What is Professional Growth

This chapter presents a case study that explores impacts of the cultural immersion afforded from a study abroad program on teachers' professional growth over time. First, the study examined two teachers' cultural immersion process from their reflections and survey answers collected before, during, after the study abroad. Second, impacts of the study abroad experiences on classroom instruction were explored, using descriptive case study and phenomenology methods. Data from semi-structured interviews and teacher lesson observations were analyzed to explore to what extent the teachers infused diversity and multiculturalism in their instruction. The results of the study describe lived experiences of the two teachers who participated in a summer study abroad program that allowed unique experiences of cultural immersion and professional growth as a classroom teacher. The chapter also includes suggestions for future research that explores impacts of study abroad programs on teachers and their students.