A Study On The Path For Professional Development Of Senior High School English Teachers In The New Era

Improving English teaching quality and efficiency is the goal and direction of senior high school English teaching reform in the new era.While a high-quality English teacher team is the key to English teaching quality improvement,the professional development of English teachers is the core element affecting a high-level English teacher team.The new college entrance examination reform and the promulgation and implementation of the New Curriculum Standard are the biggest challenges facing the professional development of senior high school English teachers.In recent years,although academic attention to English teacher’s professional development has increased,little scholarship has been involved in exploring the paths of new policies for senior high school English teacher’s professional development in the context of Legitimation Code Theory.This study is conducted with 145 senior high school English teachers in four administrative regions in the main urban area of Chongqing Municipality.Drawing on the theoretical perspective of "specialization" in the Legitimation Code Theory and a combination of literature research,questionnaire and interview methods,the study explores the current situations of professional development of some senior high school English teachers in Chongqing Municipality under the new college entrance examination and the New Curriculum Standard,and the gap between their current situations and the Professional Standard.The analysis of the survey results shows that:(1)At the level of interpersonal interaction,senior high school English teachers in the regions mainly lack communication with teachers of other subjects and supervisors.(2)At the level of professional knowledge,the teachers are mainly lacking in the subject knowledge,subject teaching knowledge and general knowledge aspects.Combining the "specialization" perspective of Legitimation Code Theory,the results of this study are as follows:(1)116 teachers interviewed have strong social relations and weak epistemic relations and belong to the "knower code".(2)29 teachers interviewed have strong epistemic relations and weak social relations,they belong to the "knowledge code".(3)The "knower code" teachers and the "knowledge code" teachers have a particular gap with the "elite code" required by the Professional Standard.In response to the above findings,the author suggests the following paths for senior high school English teachers who belong to the "knower code" and the "knowledge code" to achieve the "elite code" at the level of professional knowledge and interpersonal communication,respectively.(1)Teachers at the "knower code" level need to construct the knowledge system of English pedagogy and psychology in high school;continuously improve the professional knowledge system of English subjects;consolidate the learning of high school English subject’s curriculum standards;master high school English subject’s school-based curriculum development methods;strengthen the English course ideological and political education and build cultural confidence;improve information-based English teaching skills;and raise awareness of reflective language teaching.(2)Teachers at the "knowledge code" level should understand the different needs of students in English learning;build English teachers’ professional development community;strengthen the ability to collaborate and communicate with teachers and supervisors from other disciplines;create a platform for foreign language learning between home and school;and participate in foreign language’s academic conferences.This study analyzes and researches the professional development paths of senior high school English teachers in the new era from the perspective of Legitimation Code Theory,hoping that the findings will help senior high school English teachers understand themselves objectively and strengthen the construction of a high-level senior high school English teaching force in order to promote their own professional development better.