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Examining the Professional Quality of Experienced EFL Teachers for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories in Rural Areas in China

Author

Listed:
  • Honggang Liu

    (School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China)

  • Wenxiu Chu

    (School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China)

  • Fan Fang

    (College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China)

  • Tariq Elyas

    (Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

While there has been much research into teachers’ professional quality in general education, scant attention has been paid to the professional quality of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers, especially those working in adverse areas, for their sustainable career trajectories. Drawing on Wu’s framework of EFL teachers’ professional quality, this study adopted a mixed-method study design to investigate the professional quality of experienced EFL teachers in China’s rural areas. A questionnaire was administered online to 367 Chinese EFL teachers from 15 high schools in the northeast part of China. Follow-up interviews were then conducted with four volunteers. The results of the exploratory factor analysis produced a two-module structure of teachers’ professional quality, addressing teacher beliefs and English language pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for their sustainable career development. The teacher belief module addresses beliefs about language teacher learning and development as well as beliefs about foreign language teaching and learning. The English language PCK module includes two subscales: English teaching capacity and English knowledge and skills. Descriptive analysis showed that these participants had high levels of professional quality. Possible explanations for the interpretations of EFL teachers’ professional quality are provided from the qualitative data. Based on the above findings, the paper offers some implications for sustaining EFL teacher development in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Honggang Liu & Wenxiu Chu & Fan Fang & Tariq Elyas, 2021. "Examining the Professional Quality of Experienced EFL Teachers for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories in Rural Areas in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10054-:d:631377
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rahma Al-Mahrooqi & Christopher Denman & Jamila Al-Siyabi & Faisal Al-Maamari, 2015. "Characteristics of a Good EFL Teacher," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(2), pages 21582440155, May.
    2. Bergsmann, Evelyn & Schultes, Marie-Therese & Winter, Petra & Schober, Barbara & Spiel, Christiane, 2015. "Evaluation of competence-based teaching in higher education: From theory to practice," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-9.
    3. Wenxiu Chu & Honggang Liu & Fan Fang, 2021. "A Tale of Three Excellent Chinese EFL Teachers: Unpacking Teacher Professional Qualities for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories from an Ecological Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Jean-Louis Berger & Céline Girardet & Cynthia Vaudroz & Marcel Crahay, 2018. "Teaching Experience, Teachers’ Beliefs, and Self-Reported Classroom Management Practices: A Coherent Network," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(1), pages 21582440177, January.
    5. Honggang Liu & Lixiang Gao & Fan Fang, 2020. "Exploring and Sustaining Language Teacher Motivation for Being a Visiting Scholar in Higher Education: An Empirical Study in the Chinese Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-16, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Betul Yikici & Fahriye Altinay & Zehra Altinay & Ramesh Chander Sharma & Gokmen Dagli, 2022. "Adoption of Online Education and Pedagogy as New Codes of Life for New Future in Rural Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Huanling Xing & Liyan Liu & Anne Li Jiang, 2025. "A Journey to a Pioneer: Exploring Identity Transformations of a Rural Chinese EFL Teacher from a Social Ecological Perspective – An Autoethnographic Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, June.

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