Chinese English Lecturers’ Self-Identification as Researchers

Abstract

Since the reform of the Chinese college title granting system in 2017, Chinese lecturers have been allowed to have different self-identification as researchers. This study aimed to investigate Chinese English lecturers’ self-identification as researchers and whether gender, age, academic qualification, title, teaching load, and top journal publications had significant influences on their self-identification as researchers. A questionnaire was employed to collect quantitative data from 612 Chinese English lecturers. The findings suggest that the lecturers had a relatively low self-identification as researchers and that all the independent variables had significant influences on their self-identification as researchers. The findings have the following implications. Firstly, colleges can encourage female, elderly, and non-publishing lecturers to do research by offering more incentives and research training. Secondly, colleges can implement favorable policies to encourage lecturers to pursue a doctoral degree. Thirdly, colleges can consider reducing the teaching load of the lecturers who wish to devote more time to research.