Career Development Of Women College English Teachers

College English course is part of compulsory basic curriculum in Chinese higher education institutions. Women, a majority in college English teachers, are burdened with three identities, namely feminine, academic, and disciplinary ones. Their careers have got into a dilemma in an era of rapid development of Chinese higher education. This study takes women college English teachers as its subjects and probes into the career development of women college English teachers based on teacher career development theories so as to discover the status quo and characteristics of their career as well as influencing factors of their career development. Its findings are hoped to help women college English teachers to be better aware of their own career development so as to promote their career planning and coping strategies. The findings are also hoped to help decision-makers to adopt more scientific career management policies to facilitate the career development of women college English teachers.This study focuses on the career development of women college English teachers. Teachers'career development theories serve as the theoretical framework and "gender" as a special analytical perspective, which play vital roles in various aspects of research design, data collection and data analysis.The methodology adopted in this study integrates quatitative and qualitative research methods. Questionnaire investigation provides scientific and sufficient data about the status quo of teachers'career development while seven case studies probes into the "truth" behind the phenomena. The whole paper consists of six parts.The first chapter, as an introduction, clarifies the triggers, objectives and significances of the study. It defines such key terms as "college English", "career" and "career development" and introduces theories on career development of women college teachers. It also conducts a literature review on works both in China and abroad. In addition, research questions and research methodology are also mentioned. There are three research questions. What is the status quo of the career development of women college English teachers? What are the personal and orgnizational contextual factors influencing their career development and how have they been exerting influence? What are the characteristics of the career development of women college English teachers? Research methods maily include authropologic study and questionnaire investigation with teacher career development theory as the theoretical framework and gender theory to be analytical approach.The second chapter illustrates the historical backgrounds of women college English teachers'career. Firstly, the transformation of women's values in China is explored. Chinese women have experienced a transition from tradition to Marxism and then to confusion. Chinese women today are paying a price to attain balance between tradition and modernity. Secondly, the transformation of women college teachers in China is discussed. They are disadvantaged in spite of their increased proportion. Thirdly, the development of college English teaching and college English teachers is discussed. Both of them have been suffering from the lack of disciplinary status and three top-down teaching reforms.The third chapter, based on a questionnaire investigation, comes to three conclusions. Firstly, women college English teachers are underdeveloped in their career. Secondly, with their work-family values greatly influenced by the socio-cultural environment, they struggle between the dual roles. Thirdly, their career is driven by individual and organizational economic interests in the specific socio-economic environment.The fourth chapter, based on seven cases, probes into the effects of personal and organizational environments on women teachers'career choices. It is found out that role expectation on women narrows down their career choices in terms of stability and time flexibility. Significant others, such as a parent or teacher, also make great effects. On the other hand, fast growing college English teaching offers opportunities to women seeking academic positions in universities.The fifth chapter explores women teachers'professional development from the perspectives of personal environment, organizational environment, professional development needs and career development stages. It is found out that women teachers'development varies with personal environment. Time-based and stress-based work-family conflict is available in all cases and support from family members, especially the husband, is most effective. Women teachers all show preference for teaching rather than research. Women at different life stages make use of strategic compromise to achieve dynamic balance between roles. It is also found out that organizational environment s result in commonality in women teachers'career. Socio-cultural environment shapes their career concepts. Disciplinary environment contributes to their academic disadvantage. Institutional environment constructs the glass ceiling to impede their promotion.The sixth chapter summarizes such characteristics of women college teachers' career development as the interaction of life and career, of time and space, and of modernity and tradition. It is necessary to reconstruct the environment and identity so as to improve women's career. At the end of the paper, the prospects of cross-cultural study are explored with the help of a case of a Canadian women professor.