EFL Teachers’ Motivation of Professional Development at the University Level in China

Authors

  • Miaomiao Wang

    Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China

  • Yongxiang Wang

    Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China

  • Rong Jiang

    1 Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China; 2 WanJiang University of Technology, Anhui 243031, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i3.6666
Received: 16 March 2024 | Revised: 15 April 2024 | Accepted: 26 April 2024 | Published Online: 26 August 2024

Abstract

The motivation of instructors has been found to have a significant impact on students' enthusiasm to learn a second language, but less attention has been paid to the motivation of English Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, especially in the Chinese environment where English plays a significant role. In order to lay the groundwork for the formulation of suggestions on how to increase teacher motivation and consequently boost the standard of instruction and student performance, this study explores the motivation of English instructors at the university level in China. 203 native Chinese EFL instructors who are currently employed at institutions in China’s mainland participated in the study. The motivation of EFL instructors for selecting a profession in teaching and the elements influencing that motivation was investigated using a quantitative approach design. For the purpose of evaluating the level of English writing skills of EFL instructors, a survey with close-ended questions that was founded on theories of motivation and modified from earlier research was utilized as the instrument. Then proportion, frequency, mean, and statistic tests were used to analyze the survey data. The findings indicate that the EFL instructors had a variety of motivations for deciding to work as teachers, with intrinsic motivation being the primary driver, followed by altruistic motivations like wanting to support English education in their own countries. The findings also showed that a variety of factors, such as positive student feedback, personal happiness, and a solid wage, had an impact on the motivation of EFL teachers. Demotivating variables were discovered to be extrinsic, such as poor pay and few other sources of money, uncomfortable working circumstances, and students' unfavorable attitudes.

Keywords:

EFL teachers; Higher Education; Career motivation; Motivation; Level of motivation; English teaching

References

Adamson, B., 2002. Barbarian as a foreign language: English in China’s Schools. World Englishes. 21(2), 231–243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-971X.00244

Adamson, B., 2004. China’s English: A history of English in Chinese education. Hong Kong University Press: Hong Kong.

Aydin, S., 2012. Factors causing demotivation in EFL teaching process: A case study. The Qualitative Report. 17(101), 1–13.

Bhatt, S.P., 2021. Self-directed professional development: EFL teachers’ understanding. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies. 3(4), 196–208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v3i4.737

Braine, G., 2010. Nonnative speaker English teachers: Research, pedagogy, and professional growth. Routledge: NY.

Bolton, K., 2002. Chinese Englishes: From Canton jargon to global English. World Englishes. 21(2), 181–199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-971X.00241

Brookhart, S.M., Freeman, D.J., 1992. Characteristics of entering teacher candidates. Review of Educational Research. 62, 37–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654306200103

Bryman, A., 2016. Social research methods. Oxford university press: Oxford.

Bulté, B., Housen, A., 2018. Syntactic complexity in L2 writing: Individual Pathways and Emerging Group Trends. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 28(1), 147–164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12196

Cheng, A., Wang, Q., 2012. English language teaching in higher education in China: A Historical and social overview. In J. Ruan and C.B. Leung (Eds.), Perspectives on teaching and learning English literacy in China. Springer International: Amsterdam. pp. 19–33.

Derakhshan, A., 2022. Revisiting research on positive psychology in second and foreign language education: Trends and directions. Language Related Research. 13(5), 1–43. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.52547/LRR.13.5.2

Derakhshan, A., Ghiasvand, F., 2022. Demystifying Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of learning-oriented assessment (LOA): Challenges and prospects in focus. Language Testing in Asia. 12(55), 1–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00204-2

Deressa, T.A., Zeru, G., 2019. Work motivation and its effects on organizational performance: The case of nurses in Hawassa public and private hospitals: Mixed method study approach. BMC Res Notes. 12, 213. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4255-7

Dörnyei, Z., 2001. Teaching and researching motivation: Applied linguistics in action. Longman: London.

Dörnyei, Z., 2005. The psychology of the language learner:Individual differences in second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ.

Dörnyei, Z., Taguchi, T., 2010. Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration and processing. Routledge: New York.

Dowson, M., McInerney, D.M., 2003. What do students say about their motivational goals? Towards a more complex and dynamic perspective on student motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 28, 91–113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0361-476X(02)00010-3

Fu, K., 1986. The history of foreign language education in China. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press: Shanghai.

Gao, X. A., Wang, W., 2016. Bilingual education in the People’s Republic of China. In O. Garcia, A.M.Y. Lin, S. May (Eds.), Bilingual and multilingual education. Springer: Switzerland. pp. 219–231.

Guajardo, J., 2011. Teacher motivation: Theoretical framework, situation analysis of Save the Children country offices, and recommended strategies. Save the Children: Fair-Field, CT, USA.

Jiang, Y., 2003. English as a Chinese language. English Today. 19(2), 3–8.

Kazerouni, N., Sadighi, F., 2014. Investigating Iranian female EFL teachers’ motivation and job satisfaction level at public schools and private language institutes in Shiraz. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature. 2(8), 93–105.

Kim, J., 2014. Predicting L2 writing proficiency using linguistic complexity measures: A corpus-based study. English Teaching. 69(4), 27–51.

Han, J., Yin, H., 2016. Teacher motivation: Definition, research development and implications for teachers. Cogent Education. 3, 1–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1217819

Hastings, C., 2012. Teacher motivation: The next step in L2 motivation research. INTESOL Journal. 5, 61–70.

Hu, G. , 2002. English language teaching in the People’s Republic of China. In R.E. Silver, G.W. Hu, M. Iino (Eds.), English 180 language education in China, Japan, and Singapore. National Institute of Education: Singapore. pp. 1–77.

Joseph, P.B., Green, N., 1986. Perspectives on reasons for becoming teachers. Journal of Teacher Education. 37(6), 28–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871860370060

Karavas, E., 2010. How satisfied are Greek EFL teachers with their work? Investigating the motivation and job satisfaction levels of Greek EFL teachers. Porta Linguarum. 14, 59–78.

Kassabgy, O., Boraie, D., Schmidt, R., 2001. Values, rewards, and job satisfaction in ESL/EFL. In Z. Dörnyei, R. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. 4(2), 213–237.

Koran, S., 2015. Analyzing EFL teachers’ initial job motivation and factors effecting their motivation in Fezalar educational institutions in Iraq. Advances in Language and Literary Studies. 6(1), 72–80.

Li, L., Zhang, R., Liu, L., 1988. A history of English language teaching in China. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press: Shanghai.

Llurda, E., 2005. Non-native language teachers: Perceptions, challenges and contributions to the profession. Springer: New York.

Ma, W.Y., 2012. Factors afecting the motivation of TEFL academics in higher education in China. Queensland University of Technology.

McInerney, D.M., Maehr, M.L., Dowson, M., 2004. Motivation and culture. In C.D. Spielberger (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of applied psychology. Elsevier: St Louis, MO. pp. 631–639.

Michaelowa, K. 2002. Teacher career satisfaction, student achievement and the cost of primary education in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. HWWA Discussion Paper。

Nayernia, A., Babayan, Z., 2019. EFL teacher burnout and self-assessed language proficiency: exploring possible relationships. Language Testing Asia. 9(1), 1–16.

Nudrat, S., 2017. Effects of in-service training opportunities on sense of achievement of employees of Public Sector Universities of Punjab, Pakistan. Bulletin of Education and Research. 39(1), 45–59.

Ortega, L., 2003. Syntactic complexity measures and their relationship to L2 proficiency: A research synthesis of collegelevel L2 writing. Applied Linguistics. 24(4), 492–518. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/24.4.492

Price, R., 1971. English teaching in China: changes in teaching methods from 1960–1966. English Language Teaching Journal. 26(1), 71–83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/XXVI.1.71

Rasheed, M.I., Humayon, A.A., Awan, U., et al., 2015. Factors affecting teachers’ motivation: An HRM challenge for public sector higher educational institutions of Pakistan (HEIs). International Journal of Educational Management. 30(1), 101–114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2014-0057

Rasinger, M., 2013. Quantitative research in linguistics: An introduction. Bloomsbury; London.

Rao, P., 2019. The role of English as a global language. Research Journal of English. 4(1), 65–79.

Richards, J.C., 2017. Teaching English through English: Proficiency, pedagogy and performance. RELC Journal. 48(1), 7–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217690059

Ross, H.A., 1992. Foreign language education as a barometer of modernization. In R. Hayhoe (Ed.), Education and modernization: The Chinese experience. Pergamon: Oxford. pp. 239–254.

Ross, H.A., 1993. China learns English: Language teaching and social changes in People’s Republic. Yale University Press: New Haven, CT.

Sugino, T., 2010a. Teacher demotivational factors in the Japanese language teaching context. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 3, 216–226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.036

Si, J., 2019. English as a lingua franca: A new approach for English language teaching in China? Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics. 42(1), 113–135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/CJAL-2019-0007

Sinclair, C., 2008. Initial and changing student teacher motivation and commitment to teaching. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. 36(2), 79–104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13598660801971658

Simpson, W., 2017. An Instrumental Tool Held at Arm’s Length: English as a Vehicle of Cultural Imperialism in China. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 40(3). 333-348. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cjal-2017-0019

Spuck, D.W., 1974. Reward Structures in the Public High School. Educational Administration Quarterly. 10(1), 18–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x7401000102

Tang, L., 1984. TEFL in China: Methods and techniques. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press: Shanghai.

Topkaya, E.Z., Uztosun, M.S.. 2012. Choosing teaching as a career: Motivations of pre-service English teachers in turkey. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(1). 134–126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.3.1.126-134

Tsutsumi, R., 2014. Exploring Japanese university EFL teacher motivation. Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics. 18(1), 121–143.

Watt, H.M.G., Richardson, P.W., 2008. Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and Instruction. 18, 408–428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002

Wang, M., Wang, Y., 2023. Exploring the contribution of interpersonal emotion regulation to pre-service EFL teachers’ sustainable professional development and wellbeing. Porta Linguarum. 1, 329–347. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi2023c.29657

Wang, Y.X., Wang, Y.L., 2023. Exploring Chinese EFL pre-service teachers’ per-ceptions of self-directed professional development:The benefits and challenges disclosed. Porta Linguarum. 1, 29–46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi2023c.29623

Wang, Q., 2002. Primary school English teaching in China: New developments. English Language Teacher Education and Development. 7, 99–108.

Wang, Y., Derakhshan, A. Zhang, J., 2021. Researching and practicing positive psychology in second/foreign language learning and teaching: The past, current status and future directions. Frontier in Psychology. 12, 1–1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.731721

Yao, X., 1993. Foreign languages in Chinese higher education. Language Learning Journal. 7, 74–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571739385200211

Yan, C., He, C., 2011. Enhancing part-time in-service teacher training programmes to facilitate rural teacher development in China. Prospects: Quarterly Review of Comparative Education. 41(4), 553–566. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-011-9211-9

Zhang, H., Wu, J., Zhu, Y., 2020. Why do you choose to teach Chinese as a second language? A study of pre-service CSL teachers’ motivations. System. 91, 102242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102242

Downloads

How to Cite

Miaomiao Wang, Yongxiang Wang, & Rong Jiang. (2024). EFL Teachers’ Motivation of Professional Development at the University Level in China. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(3), 777–787. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i3.6666

Issue

Article Type

Article