Needs and Problems of Professional Development of Secondary School English Teachers in Kunming, China

บทคัดย่อ

This study aimed to achieve two primary objectives: 1) to investigate the professional development needs of secondary school English teachers and 2) to identify the challenges these teachers face during their professional growth. The study also explored key teaching concepts and skills, such as English pronunciation, lesson planning, classroom management, and the underlying theoretical teaching framework. The research focused on 42 secondary school English teachers from seven Kunming Wu District, Yunnan, China schools. The sample included 40 purposively selected teachers, determined using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size formula. These teachers, all Chinese nationals, taught English to students in grades 7-9. The group was diverse regarding educational background, teaching experience, age, and gender. Notably, many of these teachers did not have a degree in English or English education and commonly used Chinese as the medium of instruction. To maintain ethical standards, all participant information was kept confidential and used solely for educational purposes. Data collection involved a four-part questionnaire, with a five-point Likert scale used to assess the teachers' professional development needs and problems. Additionally, two open-ended questions gathered teachers' opinions and suggestions regarding these issues. The data collected from 42 teachers were analyzed using the SPSS software.

The findings revealed that secondary school English teachers needed to improve their listening and speaking skills. They also desired to enhance professional development through information technology (IT) and the Internet. However, the study identified significant challenges, including a lack of ongoing feedback in training programs and time constraints due to heavy workloads, which hindered their professional development efforts.