Abstract
This chapter reports on a qualitative case study of a sample of Chinese EFL schoolteachers – how they learn and grow into effective teachers in their social contexts. With insights supplied by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, an interconnected model of teachers’ professional growth was used to analyse the learning processes and relationships among the four key domains of teacher change: context, knowledge, practice, and outcomes. The findings identified a holistic (cognitive socialization) learning process of Chinese EFL teachers in various contexts. The analysis revealed some of the most influential change factors, such as role models, self-teaching, professional activities and programs, and challenges and development. Based on the findings, this chapter discusses two major underlying factors that contribute to the impact of context on Chinese EFL teacher development: Chinese relational philosophy and the Chinese culture of learning. The study offers useful insights for both Chinese and non-Chinese educators working in China. It further concludes that effective professional development programs and associated educational reform in China and beyond must occur close to where teachers work and be based on a deep knowledge of their context and the ways in which teachers learn.
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Acknowledgements
I owe deep respect and gratitude to Dr Barbara Agor for her ongoing unfailing support. I also thank Dr Wu Yian for her great support and, most importantly, the group of Chinese EFL teachers for their willingness to share their life stories.
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Gu, P. (2014). EFL Teacher Learning in the Chinese Sociocultural Context. In: Coniam, D. (eds) English Language Education and Assessment. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-071-1_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-071-1_5
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