Abstract
Hawaii is a popular destination for Japanese students to learn English, but they often face challenges in achieving full immersion because of the prevalence of the Japanese influence. Moreover, historical ties between Japan and Hawaii are often overlooked in study abroad contexts. To address these gaps, university in Hiroshima, in collaboration with a Honolulu-based partner institution, developed a course that explored the challenges faced by Japanese immigrants and their contributions to Hawaiian society. The course engaged students with historical and intercultural dynamics through lectures, guest speaker sessions, interactive discussions, reflective activities, and capstone research projects. A reflexive thematic analysis of students’ weekly reflections identified four major themes: (1) learning and discovery, (2) personal and cultural connections, (3) critical analysis of historical narratives, and (4) application and integration. The results showed significant thematic progression in the students’ reflections throughout the course. Using Hiroshima-Hawaii as an example, this study suggests the potential to enrich study abroad experiences by combining historical and intercultural education with reflective practices in a pre-departure course.
Author Information
Mitsuko Takei, Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan
Paper Information
Conference: IICE2025
Stream: International Education
This paper is part of the IICE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Takei M. (2025) From Hiroshima to Hawaii: Deepening Study Abroad Experiences Through a Historical and Intercultural Education Course ISSN: 2189-1036 – The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2025 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 443-454) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2025.36
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2025.36
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