Catering for teachers’ individual teaching differences in China: the case of forming reciprocal coaching circles supported by university-based teacher educators

ABSTRACT

Opportunities for high quality teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) are considered scarce in Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In addition, there seem to be few sustainable outcomes of teachers’ CPD. The present study aimed to address English teachers’ dissatisfaction with their own CPD in China. With some university-based teacher educators’ support, reciprocal coaching circles were formed by English teachers, where they identified common teaching problems and worked out practical solutions appropriate for their local contexts collaboratively. The findings suggest multiple benefits, including higher confidence in teaching, an expanded repertoire of teaching strategies, and teachers’ professional communities. Both in-service teachers and university-based teacher educators contribute to reciprocal coaching circles in complimentary ways, with local teachers being the main agent for change and university-based teacher educators being facilitators.

KEYWORDS:

• Reciprocal coaching circles
• in-service teachers’ CPD
• university-based teacher educators
• main agent for change

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.