive than others in detecting attitudinal changes these

participants experienced on this trip. It is interesting to note that four of the six imply

interpersonal contexts for attitude change (others’ expressing themselves, beliefs about others,

living in another culture, and seeking out others for conversation), and even skill eating with

chopsticks is somewhat connected to interacting in social settings.

POKS. Prior to leaving, participants identified news sources, their own teaching

materials, and prior experiences including trips or friends as sources of information about China.

After returning, participants credited the trip with providing sources of information—visits,

books, and conversations with colleagues and hosts as additional sources of information.

Almost all participants felt that they were weakest in their knowledge of modern Chinese

politics or society and wanted to learn more about them. Two participants were more interested

in understanding more about Chinese history than the present. Most all explicitly wrote they had

much better understanding of modern China as a consequence of the trip. Four participants

emphasized that Chinese regional/ethnic differences were now more salient to them.

“I have a much better understanding of 20th century China (including major events and

the changes that have taken place). I also better understand the culture and day-to-day living

standards of Chinese people.”

“I feel like I better understand where China is developmentally as a country and what

that looks like. I understand more about China’s cultural differences and where those differences

come from”

“I that having seen China first hand I have a much stronger appreciation of… regional

differences and how that[sic] impact both people on a personal level and how they function in

terms of China’s national economy and power structure.”

 Participants had a general understanding that some ethnic or religious diversity must exist

in China based on their prior reading or experiences. More than half knew that Han was a

majority ethnicity. As a result of the visit, participants knew in much more detail what and how

many specific ethnicities existed and expressed curiosity and sympathy for minority groups in

China. Two participants expressed their impressions with anecdotes about how their hosts

viewed ethnic minorities.

“Several of our tour guides pointed out Uighur people to us, noting that ‘they don’t look

like us.’”

One tour guide pointed at a person and said, “‘See him. He looks different from me.

He’s a minority.’”

Manufacturing, trade and economic reforms were mentioned as factors in economic

development. Environmental stewardship, population density, and human rights issues were

identified as domestic challenges before their trip. After their visit, several participants believed

that China’s use of limited capitalism within an autocratic government has resulted in rapid

economic growth. The trip increased participants’ sensitivities to specific kinds of challenges

individuals face in China: moving between provinces to seek employment is difficult, the

population is aging, wealth inequality, and recent economic growth may not be sustainable result

in unrest.

Participants were asked about their views of the Chinese people and how they believed

the Chinese viewed people from the US. Before the trip participants acknowledged they held

popular assumptions that the Chinese people are hard workers, socially conservative, and

collectivist. However, many participants acknowledged that people are different everywhere and

were open-minded and enthusiastic about learning from meeting Chinese people what they
thought of Americans. A few believed that the Chinese viewed us with some skepticism but

valued us as a country as trade partners. The majority of participants were grateful for how

warmly they were received by their hosts, commending their friendliness and hospitality. Several

remarked at the positive views of US citizens they detected while in China.

“[T]he Chinese people we met were incredibly nice and eager to be as hospitable as

possible.”

“The trade war was beginning and I felt no hostility. Instead, it’s a country of people

wearing shirts with latin characters, trying to like coffee, opening craft breweries, etc.”

“People were very friendly and helpful to me as a traveler. I have positive feelings for

the Chinese people. When I would watch children with their parents, it felt like watching any

family I might encounter at home. People, on some level, are the same everywhere.”

“The Chinese people we met were all very complimentary of the US, including President

Trump, which came as a surprise to most of our group.”

Participants acknowledged awareness of communist government principles with elements

of free trade/capitalist policies and authoritarian rule when asked what they thought of the

Chinese government before their trips. These descriptions were not changed in their post-trip

reflections, but were animated by stories of specific people they had met

“It seems that the [communist] party is legitimately open to all Chinese citizens but the

amount of studying and dedication starting early in public schools would make it difficult for

anyone below the middle class to realistically move up”

“Often, we heard Chinese offhandedly rationalize the government system through

statements like, ‘oh well at least it is more efficient this way.’”

“…balancing the needs of the people, social order, economics, and government

leadership is a messy balancing act. I saw indicators of positive change in China.”

 “I was amazed at the amount of surveillance and how often we were asked for our

passports to be checked at tourist attractions, hotels, train stations, etc. I think the only time I saw

someone challenge the power structure at all was once when our bus driver refused to move the

bus when a parking attendant demanded he exit the parking lot, otherwise people seemed to tow

the line. The political system seems incredibly inflexible and dictatorial.”

Similarly, when asked about Chinese religion prior to the trip, most participants

expressed little more knowledge other than Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were

important influences. Post-trip responses were informed by observations of practices among

people they met:

“…it seemed that many Chinese would fall into the American ‘lapsed-Catholic’

stereotype of not being a diehard practitioner of the religion, but definitely having some more

generalized unspoken believe [sic]in the religion.”

“it was evident many people believed in some form of Buddhism or Daoism by the

number of Chinese visitors that not only visited religious sites but were worshipping and

praying.”

“I was surprised to learn that about 80% of Chinese people identify as atheist, as many

of their beliefs surrounding worldly affairs center around Confucianism”

“Despite official statistics, there is a thriving Buddhist culture. China also is home to a

minority Muslim population.”

“there is a constant religious presence. Every temple we visited, be it Buddhist, Daoist,

or Confucianist, had a large presence of worshipers/adherents.”

“I understand the basic premises of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, and this trip

has helped me see how facets of each are lived out in daily life. I observed that people were more

active in their faith life than I had anticipated, but also many people promoted their belief in

atheism.”
 Participants generally explained they knew little about education in China except what

popular views they had encountered such as that the Chinese educational system is rigorous,

competitive, emphasizes test performance, values educational achievement, and demands respect

for teachers. Responses were unsurprisingly filtered through comparisons to their impressions of

US educational practices, but were informed by direct experiences with students and teachers

during their visit. They noticed how hard teachers and students worked,

“They are the hardest working kids and nicest teachers I have ever met.”

“The amount of time Chinese students spend in school is extreme. We were told that the

average student comes to school at 8:00ish to well into the evening. Teachers don’t leave until

10:30pm.”

“Students take about 10 classes a day. The core courses are Chinese, English, and Math.

Students also, often, attend an afterschool program that includes more teaching after school and

on breaks. Teachers teach about 3 or 4 classes a day. A typical class may have 60 students in it.

Students rarely raise their hand or volunteer answers. The instruction is very teacher-centered.

Student scores are posted for the entire school (and sometimes on the street for the entire

community) to see. Students have considerable amounts of homework each day.”

“Teachers seem to teach fewer classes, but with more students in each class. They teach

for fewer hours each day, but have more hours of work overall due to responsibilities such as

grading papers or meeting with parents.”

And how influential testing is on achievement:

“[the schools we observed] rested almost exclusively on test-driven, teacher-centered,

lecture classrooms that saw education as the passing on of facts from teacher to student. However,

it was interesting to see that the most experimental and forward thinking schools were trying very

hard to get away from this style,”

 “Focus is on doing well on exams and little else, though most of the teachers we met

were interested in and concerned for their students’ well-being outside of just test scores.”

“it was evident that the Chinese education system and students place a greater emphasis

on academic growth than that of social and emotional growth.”

“Students and teachers were both extremely anxious about performance on standardized

tests; right/wrong answers tended to dominate while open ended questions were far less

common.”

When asked about what more they would like to learn about China through the program,

many were interested in learning about the educational system in China, and a few expressed

interest in learning about how Chinese historical events influenced modern perceptions.

Although two participants expressed continued interest in learning more about Chinese history,

half of the participants wished to learn more about how immigrants and minorities are treated in

China.

POKS Summary. A theme that runs through these participants’ comments captured

before and after their China trip is a change from abstract ideas to concrete ones, from

knowledge of institutions to sensitivity toward people, from generalities to specifics. A second is

an awareness of the role China plays in the 21st century. A final theme is the awareness

participants developed about how teachers and students in China are work to provide and obtain

good educational opportunities.

Evaluation: Online materials. Half of participants felt prepared by the online modules.

Two said that there were technical difficulties with the online portion and one admitted that s/he

was not able to get through it due to other obligations. Participants had different opinions about

what was helpful but four participants believed the One Belt One Road module was the most
valuable. Four participants felt the extent of materials available on the online module could be

reduced, three specifically mentioned the number of readings could be reduced. Participants were

asked what books they had read were most helpful in orienting them to China and their trip.

Although five books in particular were mentioned several times, there were many unique

recommendations, books and other resources, so a list of sources recommended by participants is

provided here in alphabetical order.

Table 2

Participant-recommended Books and Other Materials for Visiting China

Book/Resource Recommended Number of

Recommendations
Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos 1
AMSCO preparing for the AP World History Exam 1
Ancient China (Tales of the Dead) by Stewart Ross 1
BBC Story of China 1
BBC Wild China 1
Boxers and Saints by Luen Yang. 1
Catalog of Modern Chinese Poster Collection (Cold War Propaganda) 5
China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know 1
China’s Cosmopolitan Empire, by Mark Edward Lewis 1
Chinese Mythology by Matt Clayton 1
Cultural Encounters on China’s Ethnic Frontiers, by Stevan Harrell 1
Discover China Through Maps 1
Early Times: The Story of Ancient China by Suzanne Strauss Art 1
Factory Girls by Leslie F. Chang 2
Familiar Strangers, a History of Muslims in Northwest China by Jonathan Lipman 1
Foot binding shoes 1
Generalissimo by Jan Taylor 1
Intriguing Chinese Culture 1 and 2 1
Jewish Refugees in Shanghai from Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2
Journey to the West 1
Manchus and Han, Ethnic Relations and Political Power in the Late Qing and Early 1
Republic Period by Edward J.M. Rhodes
Mao: The Untold Story by Jung Chang 1
Modern Chinese History 1
Red China Blues by Jan Wong 1
Terra Cotta Warriors by John May 2
The Forbidden City; a Short History and Guide by Anthony White 1
The History and Civilization of China 1
The History of China in 50 Events by Henry Freeman 1
The Private Life of Chairman Mao by Li Zhisui 1
Wild Swans by Jung Chang 6
 Several participants would have liked more detail about the trip (logistics, what to pack,

places they were visiting, past participants’ experiences). Two participants wished they could

have been better prepared for specific things like what day to day interactions would be like or

what to expect with their accommodations.

Evaluation: Immersion. Participants were split on what they found most memorable

about their visit. Four found the Railway to Tibet performance remarkable and four others were

most appreciative of the visit to the Great Wall. Other memorable moments included hotpot

dinner in Chongqing, getting to know colleagues on the same trip, and the people and students in

China. Participants had different favorite destinations (Hong Kong, Sichuan, Xian, Chengdu,

etc.), but common reasons for them: half liked their favorite stop for the food, and another six

claimed the scenery made their favorite place special. Tea drinking and specific foods were

elements most participants said they had brought back with them an incorporated into their lives

in the US. When asked what they would like to see if they were to return to China, Nanjing,

Tibet, Three Gorges Dam, Inner Mongolia, the North Korean border, and western China were

common destinations for reasons of historical and cultural learning.

Another way to understand how the teachers came to learn more about China during their

visit was to ask them who their favorite Chinese historical figure was and why. Many mentioned

Mao Ze Dong and President Xi but a common reason for selection of their choice was how that

figure influenced China in the 21st century. When asked about similarities and differences

between China and US culture, there was notable divergence of opinion on similarities (two

mentioned individualism and technology). However, six of the twelve participants felt that

attitudes toward personal space and spending time in crowds was very different than in the US.

Two others noted favorably the differences in how Chinese people value their families and the
elderly. Two participants made specific mention of Chinese work ethic with respect to education

and feel motivated to encourage harder work with their students.

How did participants perceive China after their visits, and how would those perceptions

influence their teaching? Asked how they would describe China to someone who had not been

before, participants described diversity among the people, the physical size and large population

of the country, the juxtaposition of modern and ancient culture, and similar effects of

modernization as in the US as distinguishing characteristics. These ideas are related to

participants’ own changed impressions in that many participants came away believing that China

was much more modern, developed, and open than they had expected before their visit. But

although there were additional personal changes in impressions, half of the participants explicitly

remarked that the experience had enhanced their understanding of China and its people (e.g.,

“deepened”, “rounded out”, “perspective…changed greatly”, “was amazed by”) implying they

had had a significant learning experience. The majority of participants believed that their trip

improved their understanding and confidence about the history and culture of China but were

unspecific about how this translated into specific teaching practices. Two participants explained

that “voices” of the Chinese people would be better represented in their teaching because of their

personal encounters with Chinese people. Still another believed that she had improved sensitivity

for Chinese students who enroll in her classes in the US.

Were the accommodations and materials satisfactory? Participants approved of the meals

highly (e.g., “great”, “phenomenal”, “incredible”), and were quite satisfied with the

accommodations and travel arrangements. Two participants specifically mentioned the quality of

the excursions, and one expressed his appreciation for Dr. Jin’s guidance. There were no

unanimously shared concerns about the travel, however there were three concerns expressed by
at least some participants: the pacing seemed too fast especially near the end of the trip, food

choices were limited, and shopping-oriented excursions were tiresome. Two participants were

disturbed by the visit to the Miao Village due to depictions of Chinese ethnic minorities.

Participants were generally satisfied with the lectures and meetings. Two participants expressed

gratitude at Dr. Jin’s guidance and two others found the curriculum-focused discussions

especially interesting. Just as was the case for the travel arrangements, there was no unanimity in

what elements of the materials participants would liked to have been different. Two participants

felt that one lecture investing in China was off-topic, two wished they could have presented

something about US schools to their Chinese teacher counterparts, and two wished there were

more debriefing sessions, or that they were sequenced differently (e.g., mid-point debriefing

about reactions to returning and final de-briefing on lesson planning).

Evaluation: Post-trip experience. Five participants found the online workshops helpful,

one said she was not able to work on them as much as she would liked to, one found them

unhelpful, but three participants did not appear to know what was meant by online workshops.

Only two participants mentioned specific program elements they thought should certainly be

continued in the future (discussion forms and the pacing at the end of the trip). Three participants

were very satisfied with their overall experience; one said she was telling colleagues about the

opportunity and the other suggested the program be more extensively advertised so other

teachers could attend. In addition to these positive experiences, there were also specific

suggestions for modifications. Several participants felt that the pre-trip class and orientation were

not relevant and the readings unhelpful. Two felt there was too much material in the orientation

experiences. Two participants expressed a wish for more interaction and artifact sharing among

themselves.
 Evaluation Summary. Participants were mixed in their impressions of the orientation

materials: some were satisfied, others wished for shorter or more organized materials. Learning

about other Fullbright-Hays participants’ experiences in China, what to pack and how to manage

day to day would have been welcome. Most participants were enthusiastic about their immersion

experience, with great appreciation for the cultural significance, natural beauty, and personal

relationships during their stay. A few expressed dismay at visits that included shopping or

surprise at the portrayal of ethnic minorities at certain destinations. Several participants wished

they could have learned more about what the lives of people from different ethnic minorities are

like in China.

Outreach activities. In terms future outreach plans, most participants had several

activities arranged. They are summarized in Table 3. Most commonly, participants planned or

had already completed presentations to their departments and districts. But, three had planned

specific lessons for students, two planned to write articles, and two more intended to present at a

regional conference.

Table 3

Participant Outreach Plans

Who What When Where How Estimated/actual

number of
participants

Teachers AP World lessons Online Google Drive 5000 teachers

Students AP World lessons Online District 7000 students
website
Students AP World lessons Online School 50 students
website

Social Studies teachers Fulbright-Hays-Hays trip Pre-school 40 teachers

information professional
development
Students and teachers 6th grade lesson plan 20 teachers,
(Webquest on unknown number
Confucianism, Legalism, of students
Daoism)
Social studies teachers 2019 NCSS conference Panel Hundreds of
panel presentation teachers

Social studies teachers 20th century Chinese County Back to Two 20-30 teachers each
history workshops School Curriculum workshops workshop
workshops
Social studies and special Trip sharing Department meeting Sharing 12-15 teachers
education teachers materials
Teachers and staff Chinese education system 10/18 County in-service Face to face
presentation and day presentation
implications for teaching
Chinese-American students

Teachers Trip sharing 8/18 School Face to face 5 teachers

presentation
Teachers Outreach presentation 11/18 Regional conference Face to face 20-125 teachers
presentation

Social studies teachers 8/18 School Bi-weekly 8 teachers

(PLC) curriculum
meetings
Social studies teachers 10/18 School Cross-district 10 teachers
(District) professional
development
Social studies teachers 2019 NCSS presentation Conference
(NCSS) presentation

Modern World/AP World Powerpoints/lessons

colleagues
Teachers County/district
Social studies teachers 2019 NCSS presentation
(NCSS)

Students, staff, school Display case presentation School Display case 800 students
visitors on program
County employees Cultural Immersion School district Online
Experience webpage website
School staff Cultural Immersion School Face to face
presentation presentation

Alumni Alumni newsletter article Alumni newsletter, Article

about Fulbright-Hays Phi Delta Kappa
experience newsletter, TOP
teacher newsletter
Friends/family/colleagues Trip sharing Email, Facebook Pictures, gifts,
posts, party for food
friends and family,
Asian Pacific Month
Evening event at
school
Pre-service teachers Presentation UMBC methods Face to face
course presentation

Teachers Presentation Department 15

Social studies resource Presentation 9/18 County
teachers

School staff Professional development, 8/18 School Face to face

promote Fulbright-Hays- presentation
Hays program
Department staff Trip sharing 8/18 (and Department Face to face
monthly) presentation
School students/staff Assembly to promote travel School Face to face
abroad presentation

District teachers Outreach presentation on County/district Face to face 120 teachers

Fulbright-Hays program presentation
 School staff Modern World History Online Schoology 16 teachers
online module (LMS)
DBQ Professional development School 16 teachers
presentation on AP
Question writing about 15th
century economics in
China and Europe

Home Campus Social Discussion of Modern 8/13/18 East View High Informal 8
Studies & Language Arts China relating to High School Discussions
Teachers School Curriculum
Secondary Teachers Using Blended Learning to 8/14/18 East View High In-Service 14
Explore China School Workshop
Texas Social Studies Digital Dragon: Teaching 10/12/18 Texas Council for Conference ~45
Educators About China with Blended the Social Studies Workshop
Learning Conference in
Houston, Texas
Texas Social Studies Annotated Bibliography for 10/12/18 Distributed at TCSS In-Service & ~545
Educators Social Studies Educators Conference and La On-Line
Estrella article Publication
Texas Social Studies Dimensions of China Submitted Article in La Estrella On-Line ~500
Educators by 1/1/19 (TCSS professional Publication
journal)
Social Studies Educators Dimensions of China Panel 11/22- National Council for Conference ~25-75
Discussion 24/18 the Social Studies Panel
Conference Discussion
High School Students, Dimensions of China Photo 12/3-21/18 East View High Exhibit Photos ~1800
Faculty, Parents, Staff Essay School Library from Study
Tour

Virtually all participants intended to present materials related to their trip to school

colleagues, and most had plans to offer something to students or to their district colleagues. A

few planned presentations to broader audiences including, friends, college alumni, and regional

conferences.

Overall summary. Attitude changes were neither large nor systematic. They may be

more influenced by individual differences in responses to preparation and trip experiences.

Enhancement and organization of orientation materials would be welcome for participants. Still,

most participants were highly satisfied with their experience and returned with more detailed,

vivid, and personal experiences with which they can enrich their teaching.
 References

Cushner, K. (1986). The inventory of cross-cultural sensitivity. School of Education, Kent State

University.

Mahon, J.A. & Cushner, K. (2014). Revising and updating the inventory of cross-cultural

sensitivity. Intercultural Education, 25(6), 484-496, DOI:

10.1080/14675986.2014.990232