| Previous studies on transnational education have raised issues regarding its place in the internationalization of higher education. In China, recent trends towards internationalization have cultivated collaboration in cross-cultural research and dialogue. As transnational education practices continue to develop in China, little research has been done to understand the experiences of these scholars. The purpose of this study was to understand the transnational experience of Chinese university teachers within the framework of Confucianism, the internationalization of Chinese higher education, and transformative learning theory.;In this qualitative study, data were collected utilizing semi-structured interviews to ascertain how participants made meaning of their transnational experience once they returned to China. Using grounded theory methodology and engagement with the data, themes emerged that led to the development of the Harmony-Transformation Theory that provides a robust understanding of the Chinese transnational learning experience. The study's findings and conclusions provide a framework for understanding how Confucianism, internationalization of Chinese higher education, and transformative learning theory inform an overall understanding of this experience. The study also provides a non-western perspective on transformative learning theory. The emergent Harmony-Transformation Theory proposes that the Chinese transnational learning experience transforms participants as they move through empowerment and disillusionment, seeking to re-establish harmony that integrates Western ideals within a Chinese context. This theory is characterized as a dynamic model in which the desire for harmony, coupled with self-reflection through Chinese sayings and metaphors, moves participants through a transformative learning process. |
