Tensions in Teachers’ Conceptions of Research: Insights from College English Teaching in China

This paper draws on semi-structured interview data to explore the conceptions of research held by College English teachers in China and the extent to which these conceptions are conducive to professional development. Our analysis highlights several tensions in the teachers' perspectives between doing research for publication and for pedagogical growth, between conducting theoretical research and practical research, between quantitative and qualitative perspectives, and between personal and external motivations for doing research. The data also illustrates how teachers' conceptions of such issues are informed by multiple and sometimes conflicting sources of advice and experience. The paper concludes with implications for how to make research engagement conducive to College English teachers' professional development.