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Demystifying and sustaining the resilience of teacher educators: the perspectives of Teaching–Research Officers in China

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Abstract

Responding to increased global research interest in teacher educators’ professional lives, this study explores the resilience of Teaching–Research Officers, a characteristic type of teacher educators, in the context of mainland China. Based on survey data collected from a nationally representative sample (N = 5489), the results show that the Teaching–Research Officers surveyed generally favourably evaluated their resilience, as measured by their efficacy beliefs and work engagement, and that their resilience was significantly influenced by various personal, situated, and professional factors. This study extends the research on teacher resilience and provides quantitative evidence supporting the existing conceptual framework. The findings call for attention to be paid to the roles of professional development programmes and research-related job requirements for teacher educators. The study’s limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities under the Key Program “Reconstructing the Teaching and Research System in Schools to Promote Classroom Transformation” [Grant Number 16JJD880024].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Hongbiao Yin

  2. Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan N Rd, Shanghai, 200062, China

    Chen Xie & Huimin Hu

  3. Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Teacher Education, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, China

    Mingshuai Wang

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  1. Hongbiao Yin
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Correspondence to Chen Xie.

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Appendix: The scales used in the study

Appendix: The scales used in the study

TROs’ self-efficacy

  1. 1.

    I can always manage to solve difficult problems in teaching–research work if I try hard enough.

  2. 2.

    If a teacher opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.

  3. 3.

    It is easy for me to stick to my aims at teaching–research work and accomplish my goals on teaching–research work.

  4. 4.

    I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events in teaching–research work.

  5. 5.

    Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations in teaching–research work.

  6. 6.

    I can solve most problems in teaching–research work if I invest the necessary effort.

  7. 7.

    I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities in teaching–research work.

  8. 8.

    When I am confronted with a problem in teaching–research work, I can usually find several solutions.

  9. 9.

    If I am in trouble in teaching–research work, I can usually think of a solution.

  10. 10.

    I can usually handle whatever comes my way in teaching–research work.

TROs’ work engagement

Vigour

  1. 1.

    When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work.

  2. 2.

    At my job in teaching–research organization, I feel strong and vigorous.

  3. 3.

    At my teaching–research work, I always persevere, even when things do not go well.

  4. 4.

    I can continue working for very long periods at a time.

  5. 5.

    At my teaching–research job, I am very resilient, mentally.

  6. 6.

    At my teaching–research work, I feel that I am bursting with energy.

Dedication

  1. 1.

    To me, my teaching–research job is challenging.

  2. 2.

    My teaching–research job inspires me.

  3. 3.

    I am enthusiastic about my teaching–research job.

  4. 4.

    I am proud of the teaching–research work that I do.

  5. 5.

    I find the teaching–research work that I do full of meaning and purpose.

Absorption

  1. 1.

    When I am working on teaching–research, I forget everything else around me.

  2. 2.

    Time flies when I’m working on teaching–research.

  3. 3.

    I get carried away when I’m working on teaching–research.

  4. 4.

    It is difficult to detach myself from my teaching–research job.

  5. 5.

    I am immersed in my on teaching–research work.

  6. 6.

    I feel happy when I am working on teaching–research intensely.

Work environment

  1. 1.

    To what extent does management style of teaching–research office influence results of teaching–research work?

  2. 2.

    To what extent does assignment of responsibility of TROs influence results of teaching–research work?

  3. 3.

    To what extent do resources of teaching–research office (such as outlay, working conditions and so on) influence results of teaching–research work?

  4. 4.

    To what extent does interpersonal relationship and organizational climate of teaching–research office influence results of teaching–research work?

Training workload

  1. 1.

    How many collective investigations (Jiti Diaoyan) or collective inspection of teaching (Jiti Jiaoxue Shidao) did you carry out in the last semester?

  2. 2.

    How many individual investigations (Geren Diaoyan) did you carry out in the last semester?

  3. 3.

    How many schools (Dundian Xiao, Jidi Xiao, and Shiyan Xiao) did you fixedly guide teaching–research and school improvement of in the last semester?

  4. 4.

    How many model lessons (Shifan Ke) did you teach for elementary and secondary school teachers in the last semester?

  5. 5.

    How many lessons did you observe and evaluate in the last semester?

  6. 6.

    How many lectures did you deliver in the last semester?

  7. 7.

    How many teaching–research activities did you organize in your area in the last semester?

  8. 8.

    How many teaching competitions between teachers did you organize in your area in this school year?

  9. 9.

    How many academic competitions between students did you organize in this school year?

  10. 10.

    How many teachers won city-level awards in teaching competitions under your guidance in this school year?

  11. 11.

    How many teachers won provincial and ministerial-level awards in teaching competitions under your guidance in this school year?

Research workload

  1. 1.

    How many research projects funded by the central government (including the National Social Sciences Fund Research Project, the National Education Science Planning Research Project, the Chinese Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project, and research projects funded by other national ministries and commissions) did you have in this school year ?

  2. 2.

    How many research projects funded by a provincial government (including provincial philosophy and social science research projects, provincial education science planning research projects, and research projects funded by provincial departments of education) did you have in this school year?

  3. 3.

    How many research projects funded by a municipal government did you have in this school year?

  4. 4.

    How many research projects funded by a district government did you have in this school year?

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Yin, H., Xie, C., Hu, H. et al. Demystifying and sustaining the resilience of teacher educators: the perspectives of Teaching–Research Officers in China. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 21, 311–323 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09626-0

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