Doctoral Sojourn Experiences of Adapted Physical Education Students from Asian Countries.

Colleges and universities in the United States (U.S.) are now more culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse than ever before. Currently, international students make up 17% of all U.S. Graduate students, with more than half studying engineering, science, business, and education (The Council of Graduate Education, 2014). The National Center for Education Statistics (2015) reported that there were 170,100 doctoral students enrolled in American colleges and universities. Although the number of doctoral programs enrolling U.S. citizens declined 4% in the years 2007-2012, at the same time, international doctoral student enrollment increased nearly 8% (Institute for International Education [IIE], 2014). International students constitute a valuable source of diversity on U.S. campuses. The top three countries of origin (India, China, and South Korea) constituted approximately 50% of all international students enrolled in U.S. higher education (IIE, 2014). International doctoral students from countries outside of the U.S. are an important constituency for research Institutes for Higher Education (IHE) in America due to the added globalization they bring to the academy (Tan, 1994). According to Kallio (1995), universities need to help international students solve the transition issues and concerns (language challenges and cultural adjustments) to graduate education. Kirsch (2014) found that more than 60% of American colleges and universities recruit international students (e.g., study abroad agents, web advertisement, marketing campaign, or social media). However, many of these students face difficulty in their academic and social transition (e.g., learning frustration, lack of motivation for academic success, or academic shock in lecture and research) (Wan, 2001). LITERATURE REVIEWInternational Influence in Adapted Physical Education in AsiaAdapted Physical Education (APE) is defined as the umbrella term that encompasses exercise, physical education, recreation, dance, sport, fitness, and rehabilitation for individuals with various impairments and disabilities across the lifespan (Porretta, Nesbitt, & Labanowich, 1993; Sherrill, 1998). There are several Asian countries that have received influences of teaching strategies (inclusive physical education and assessments) related to adapted physical education for students with disabilities from scholars from the American colleges and universities. For example, Adapted Physical Activity, Recreation and Sport: Crossdisciplinary and Lifespan (Sherrill, 1998) has been translated into Chinese, and likewise the book Early Movement Experiences and Development (Winnick, 1995) has been translated into Japanese and now widely used for elementary special education teachers in these countries (Kobayashi, Nagamatsu, Shichikida, & Miyahara, 2000). As a result, Asian educators have been inspired to promote the concepts of interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary theory and practice, which relate to the life span physical activity of individual with psychomotor limitations (Kobayashi et al., 2000). Sojourn Experiences of International StudentsThere are several research studies that have explored the sojourn experience of Asian international graduate students in the US (e.g., Kitano & Daniel, 1990; Sato & Hodge, 2009; 2013; 2015; Uba, 1994; Wan, 2001; Ye, 2005). Many Asian international students at American colleges and universities encounter difficulty when attempting to acculturate and adjust to their environment (Sato & Hodge, 2009; Uba, 1994). They come from cultures with have different values than highly individualistic societies like the U.S., and they may experience more psychological, academic, and social conflict when compromising their traditional roles versus a new cultural norm as sojourners (Sam & Eide, 1991). When an individual's environment is not matched with personality, there is a cultural distance or detachment (Sam & Eide, 1991). …