Understanding Expert EFL Teachers’ Motivation for Professional Development
How School Culture Matters
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16910364 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chenming Lyu (0000-0003-3159-2339, Ludong University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440251385400 |
| OpenAlex | W4415171350 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 47 |
Teacher motivation is a critical component of professional development (PD), which plays a central role in sustaining English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ professional standards. However, little research has examined how school-level factors foster teachers’ motivation for PD. This study investigates how a high school’s cultural environment influenced expert EFL teachers’ motivation for PD in China. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a qualitative case study was conducted in a Shanghai high school, using interviews, longitudinal observations, and document analysis. Findings indicate that the school’s research-oriented culture—characterized by a shared vision of teacher–student co-development, learning-centred leadership, promotion of innovation, institutional collaboration, and strong resource support—created conditions that satisfied teachers’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. These cultural affordances facilitated the development of autonomous motivation for PD, though some tensions and pressures also emerged. The study concludes by discussing implications for cultivating positive school cultures that support teacher motivation and professional growth
Activity Theory · Affordance · English as a foreign language · Foreign language · Motivation theory · Professional development · Qualitative research · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies · Teacher Professional Development and Motivation
Workplace Learning in Context
Engaging Language Learners in Contemporary Classrooms
Teaching and Researching Motivation
Self-Determination Theory
Schools as professional learning communities
The Effect of Teacher Psychological and School Organizational and Leadership Factors on Teachers' Professional Learning in Dutch Schools
Conceptualizing Teacher Professional Learning
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective
Teacher autonomous motivation for continuous professional development
When performativity meets agency
Introjected Regulation in Teachers’ Professional Development Motivations
Teachers’ motivation to participate in continuous professional development
Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations
Teachers’ appreciation of autonomy as a personal interpretation of professional reality
Supporting the professional learning of teachers in China
Context matters
A new framework for teachers’ professional development
Ecological systems theory and second language research
Understanding Language Teachers’ Motivations Towards Research
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
Motivational school climate and teachers' achievement goal orientations
Learning "New" Instructional Strategies
Understanding English Language Teachers' (De)motivation Toward Continuing Professional Development Through Psychological Contract and Work Attitude
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |