Navigating cultural and pedagogical transitions: a qualitative study of Chinese physical education teachers’ experiences studying abroad

This research explores Chinese Physical Education teachers who have studied abroad, with a focus on their experiences within a globalizing world. The research focuses on their cultural and pedagogical adaptation process, as well as their changes in teaching practices. The research is conducted using a qualitative approach with a focus on meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with seven Chinese PE teachers who had studied abroad. The findings from the thematic analysis show that there are four main themes focusing on motivations for studying, challenges faced, cultural adaptation, and impacts on teaching. The research shows that participants are highly motivated to study abroad due to academic as well as cultural exposure. However, they faced a lot of challenges, such as language, cultural and academic challenges. Despite all these challenges, they were still able to come up with a system of adaptation. Based on the findings, it is suggested to incorporate intercultural competence training into teacher preparation programs and providing more robust institutional support for Chinese teachers preparing to study abroad.