Professional beliefs of eight IELTS preparation course teachers in China

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore the professional beliefs of IELTS preparation course teachers in China. The research was operated among eight IELTS test preparation course teachers in Guangzhou City. Being a case study, it employed questionnaire and interviews as the dominant research instruments to collect data. The study found that IELTS test preparation course teachers believed that the IELTS test could in general reveal the language proficiency of candidates, although they held both positive and negative attitudes about the test itself. As for the test preparation course, IELTS teachers believed that the test preparation courses are for business in nature rather than for education, which would influence their teaching in the classroom. The study also found that the IELTS teacher beliefs are influenced by their experience as learners, professional training, classroom practice, and contextual factors. The influence of contextual factors can be further divided into the impact from the private institution, various stakeholders, and the society. Teachers believed that the contextual factors exerted a significant impact on the formation of their beliefs about the IELTS test and test preparation courses, although the influence of the four factors is intertwined.