Becoming more visible : the experiences of Chinese visiting scholars at a U.S. university

Despite the increasing number of visiting scholars at U.S. higher education institutions, limited research exists about the experiences and learning process of these visiting scholars. This research study explored the meaning making process of Chinese visiting scholars during their visiting scholars' program at a U.S. university. I used Mezirow's (1991) Transformative Learning Theory to understand the meaning making process of Chinese visiting scholars. A socio-constructivist qualitative approach helped me to understand the lived experiences of Chinese visiting scholars at a U.S. campus. I employed multi-case study as a research method and applied triangulation techniques for data analysis and interpretations of findings. The findings of this study suggest that making meaning of cross-cultural learning experiences is a complex process. Although this study used Transformative Learning Theory as the lens to understand these cross-cultural learning experiences, the participants of this study made meaning of their visiting scholars' experiences through economic, social, and cultural perspectives. The participants used their sense of self, relationships, language, reflection, and agency to make meaning of their experiences. Their meaning making process was of a developmental nature. Their sense of self was deeply rooted in Chinese socio-cultural values and was affected by globalization and market forces. Their conceptualization of learning was relational and moralistic. They used language as a context and as a tool for self-development and meaning making simultaneously. Agency helped to shape their experiences to achieve their goals and attain their desired levels of self-development. They employed reflection to constantly refer back to their existing meaning frames and to give meanings to their new experiences. This experience helped Chinese visiting scholars expand their perspectives, however, it is hard to claim based on the findings of this study that Chinese visiting scholars considered this experience transformative, since they did not report any significant change in their meaning frames and behaviors after their return to China. Overall, they considered this experience an opportunity for self-development which included professional growth, perspective expansion, and claims to global citizenship.The implications from this study indicate need for further exploration of learning and the meaning making process in cross-cultural contexts, particularly, there is a need for better understanding of the underlying socio-cultural frameworks which shape these experiences. Also, there is a need to further explore the concepts and phenomenon of transformation in relation to cross-cultural experiences in order to better facilitate and create more meaningful and deeper learning experiences in international and cross-cultural settings.