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Exploring and Sustaining Language Teacher Motivation for Being a Visiting Scholar in Higher Education: An Empirical Study in the Chinese Context

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  • Honggang Liu

    (Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China)

  • Lixiang Gao

    (Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China)

  • Fan Fang

    (Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China)

Abstract

Language teacher motivation has been explored through various contexts in recent decades. However, less attention has been paid to teachers’ motivations for furthering their professional development in multilingual academic environments, such as by becoming visiting scholars at top universities at home or abroad. This study adopts a mixed-method approach to investigate language teachers’ motivations for being visiting scholars. First, a questionnaire was conducted on 169 teachers who spoke both English and languages other than English (LOTEs). Following an exploratory factor analysis, six separate motivational sources were identified: internal needs, stress relief, academic positioning, academic contact, academic symbolism, and policy support. For triangulation purposes, further interviews were conducted with three visiting scholars and one supervisor for in-depth qualitative data analysis. Interview findings reveal an imbalance between high demand for visiting scholarship funding and the financial allowances granted by governments and universities. Visiting scholars also experience inadequate academic guidance from their supervisors and few opportunities to participate in supervisors’ projects. Based on the research findings, this study proposes ways to sustain teacher motivation at the macro (policy) level, the meso (tutor system) level, and the micro (individual supervision) level.

Suggested Citation

  • Honggang Liu & Lixiang Gao & Fan Fang, 2020. "Exploring and Sustaining Language Teacher Motivation for Being a Visiting Scholar in Higher Education: An Empirical Study in the Chinese Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6040-:d:390745
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jian-E Peng & Xuesong (Andy) Gao, 2019. "Understanding TEFL Academics’ Research Motivation and Its Relations With Research Productivity," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(3), pages 21582440198, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Honggang Liu & Wenxiu Chu & Fan Fang & Tariq Elyas, 2021. "Examining the Professional Quality of Experienced EFL Teachers for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories in Rural Areas in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Xiantong Zhao & Xu Liu, 2022. "Academic Visits as Transformative Learning Opportunities: The Case of Chinese Visiting Academics," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, November.
    3. Xiantong Zhao & Xu Liu, 2022. "Sustaining Faculty Development through Visiting Scholar Programmes: A Transformative Learning Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Hui Li & Shoukat Iqbal Khattak & Qingquan Jiang, 2021. "A Qualitative Assessment of the Determinants of Faculty Engagement in Internationalization: A Chinese Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, September.
    5. Wenxiu Chu & Honggang Liu & Fan Fang, 2021. "A Tale of Three Excellent Chinese EFL Teachers: Unpacking Teacher Professional Qualities for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories from an Ecological Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Gareth Morris & Junhua Mo, 2023. "Exploring the employment motivation, job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of university English instructors in public institutions: a Chinese case study analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Shi Jiao & Jing Wang & Xu Ma & Zheng You & Dini Jiang, 2022. "Motivation and Its Impact on Language Achievement: Sustainable Development of Ethnic Minority Students’ Second Language Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Emir Ozeren & Aykut Arslan & Serdar Yener & Andrea Appolloni, 2020. "The Predictive Effect of Teachers’ Perception of School Principals’ Motivating Language on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy via a Cultural Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, October.

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