The Emotional Experience of Transnational Students. A Study Between Texas and Jalisco

Abstract

This document presents the partial results of a research study being developed in collaboration with the University of North Texas (UNT) and the Ministry of Education in Jalisco, specifically through the Interinstitutional Council of Educational Research (ICER) now known as the State Committee of Continuous Improvement in Jalisco (SCCIJ). This investigation follows a qualitative approach and employs grounded theory as its core method. The research sample included Basic Education students from both Texas and Jalisco, and the main objective was to identify the emotional experience of Transnational students. The most important findings that arose from the study suggest that children and their families experience certain emotions that represent a turning point in their lives. They sometimes feel as if they did not completely belong “either here or there”; thus, making it difficult for them to build support networks that could help them with inclusion and adaptation. Children are not considered or listened to, since it is an adult centered perspective. Nonetheless, considering or listening to children would be the first and most important step to address their emotional needs.