Developing sustainable career paths as teacher

Kevin was a veteran EFL teacher with twenty-two years of experience. After graduating from a prestigious normal university in central China in 1999, he was drawn to “the simple life on campus with a focus on teaching” (narrative frame) and thus became a university EFL teacher (academic profile).

Kevin was assigned several English courses after joining his work institution, ranging from oral English to academic English writing. Such responsibilities demonstrated his ought identity as a university EFL teacher with primary responsibility for teaching students’ English language proficiency imposed by socio-institutional expectations. Although Kevin was a novice English teacher at the time, he believed he could develop his identity as “a competent university EFL teacher” (his ideal identity) (interview). First, he was eager to learn different teaching methods and to get to know his students well (narrative frame); second, he spent a significant amount of time preparing teaching courses and teaching several courses intensively for several years, which helped him accumulate rich teaching experience; third, he actively tutored students to participate in various English language proficiency competitions and had fruitful results. The combination of these not only gave him a sense of accomplishment and pride but also aided in the development and nourishment of his budding identity as a conscientious and committed university EFL teacher.

As a university EFL teacher, I believe that the accomplishments of my students are my accomplishments. What I value most as a teacher is not the students’ academic achievements; rather, I value cultivating students to be useful talents to society. Then I believe that such an accomplishment is also a kind of gain for the teacher. (Kevin, interview)

Practicing such a teaching belief, Kevin felt that he needed to be “a teacher that can accompany students throughout the entire process of education, growth, and development” (his ideal identity). However, as a novice EFL teacher with limited knowledge of language teaching theories, Kevin encountered some challenges in living up to his ideal identity as a competent university EFL teacher. He found that his few years of teaching experience were insufficient to support his continuing professional development. After five years of repetitive and monotonous English language proficiency teaching, he had reached “a bottleneck” in his teaching without the theoretical guidance provided by research.

Back then, I was simply teaching without conducting research, and I reached a point where I felt there was a bottleneck, that is, there was not much to teach students. Yes, we teach English language skills, but we may also need to study the essence of language, some thinking behind the language, or some problems in this area. (Kevin, interview)

Therefore, although Kevin could “prepare courses and teach students English language skills and usages” (interview), he fell short of generating courses involving an in-depth analysis of the English language. Furthermore, the implementation of a research-oriented policy at his work institution exacerbated the tension between his actual identity as “an English language proficiency teacher” and his ought identity as “a competent university EFL teacher with research capacity”. A review of institutional policy documents confirms that the university imposed stringent requirements for research outputs in promotion and demonstrated a preference for awarding research-productive faculty in annual evaluations.

As a result, Kevin, a university EFL teacher with no research capacity and limited teaching experience (his actual identity), exerted agency to develop his research capacity to escape his predicament and advance his career. He pursued a master’s degree at a prestigious university belonging to Project 211 in a nearby province in 2005 (academic profile). During his postgraduate studies, Kevin quickly identified his research area, digital technology in education, and by following in his supervisor’s footsteps, learned research methodology in applied linguistics. He developed collaborative research experience in paper publications with his supervisor and peers. All of these gains gave Kevin strong confidence as a researcher in applied linguistics (his ought identity) and eventually changed his mind about research.

Prior to conducting research, I felt it was quite far away. It was all very strange to me. Other people’s papers were difficult to understand, and I thought research was sacred, a high-level thing at the time. Now, I have a better understanding. Research is no longer as far away as it once was. It is something that is around me, similar to my teaching. (Kevin, interview)

By exercising agency to address the problem of lack of research capacity, Kevin managed to alleviate the tension between his actual identity (a teaching-focused university EFL teacher with limited research capacity) and his ideal identity (a competent university EFL teacher in both teaching and research). In addition, to produce sufficient research outputs, Kevin exerted agency to actively apply for research grants and write manuscripts. The institutional policy demonstrated that these two requirements were evident in every research document. Given Kevin’s view of promotion as “a baton”, his efforts were aimed in that direction.

The promotion system is a baton for all teachers. One is that it pushes teachers to conduct research, which is something we must do. Second, it requires that our research outputs not deviate from our professional field. So, it may impose some constraints on us. (Kevin, interview)

Kevin’s consistent effort in research practice resulted in several provincial and institutional research grants and over ten paper publications. He was promoted to associate professor in 2014 (academic profile). Since, he has held several administrative positions, including Director of the English Department and Secretary of Research at the School of Foreign Studies. However, his institutional expectation as a competent department administrator, EFL teacher, and researcher involved multiple responsibilities, which led to Kevin’s identity struggles.

The administration consumes a lot of energy, which diverts my attention away from research or teaching. For example, we must submit a large amount of paper work at the start of the term, followed by a mid-term inspection form, and finally a completion form. We have to submit a lot of materials repeatedly, which is very troublesome. (Kevin, interview)

Kevin had to put his researcher identity on hold for several years due to time and energy constraints and “slackness after promotion” (interview). Then, in around 2020, as his institution began to implement China’s new research policy breaking the “Five-Only”, both teaching and research were given stringent requirements in the key-performance appraisal system. Therefore, Kevin had to reclaim his identity as an active researcher despite his struggles and frustrations.

I haven’t done much reading in the last few years. So, when I started to do research again, there were a lot of things I needed to catch up on. As with applying for research grants, my lack of preparation may result in poor results. (Kevin, interview)

Unsurprisingly, when Kevin rushed to apply for a provincial research grant without doing much reading or preparation, he failed. After the initial painful feelings of picking up research activities, Kevin realized that he could integrate teaching and research. “Teaching can provide inspiration for research, and research can promote teaching effects” (interview). Kevin shared his memorable experience of conducting empirical studies in class with us.

It took me a significant amount of time to design research, enter data into a computer, and compare the results of several classes. I spent a lot of time in front of the computer every day, especially when it came to data processing. It took a lot of time and effort on my part. (Kevin, interview)

As a result, while Kevin was under mounting pressure to address identity tensions and institutional demands on his work duties, his agency in integrating teaching and research has assisted him in finding a practical and effective solution to contextual challenges. In the last three years, he has not only had four papers on educational research published in international peer-reviewed journals, but he has also been named “excellent teacher” at his institution twice because of his high rankings in students’ evaluations of teachers’ teaching performances (academic profile). Such professional gains demonstrate Kevin’s achievements in both teaching and research, as well as his sustainable professional development, given that his integration of teacher and researcher identities has met both his personal needs and institutional expectations. Being a university EFL teacher and a researcher are two crucial roles for Kevin (narrative frame). As he shared,

Teaching and research, in my opinion, are like stairs. When we teach, we gradually improve our teaching level, and once that level has improved, we will have a research platform. Then, as our teaching level improves, so will our research platform. As a result, teaching and research progress together. (Kevin, interview)

Overall, Kevin joined his university with an actual identity as an English language proficiency teacher, and he made agentive efforts to overcome identity tensions (e.g., “a teaching-focused university EFL teacher” versus “a university teacher with research capacity”) and live up to his ideal identity as a competent university EFL teacher in both teaching and research. Over time, his agency-driven actions enabled him to integrate teaching and research, ensuring sustainable professional development in his situated work context. Susan’s story

Unlike Kevin, who joined the university with a bachelor’s degree, Susan joined the university after completing her master’s degree in 2008. Susan quickly discovered that the university had adopted a research-oriented institutional culture and placed a high value on faculty research output, which provided her with an external identity as a university EFL teacher with a research dimension (ought identity), as reflected in the university’s research requirements for newly recruited faculty such as Susan.

The requirements of my university for my professional practice are both teaching and research… In research, two high-level papers in three years are required. I will be given certain awards if I meet these requirements, like 2,000 RMB for each paper, or I will suffer a financial loss if I fail. (Susan, narrative frame)

Under such influence, Susan made conscientious efforts in research practice, focusing on developing her researcher identity. In her spare time, she “frequently read academic literature” and “frequently conduct(ed) research” (narrative frame). Susan prioritized her researcher identity over her teacher identity during the first few years of her career, as evidenced by her comments.

When we call a person a teacher, it’s only limited to teaching. But if we want to be researchers, we must improve ourselves and then keep moving forward so that we can become researchers. I think the researcher is better than the teacher, and the level is higher. (Susan, interview)

Despite her dedication to research, Susan discovered that her limited training during her master’s degree did not provide her with the necessary skills to progress in research. There was a disconnect between her ought identity (an EFL teacher with research capacity) and actual identity (an EFL teacher with limited research knowledge and skills). Therefore, she made a decisive move in 2012, enrolling in a doctoral program at a prestigious university in Shanghai (academic profile), which proved to be a critical event in her research career.

These three years have been beneficial to me. I was at a university in Shanghai at the time, and there was a strong research atmosphere there. The scholars and their profound ideas there were very inspiring to me. Also, my supervisor had led me very well; under his guidance, I had identified my research area, American religion and culture, and I had collaborative work with my supervisor as well, so I believe that was the start of my research. (Susan, interview)

As a result of her consistent research efforts and acquired research knowledge and skills during her PhD studies, Susan was awarded a research project funded by China’s National Social Sciences Foundation in 2016 and quickly promoted to associate professor (academic profile). Despite her research accomplishments, Susan considered herself a “beginner” in her field (actual identity). She looked up to some experts in her field and aspired to be an established researcher like them (ideal identity). Therefore, when she returned from Shanghai, she concentrated on furthering her research in her area, American religion and culture, while continuing to teach college English routinely. Her primary focus on research and relative ignorance of teaching revealed an identity deficit in her professional work. She was only attempting to fulfil a prescribed duty (research engagement) associated with her ought identity as a university teacher with research capacity (externally advocated by the university), with comparatively few efforts to utilize expertise associated with such an identity in her teaching practice.

Things changed when Susan was appointed Director of the Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) Center at her department in 2018 (academic profile). Susan’s department imposed a new external identity as an administrator (ought identity) on her. Surprisingly, Susan held a positive attitude toward her newly imposed identity.

Although being Director of the MTI Center makes my daily work busier, I think it is a better platform. It provides me with more opportunities to meet experts in the field and see a wider world. (Susan, interview)

Susan’s professional engagement with the MTI Center became an important turning point in her identity transformation. First, Susan’s attitude toward teaching has shifted due to her frequent communication with postgraduate students. Through the ongoing process of teaching translation courses to postgraduate students, Susan found that she enjoyed being a teacher.

I want to provide these postgraduate students with high-end content, so I sometimes share my research with them in class, and when I share, it gives me a kind of happiness. Furthermore, when I am with these young students, I feel very energetic and alive. This simple and routine life suits me. (Susan, interview)

Second, Susan’s recent years of postgraduate teaching experience in translation and culture gave rise to her identity as an “insider” with knowledge about students’ needs, which further assisted her in reducing her identity deficit and contributing to the internalization of her ought identity as a teacher-researcher. Susan felt the need to become a teacher-researcher (ought identity) after several years of teaching postgraduate courses, as well as her institution’s implementation of breaking the “Five-Only” policy with an emphasis on both teaching and research. Therefore, Susan attempted to shift her research focus from American religion and culture to cultural translation to better connect her research expertise to the needs of her students. Susan’s transition was a success in both her research and teaching. She published one translation book last year and received two institutional educational research grants based on her teaching experience in cultural translation (academic profile), which helped her realize her identity as a teacher-researcher.

I had not anticipated receiving both of these educational research grants. I got them, much to my delight. Perhaps because I have combined what I have learned over the years with teaching experience, and my ideas are appropriate for this type of educational research. Anyway, it’s a good motivation for me to incorporate teaching reflection into my research practice. (Susan, interview)

In teaching, Susan tried to actualize her research experience and expertise in cultural translation into teaching practice. As Director of the MTI Center, Susan felt responsible for “promoting students’ translation skills” (interview); she invested great time and energy in her coursework and various kinds of translation practice practicums to fill her identity deficit and get close to her ideal identity (a competent and caring EFL teacher with research expertise). Based on her experience translating a book, Susan taught students how to “understand the overall framework of an article” (interview) before translating it in detail. She has also actively led students to participate in translation workshops and competitions and created a public website to promote their translation work.

As shared by Susan, her students responded positively to this theory plus practice teaching approach, demonstrating that they “acquired translation knowledge and gained translation skills” (interview) through courses and practices. Susan gained confidence in becoming a competent EFL translation teacher with a research dimension (ideal identity) as a result of the students’ positive responses. She expressed a desire to continue carrying out such a practice.

I want my students to have knowledge of translation theory as well as practical translation skills. We recently translated our city’s publicity brochure, as requested by the government. All of the students who took part felt great about practicing their translation skills. This is excellent practice for them. We will do so as long as opportunities present themselves. (Susan, interview)

Susan’s identity has shifted from a university teacher with research capacity (her ought identity) to that of a conscientious teacher-researcher (her actual identity) over the last few years as Director of MTI Center, which has facilitated her sustainable professional development in both teaching and research. Such a shift in her professional identity was evident in her drawing on research experience and expertise in cultural translation to educate her students. In other words, her researcher identity influenced her teaching practice and teacher-researcher identity development. As Susan reflected,

Research aids teaching because it requires us to read more books and experience things firsthand, which gives us a broader perspective. In my case, I translated a book, which provided me with valuable experience to share with students. Teaching is a guide for students, and researchers can lead them to a higher level, so I believe research is essential for teaching. We should be researchers if we want to be good teachers. (Susan, interview)

Susan began her work with a researcher identity, which evolved into an identity deficit as she prioritized research excellence over teaching responsibilities. She gradually resolved her identity deficit by exercising agency in linking research with teaching practice as she engaged in continuing professional development with new responsibilities. Her actual identity as a teacher-researcher served as a guide for her sustainable professional development in the context of higher education.