Exploring Barriers in Research Engagement of EFL Teachers in Western Chinese Universities

Abstract

This study aims to discuss the problems with EFL teachers' research involvement in Western universities in China. The study was qualitative and a case study that involved nine EFL teachers in semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The results showed that teachers' research activities were limited by the following barriers: at the individual level, teachers suffered from decreased research efficacy, research ability bottlenecks, and physical and mental exhaustion. On a community level, the research communities were underdeveloped and provided little mentoring and collaboration. Research resources, research management dilemmas, and a lack of time for continuous research were experienced at the organizational structural level by the teachers. At the socio-cultural level, tensions between disciplinary culture and the output-oriented culture of research evaluation limited meaningful engagement. The study provides insights into the multi-level and context-sensitive nature of research engagement and provides the practical implications for the improvement of EFL teachers' research development in under-resourced higher education environments.