Innovation and change in English teaching in the western provinces of China: the impact of overseas training

Li, D., Zhang, X. and Edwards, V. (2016) Innovation and change in English teaching in the western provinces of China: the impact of overseas training. In: Chi-Kin Lee, J., Yu, Z., Huang, X. and Hau-fai Law, E. (eds.) Educational Development in Western China: Towards quality and equity. Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, pp. 191-214. ISBN 9789463002318

Abstract/Summary

In this article we explore issues around the impact of continuing professional development (CPD) for secondary teachers of English offered by an overseas provider through the lens of participants from the Western provinces of China who completed courses at a UK university between 2003 and 2012. We start by offering an overview of English teaching in China. We then report two complementary studies of the same programme. The first aimed for breadth of understanding and involved the collection and analysis of interviews and focus groups discussions with former participants, their teaching colleagues and senior management, as well as classroom observation. The second aimed for depth and drew on data collected from a cohort of 38 teachers on one of the courses, using pre- and post-course surveys; focus group discussions at the end of the course with the whole cohort; and interviews with five of the participants both before they left the UK and again six months later. Evidence is presented for changes in teachers’ philosophies of education directly attributable to participation in the courses; for improved teacher competencies (linguistic, cultural and pedagogical) in the classroom; and for the ways in which returnees are undertaking new roles and responsibilities that exploit their new understandings. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for both providers and sponsors of CPD for English language teachers.

Item Type	Book or Report Section
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/59835
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > Institute of Education > Language and Literacy in Education
Publisher	Sense Publishers
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item