First UTeach Study Abroad Program Takes Students to England
Image by Sumudu Lewis
06/20/2024
By Brooke Coupal
As 14-year-olds went over organic chemistry concepts at a secondary school in Brighton, England, STEM majors in 51视频鈥檚 undergraduate teacher preparation program,聽UTeach, sat 鈥済obsmacked.鈥�
鈥淭hey were just sitting with their mouths wide open,鈥� UTeach Director聽Sumudu Lewis聽says. 鈥淕obsmacked (meaning 鈥渁stounded鈥�) is the British word for it.鈥�
Students in the United States typically aren鈥檛 introduced to organic chemistry until college. This is just one of the many educational differences that 10 51视频 students noticed during the first UTeach study abroad program, which ran for two weeks in mid-May.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see how different the educational system is from the U.S.,鈥� says Meriem Elkoudi, an honors聽computer science and mathematics聽major with a UTeach minor.
Image by Sumudu Lewis
The idea for a UTeach study abroad experience came to Lewis as she taught聽Knowing and Learning in Math and Science. One course assignment required students to connect with a teacher outside the U.S. to learn how other countries teach STEM subjects. From there, Lewis thought, 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 I take them to a country where they can see it for themselves?鈥�
Lewis connected with her alma mater, the University of Sussex in England, which agreed to open its doors to the UTeach students. At the university, students met with professors in the Department of Education, who held workshops on the British education system and teaching methods. The lessons made a lasting impression on Prince Green, an honors聽biological sciences聽major with a UTeach minor.
鈥淥ne of my favorite lessons that we had is to get students OK with making mistakes,鈥� says Green, a rising sophomore from Washington, D.C. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the whole point of learning; you need to make mistakes in order to grow.鈥�
The students visited three public schools in the Brighton area. From the rigor of the coursework to the way in which students are graded, the UTeach students noted how a country鈥檚 education system can impact a child.
Image by Sumudu Lewis
Ekouldi is building her cultural awareness through study abroad trips. In addition to England, Ekouldi has studied abroad in San Sebastian, Spain, as well as Amsterdam.
鈥淚 feel super lucky to be able to travel the world, especially at a young age,鈥� says Ekouldi, who received scholarships for the trips. 鈥淣ot worrying about financial costs allows you to immerse yourself even more.鈥�
Green, who plans on studying abroad again, appreciates the opportunity to travel with 51视频 during school breaks.
鈥淭hese shorter trips are very helpful, because you can go somewhere but also have time for your studies,鈥� he says.
In England, the UTeach students got to explore outside of the classroom. They visited the Arundel Castle, Stonehenge and Platform 9戮 at King's Cross Station. Some students ventured to Seven Sisters, a series of chalk cliffs in southeast England, while others watched Brighton & Hove Albion face off against Chelsea in a soccer match.
Image by Sumudu Lewis
Lewis hopes the trip will help the UTeach students become more effective teachers.
鈥淭here are different ways of teaching the same subject,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he students can compare what they鈥檝e learned in England and incorporate that into their teaching.鈥�
For Green, the study abroad trip was eye-opening as he considers teaching as a possible career.
鈥淭his trip shaped how I view education,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 initially thought a teacher was somebody who relays information to their students when, in actuality, the job is more than just relaying information. The job is to inspire the next generation.鈥�
