A Study Of The Professional Development Of Chinese EFL Teachers In Institutions Of Higher Education

Over the past two decades,teacher professional development has emerged as a recognized field of study in teacher education.Previous studies provide invaluable evidence and references to the theoretical constructions and pedagogical practices on this issue.Teacher professional development is shaped by contextual and personal factors.Therefore,identifying research context and participants is beneficial for researchers to better explain teacher professional development and put forward effective implications.In the China-specific context,the professional development of tertiary English teachers does not receive the attention it deserves when compared with the primary and secondary English teachers.Among the few studies at the tertiary level,much has been discussed on the professional development of English teachers,but few on English major teachers.Besides,the large-scale questionnaire survey alone is inadequate to explain how tertiary English major teachers dynamically shape their professional development.Considering teaching levels and discipline background,the present study is designed to explore the professional development of tertiary English major teachers through mixed methods in the domestic context.Forty-two tertiary English major teachers participated in the questionnaire survey,and three English major teachers situated at three discrete stages,i.e.the novice teacher,the proficient teacher,and the expert teacher,were interviewed.In light of "the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth(Clark&Hollingsworth,2002)and "the Integrative Framework of Influences on Teacher Professional Growth"(Durksen et al.,2017),the study explored the characteristics and influencing factors of tertiary English major teachers' professional development,and their different practices across different stages of professional development.It has been found that:(1)In the pursuit of professional development,Chinese tertiary English major teachers may experience an imbalance between available resources and growing needs,the contradiction between teaching and research,and a one-fold developmental route.(2)Important incidents and persons,higher education,and encouraging policies may facilitate tertiary English major teachers' professional development,while restricted autonomy and inadequate proficiency may constitute obstacles of their professional development.It is also found that teachers with high self-efficacy and agency are able to actively shape their professional development,instead of being passive and negative to challenges.(3)Tertiary English major teachers at different stages of professional development differ their practices:the novice teacher concerns more about the construction of self-identity and the external feedback on his professional performance;the proficient teacher is struggling with her stagnant period and tries to achieve a renewal of professional knowledge and skills;the expert teacher possesses an enhanced belief and a high-profile emotional commitment toward the profession.Multiple roles and responsibilities in the profession contribute to the expert teacher's active engagement in sustaining professional development.The findings of the study may not only testify the feasibility of "the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth" and "the Integrative Framework of Influences on Teacher Professional Growth" in the Chinese EFL context,but also enrich the overall teacher professional development theory in the China-specific context.Practically,the present study may not only provide related institutions and universities with empirical references for policy making,but also assist language teachers who are still struggling to find a way out in their professional development.