Teacher cognition among tertiary-level Chinese English teachers

Teacher cognition studies are rare in the mainland Chinese context; they are also rare in other contexts similarly defined by common features such as non-native speaking language teachers, large classes, publicly-funded institutions, and mandated curricula or materials. This broadly qualitative investigation of three tertiary-level Chinese English teachers sought to elicit views and beliefs about language learning and teaching, their sources, and their links with classroom behaviour. A cyclical series of data collection (including autobiographical writing, interviews, lesson observations and stimulated-recall interviews, documentary data, and a group discussion) was employed to produce four linked studies: three individual case studies and a cross-case study. Interpretive data analysis, achieved through a process of constant comparison, was employed to reveal each teacher's views and beliefs. In order to ensure an emic perspective, each teacher's 'voice' is given prominence through the presentation of data. The interpretation of data suggests the importance of various levels of context to teachers' thinking, including the background Confucian approach to education, previous experiences as learners and teachers, and the situation the teachers encounter at both classroom and institutional levels.