The Professional Development of Limited–Term Contract Teachers at Japanese Universities

Limited-term contract positions at Japanese universities have been on the rise since the mid-1990s, whereas tenured positions have been in decline (Talbot & Mercer, 2018). Limited-term contract positions for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers vary in what they offer teachers regarding the duration of the contract, the amount of research and other budgets, salary,bonuses, time commitment on campus, number of classes to teach in a week, and extra duties outside of the classroom. EFL teachers who are employed as limited-contract lecturers or professors at Japanese universities often move from one short-term contract position to another while finding ways to develop as educators and researchers. This is a phenomenological qualitative study that explores the lived experiences and the professional goals and concerns of limited-term contract teachers at Japanese higher education institutions who were surveyed and interviewed about their professional development goals and concerns. The findings from this study were analyzed and interpreted applying Biesta et al.’s (2015) agency model of the past, present, and future while situating them within three thematic categories—life and professional histories, concerns, and future aspirations.