Investigating the academic motivations and social experiences of students from the People's Republic of China pursuing graduate degrees in the United States of America: A participatory study

There is limited research addressing how graduate students from the People's Republic of China (PRC) are supported academically or socially while studying in the United States of America (U.S.). The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by utilizing a participatory action research model in order to collaborate with Chinese students pursuing graduate degrees at a university in the San Francisco Bay Area. The study involved five collaborative discussions over the course of the 2009--2010 academic year addressing the participants' interests in U.S. higher education as well as their social experiences within and beyond the university setting. The participatory action research model provided the opportunity for the researcher and participants to work as colleagues to jointly discuss, analyze, and record how students from the PRC enrolling in American colleges and universities can be supported more effectively by their host institution.;The significance of the study was based on the need to seek how to better serve one of the fastest growing populations of U.S. colleges and universities. There is the expectation that the dissertation will demonstrate how participatory action research aids in identifying the significance of participant narratives in scientific inquiry to promote educational change. The goal of the study was to strengthen the preparation of students from the PRC planning to pursue graduate studies in the United States, as well as raising the awareness of university administrators about the specific challenges this population experiences. The research concluded with a plan of action where participants along with the researcher decided upon a format to present the study's findings to the university community.