“Soft at the Centre”: Using Study Abroad to Stimulate Reflection on Soft Skills

Study abroad experiences have a clear learning gain for students exemplified through reflection on soft and hard transferable skills that boost graduate readiness. These aptitudes include problem solving, teamwork, and global citizenry. Two time-phased semi-structured questionnaires were administered to a cohort of UK-based university students participating in a recent Criminology program course unit which incorporates a study visit abroad to Slovenia. We analyze how learning on the course unit facilitates reflection on graduate employability skills. The paper finds that there is significant learning gain from participation in study abroad as measured using a “before” and “after” Likert scale scoring mechanism. Study participants raise doubts whether their perceived skills development would have been achieved through domestic UK-based fieldwork. The findings underscore the value of study abroad experiences as an option within all or most undergraduate degree programs. These opportunities provide a key pathway to reflective practice on personal and professional skills.