Teacher Development for English Language Teaching in China: Based on English Language teachers' beliefs and practices in New Zealand

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. iv LIST OF FIGURES. x LIST OF TABLES. xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION.1 1.1 The origins of the research project-problem identification.1 1.2 Sociocultural contexts of English language teaching and learning in China . 4 1.2.1Educational reform trends of English language teaching in China.5 1.2.2The culture of learning influencing English language learning in China . 14 1.3 The research aims.20 1.4 Overview of the study.21 CHAPTER TWO SOCIOCULTURAL LEARNING THEORISING.24 2.1 EFL teaching and learning is a social practice.25 2.1.1EFL teaching and learning is a collaborative and participative process . 27 2.1.2 EFL teaching and learning is a socially mediated process.31 2.1.3EFL teaching and learning is scaffolded practices within learners‟ ZPD.35 2.1.4 EFL teaching and learning is a situated activity.41 vi 2.1. 5 EFL teaching and learning is a distributed activity.44 2.2 EFL teaching and learning is a cultural practice.46 2.3 EFL teaching and learning is a relational practice . 51 2.4 EFL teaching and learning is a reconstruction of identity.54 2.5 Chapter summary.60 CHAPTER THREE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.62 3.1 Teacher professional development . 63 3.1.1 The importance and necessity of teacher professional development . 64 3.1.2Teacher professional development as bottom-up learning and topdown learning.65 3.1.3 Teacher professional development is teacher learning.66 3.1.4 Teacher self-study as teacher professional development . 68 3.1. 5Teacher professional development needs time and teacher commitment.72 3.1. 6 Teacher professional development is an emotional process.72 3.1. 7 The requirements for teacher professional development.74 3.2 The discourse of change.75 3.3 Teacher beliefs.79 3.4 Teacher reflection.83 3.5 Teacher knowledge.90 3.5.1 English language proficiency.92 3.5.2 Subject matter knowledge.95 vii 3.5.3 Pedagogical content knowledge.96 3.6 Chapter summary and research questions.105 CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.107 4.1 Research design.107 4.2 Interpretive qualitative research paradigm.109 4.2.1 In-depth and holistic interpretation of social phenomena.109 4.2.2 Dynamic and flexible exploration of social phenomena.110 4.2.3 Developing educational theory and benefiting teaching and learning practices.112 4.3 Quality in qualitative research.113 4.4 Action research methodology.115 4.5 Data generation.120 4.5.1 Interviews.120 4.5.2 Questionnaires.124 4.5.3 Classroom observation.127 4.5. 4 Fieldnotes.131 4.6 Data analysis for this research.132 4.6.1 Data organizing.132 4.6.2 Data linkage establishing.133 4.6. 3 Data interpreting.134 4.6. 4 Speculating.134 4.7 The participants in this research.135 4.7.1 Participants in Phase One.135 viii 4.7.2 Participants in Phase Two.136 4.7.3 Participants in Phase Three.138 4.8 Ethical concerns.139 4.8.1 Informed consent.139 4.8.2 Privacy and confidentiality.140 4.8. 3 Ethics in action research.141 4.9 Chapter summary.142 CHAPTER FIVE PRE-ACTION-RESEARCH DATA.144 5.1 English language teaching in China.145 5.1.1Teachers' and students' beliefs about English language teaching in China.145 5.1.2 The views of students on English language teaching practices of their Chinese teachers.161 5.1.3Teachers' awareness of teaching problems and expectations to improve.170 5.2 English language teaching in New Zealand.172 5.2.1 Pedagogies.173 5.2.2 New Zealand teachers' beliefs.188 5.2.3 Disadvantages of English language learning in New Zealand.189 5.3 Chapter summary.191 CHAPTER SIX RESULTS CASE STUDIES.194 6.1 Case study I.196 6.1.1 Cycle One.198 ix 6.1.2Cycle Two.212 6.1.3Cycle Three.226 6.2 Case study II.241 6.2.1 Cycle One.244 6.2.2 Cycle Two.259 6.2.3Cycle Three.274 CHAPTER SEVEN THEORIZING THE APPLICATION OF NEW ZEALAND ENGLISHLANGUAGE TEACHERS' BELIEFS AND PRACTICES IN CHINESE CONTEXTS.288 7.1 The role of New Zealand English language teachers' beliefs.289 7.2 The role of New Zealand English language teachers' practice.306 7.3The factors that influenced the application of New Zealand English language teachers' beliefs and practice.317 7.3.1 Socio-cultural contexts for English language teaching and learning in China.318 7.3.2 Teaching expertise.330 7.4 Chapter summary.343 CHAPTER EIGHT CONCLUSION.345 8.1 Major findings and implications of the research.345 8.1.1 Major findings.345 8.1.2 Implications of the research.349 8.2 Research constraints and further research.357 REFERENCES.363 x APPENDICES.384 Appendix I.384 Appendix II.386 Appendix III.389 Appendix IV.391 Appendix V.392 Appendix VI.