活动理论视角下高校英语教师研究取向探究

Exploring Chinese university EFL teachers’ research orientation from an activity theory perspective

本项混合研究基于活动理论探究中国高校英语教师的研究取向,即因何、做何及如何研究。综合分析跟踪案例的质性资料和问卷调查的量化数据发现:1)教师研究动机具有多重性,个人发展内在动力不及职称晋升压力,致力学科与院系发展的积极动机低于科研规定带来的消极动机;2)教师研究兴趣呈多样化,英语教学研究最受关注,但研究与教学实践存在鸿沟;3)教师使用的研究方法趋向多元,但实证研究的认知与实际使用存在偏差。教师主体批判性审视研究活动内在机制与外部环境有助塑造理性的研究取向,进而促成教师研究与教学实践互动发展。

Drawing on activity theory, this mixed methods study explores Chinese university EFL teachers’ research orientation toward why they engage in research, what they show interest in, and how they do it. The connected results of qualitative inquiry extracted from a longitudinal case study and quantitative analysis based on a questionnaire survey indicate that teacher research motivation involves multiple components. The intrinsic motive for personal development is no match for professional title promotion pressure, and the positive motivation targeting discipline and institution development gives way to the negative caused by academic research requirements. Teacher research interests cover a wide range of topics, of which English language teaching and learning is the most concern, but there is a gap between research and teaching practices. In addition, various methods are used while the discrepancy between teachers’ perceptions and practices of empirical research is noticeable. It is suggested that university EFL teachers as subjects maintain a critical examination of the internal mechanism and the wider context where research activities are rooted. That is expected to help shape reasonable research orientation and foster effective interaction between teacher research and teaching practices.