An Investigation On The Need Of Senior English Teachers’ Professional Knowledge Development In Southeast Chongqing Minority Areas

The level of the professionalism of teaching staff is an important foundation for effective English teaching.The National English Curriculum for Senior High Schools(2017 Edition,revised in 2020)puts forward two requirements for English teachers’ professional knowledge.First,it is required that they should constantly update professional knowledge of the subject to improve their own language and cultural literacy.Secondly,they should accumulate pedagogical content knowledge and and do all teaching basing on teaching effectiveness(the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China,2020,p.79).Therefore,it is the basic requirement of teaching reform to study the need of English teachers’ professional knowledge development,so as to increase the pertinence of relevant professional training activities.With the deepening of the Curriculum Reform,the problems in English teaching in Senior High Schools in the ethnic minority areas of southeast Chongqing are becoming increasingly obvious.During the implementation of the Curriculum Reform,the challenges and difficulties faced by teachers in teaching in this area are increasing.Especially,the current situation of teachers’ professional knowledge development is not optimistic,such as backward education concepts,lack of modern educational technologies,methods as well as skills,and low level of professional development.These problems directly affect the teaching effect of English courses in the region,causing a certain degree of obstacles to the promotion of Curriculum Reform,and need to be addressed by targeted professional training activities for teachers.And an investigation on the need of teachers’ professional knowledge development in this area becomes the premise for the formulation and implementation of all solutions.Based on the requirements of the Curriculum,this research takes 113 English teachers from two Senior high schools in Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County in southeast Chongqing minority areas as the research objects,and investigate their need of professional knowledge development through questionnaire method.This study will offer answers to the following questions:1.What is English teachers’ demand in terms of the content of professional knowledge?2.What is English teachers’ need of access to developing professional knowledge?According to the results of data analysis,the need of English teachers professional knowledge development in this area shows the following characteristics: in terms of the content of professional knowledge development,teachers’ need for Cultural Knowledge are more urgent than Linguistic Knowledge,and they are very interested in Curriculum Knowledge,Learners’ Knowledge and Knowledge of Teaching Strategies.In terms of accesses to professional knowledge development,teachers are in urgent need of learning resources and opportunities.The findings of this study will help to build a professional team of English teachers in this region and provide references for the professional development of English teachers in similar minority areas.