EFL Teachers’ Professional Development—In-service Training and Support from Universities

Teachers' professional development has been extensively studied from an internal perspective, while external factors have been largely neglected.Given that a teacher's professional development is best achieved through a combination of internal and external factors, this study explores the impact of training and school support on the professional development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers.Using a descriptive and quantitative research design, data was collected from 244 Chinese university EFL teachers to explore challenges encountered in furthering their professional development, focusing on the availability of training and school support.The findings reveal that EFL teachers face moderate challenges related to the availability of training and school support for professional development.Recommendations are made based on the findings of research, including the design and implementation of tailored professional development programs, fostering open communication and providing various forms of support in educational institutions, and establishing a comprehensive professional development plan for EFL teachers.