Teacher Agency and Continuing Professional Development in Chinese Universities

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of educational background, professional title, work experience and agency on the continuing professional development (CPD) of 620 university teachers in China using a questionnaire survey. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in the CPD levels of teachers based on their educational qualifications, professional titles and years of experience, with CPD levels evolving alongside these factors. Additionally, teacher agency was found to have a significant positive effect on CPD, with higher levels of teacher agency being correlated with higher levels of CPD. The findings also revealed that teacher agency has a significant and positive influence on teachers' activities in terms of updating knowledge, reflection and collaboration in the context of continuing development. Received: 19 February 2024 / Accepted: 24 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024