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A mixed-methods approach on Returnee Teachers’ professional identity and its influencing factors in chinese universities

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Abstract

Teachers’ professional identity has an important impact on the career development of university teachers. The returnee teachers have both domestic and overseas study experience, so they show particularity in professional identity in China. This study adopted the mixed-methods approach to investigate returnee teachers’ professional identity and the influencing factors. In the quantitative part, it took some returnee teachers from universities in China as samples, and in the qualitative part, it carried out one-to-one interviews with 8 returnee teachers. The results showed that the overall level of professional identity of returnee teachers was relatively high. Specifically, returnee teachers had the highest degree of identity in professional behavior inclination and the lowest degree of identity in the sense of occupational belonging. Besides, we found the professional identity of returnee teachers was affected by professional emotion, professional ability, professional expectation, professional environment and material conditions. Among them, material conditions and professional environment have greater influence on the professional identity level of returned teachers. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice in an educational context.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this paper (and its supplementary information file), which is first-hand information, and therefore the data in this paper are not at risk.

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Funding

Special Research Project for Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Education(19JDGC007);Jilin Provincial Education Science "14th Five-Year Plan" Project(JF2108);Jilin Provincial Department of Education Higher Education Teaching Reform Research Teacher Special(A study on the effectiveness of teacher development programs from a developmental evaluation perspective);Jilin University Teacher Development Center(SKX2021002).

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  1. Institution of Higher Education, Jilin University, 2699 QianJin Street, 130012, Changchun, P. R. China

    Yang YU & Na YU

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  1. Yang YU
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  2. Na YU
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Correspondence to Yang YU.

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YU, Y., YU, N. A mixed-methods approach on Returnee Teachers’ professional identity and its influencing factors in chinese universities. Educ Inf Technol 28, 4287–4307 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11303-1

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