Date of Award
3-3-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Discipline
Social Sciences
Department
Sociology and Social Policy
First Advisor
Prof. HUANG Jing
Second Advisor
Prof. YU Baohua Lucy
Third Advisor
Prof. WU Jianli
Abstract
Globally, intercultural competence (IC) has been widely acknowledged as an essential objective of foreign language education. As the emphasis shifts towards the pivotal role of teachers in facilitating students’ IC, recent scholarship highlights the need to enhance language teachers’ IC through targeted training, yet the dynamic, nonlinear nature of IC development in daily teaching practice remains underexplored. This qualitative study attempts to address this gap by empirically exploring how in-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers enact agency to shape their IC development within their professional life, using an ecological approach.
This study investigates in-service EFL teachers’ IC at Chinese universities through a sequential three-phase design. In Phase One, drawing on foundational IC models (e.g., Byram, 1997; Deardorff, 2006) synthesized into a conceptual framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the essential components of EFL teachers’ IC from a teacherspecific perspective. Phase Two adopted McLeroy et al.’s (1988) social-ecological model to guide semi-structured interviews exploring the multi-level structural barriers to teachers’ IC development. In Phase Three, informed by Priestley et al.’s (2015) ecological model of teacher agency, a multiple case study approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews, teaching documents, reflective journals, and classroom observations, was employed to illuminate the dynamic patterns of EFL teacher agency in fostering IC amid unfavourable contexts.
Thematic analysis reveals three key findings: (1) EFL teachers’ IC comprises “Expertise in IC Knowledge” (IC-K), “Proficiency in IC Pedagogical Skills” (IC-PS), and “Resilience in IC Instruction” (IC-IR); (2) IC development encounters barriers in four spheres including invisible walls, disconnected dialogues, systemic silence, and cultural currents and ideological constrains; (3) two patterns of teacher agency emerge: agency internally driven by experience-reflection and discipline-informed growth, and agency externally driven by student-response and classroom-guidance. Overall, this research contributes to reconstructing teachers’ IC model, deepening insights into challenges in EFL teachers’ IC development and addressing gaps in understanding teacher agency in IC development. The finding of this study suggests that IC development must be reframed not as an additional burden but as an integrated, sustainable part of professional growth. Teachers need access to long-term, scaffolded learning opportunities that build confidence and competence gradually.
Language
English
Copyright
The copyright of this thesis is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Li, P. (2026). Chinese EFL teachers' intercultural competence : components, challenges and agentic actions (Doctoral thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd/274/
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