Challenging teachers’ pedagogical approaches: professional learning for Mandarin teachers in England and Scotland

Over the past decade, the United Kingdom (UK) has experienced increasing demand for learning Mandarin. However, the field of teaching Mandarin as a foreign language remains underdeveloped. For example, in-service teachers, many of whom are native speakers, have limited formal training and lack context-specific knowledge. This study explores the impact of a subject-specific professional learning (PL) programme for Mandarin teachers (N = 41) with a focus on their understanding of pedagogical content knowledge and professional dialogue. Data were collected through surveys and artefacts. The study found that Mandarin teachers recognised the importance of PL. However, regular and subject-specific training was not readily available at the time of this research. Findings also revealed a significant lack of context-sensitive and Mandarin-specific pedagogical knowledge, although most of the teachers demonstrated conceptual and pedagogical growth after the workshop. We conclude this article by proposing a nationwide PL resource consortium to foster collaborations for in-service Mandarin teachers in the UK.