A Case Study on a College Short-Term English Abroad Program for Holistic Learning

This study aims to qualitatively explore the holistic nature of a short-term English abroad program for college students during their one-month stay in a foreign country where English was an institutional language. This qualitative research inquiry used a blend of narrative and case study methodologies. It included multiple data sources such as classroom observation, students’ journals, follow-up interview, and other related documents. The data collected were scrutinized and analyzed for capturing the whole characteristics of holistic education, particularly focusing on the notions of connection, inclusion and balance which are considered three basic principles of holistic education. Students’ experiences of ‘interconnectedness’ and ‘relationships’ found on the interviews and journals were categorized, from which interconnecting themes were extracted. The findings indicated that a deep sense of connectedness was felt by the students on all the phases of their experiences including with their peers, teachers, Philippine buddy students, and the people they met through community outreach, which naturally led them to find identity, meaning, and purpose in their lives. In addition, they met a real world where they experienced a sense of joy and happiness surrounding the foreign people, foreign language and foreign situations.