IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-03448-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The influence of mentorship and working environments on foreign language teachers’ research motivation in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yanping Li

    (Sichuan Agricultural University)

  • Lawrence Jun Zhang

    (University of Auckland)

  • Naashia Mohamed

    (University of Auckland)

Abstract

Teachers at Higher Education (HE) institutions are expected to do research. However, the level of motivation to engage in research varies with various institutional factors affecting teachers’ research motivation. Previous research has shown the need to better understand these factors to facilitate teachers’ research motivation. This mixed methods study with 536 English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher participants from Chinese universities investigates the relationship between mentorship, working environment and teachers’ research motivation. Our analysis of the questionnaire data using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) shows the significant influence of working environments on teachers’ research motivation. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and diaries were thematically analysed to reveal that the examined factors have different impacts on teachers’ research motivation on the basis of different university types. Both mentorship and working environments had an influence on teachers’ research motivation. Teachers from “Project 985” and “Project 211” universities had a more supportive working environment than those teachers at ordinary/regular universities who appeared to have insufficient mentorship, poor working environments, inadequate time support, and deficient opportunities to attend academic conferences that affected these teachers’ research motivation negatively. The implications of our study are that university administrators and policymakers could develop practical mentorship programmes with effective assessment measurements of the mentoring process and stipulate relevant policies to provide conducive working environments, especially for teachers from ordinary/regular universities, to enhance teachers’ research motivation and improve their research productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanping Li & Lawrence Jun Zhang & Naashia Mohamed, 2024. "The influence of mentorship and working environments on foreign language teachers’ research motivation in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03448-w
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03448-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-03448-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-03448-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brad M. Barber & Wei Jiang & Adair Morse & Manju Puri & Heather Tookes & Ingrid M. Werner, 2021. "What Explains Differences in Finance Research Productivity during the Pandemic?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1655-1697, August.
    2. Ali H. Al-Hoorie, 2017. "Sixty Years of Language Motivation Research," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440177, March.
    3. 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.
    4. Graves, Philip E & Marchand, James R & Thompson, Randal, 1982. "Economics Departmental Rankings: Research Incentives, Constraints, and Efficiency," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(5), pages 1131-1141, December.
    5. Nusair, Khaldoon & Hua, Nan, 2010. "Comparative assessment of structural equation modeling and multiple regression research methodologies: E-commerce context," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 314-324.
    6. May Thu Kyaw, 2021. "Factors Influencing Teacher Educators’ Research Engagement in the Reform Process of Teacher Education Institutions in Myanmar," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Melody Lo & M. C. Sunny Wong & Franklin G. Mixon, 2008. "Ranking Economics Journals, Economics Departments, and Economists Using Teaching‐Focused Research Productivity," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(3), pages 894-906, January.
    2. Bruno Frey, 2005. "Problems with Publishing: Existing State and Solutions," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 173-190, April.
    3. Paulo Guimarães & Mariana Barbosa, 2022. "The state of Portuguese research in economics: 20 years after," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 21(3), pages 283-309, September.
    4. Robert F. Mulligan, 2024. "Publication trends in political economy scholarship 2011–2020," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 200-302, June.
    5. Sungbin Youk & Hee Sun Park, 2019. "Where and what do they publish? Editors’ and editorial board members’ affiliated institutions and the citation counts of their endogenous publications in the field of communication," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 120(3), pages 1237-1260, September.
    6. Fatima Akhtar & K. S. Thyagaraj & Niladri Das, 2018. "Perceived Investment Performance of Individual Investors is Related to the Big-Five and the General Factor of Personality (GPF)," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 19(2), pages 342-356, April.
    7. Mirucki, Jean, 1994. ""The productivity of economics departments in the U.S.: publications in the core journals": A comment," MPRA Paper 27562, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jul 1995.
    8. Issler, João Victor & Ferreira, Rachel Couto, 2003. "Avaliando pesquisadores e departamentos de economia no Brasil a partir de citações internacionais," FGV EPGE Economics Working Papers (Ensaios Economicos da EPGE) 500, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil).
    9. Jerry G. Thursby, 2000. "What Do We Say about Ourselves and What Does It Mean? Yet Another Look at Economics Department Research," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 383-404, June.
    10. Deepa Dhume Datta & Nitzan Tzur-Ilan, 2024. "Gender Gaps in the Federal Reserve System," Working Papers 2417, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    11. Kadidja Kone & Paula Winke, 2023. "Do Directed Motivational Current Phenomena Exist Everywhere? An Investigation into African EFL Learners’ Experiences," English Language Teaching, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 16(4), pages 1-1, April.
    12. Darshana Mudalige & Noor Azizi Ismail & Marlin Abdul Malek, 2016. "Exploratory Study on Relationship between Entrepreneur Characteristics and Dynamic Capabilities in Export SMES," Paradigm, , vol. 20(2), pages 113-130, December.
    13. Benno Torgler & Marco Piatti, 2011. "A Century of American Economic Review," Working Papers 2011.27, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    14. George E. Halkos & Nickolaos G. Tzeremes & Stavros A. Kourtzidis, 2010. "An application of statistical interference in DEA models: An analysis of public owned university departments' efficiency," EERI Research Paper Series EERI_RP_2010_17, Economics and Econometrics Research Institute (EERI), Brussels.
    15. Kamini Rai & Abha Gupta & Anshu Tyagi, 2021. "Personality Traits Leads to Investor’s Financial Risk Tolerance: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 46(4), pages 422-437, November.
    16. Walter Novaes, 2007. "A Pesquisa em Economia no Brasil: Uma avaliação empírica dos conflitos entre quantidade e qualidade," Textos para discussão 553, Department of Economics PUC-Rio (Brazil).
    17. Baltagi, Badi H., 2007. "Worldwide Econometrics Rankings: 1989–2005," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(5), pages 952-1012, October.
    18. Tom Coupé & Valérie Smeets & Frédéric Warzynski, 2006. "Incentives, Sorting and Productivity along the Career: Evidence from a Sample of Top Economists," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(1), pages 137-167, April.
    19. Ragan Jr, James F. & Warren, John T. & Bratsberg, Bernt, 1999. "How similar are pay structures in 'similar' departments of economics?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 347-360, June.
    20. Benedetto Torrisi, 2014. "A multidimensional approach to academic productivity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(3), pages 755-783, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03448-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.