Strategies for sustainable competence development in primary English education majors: A qualitative inquiry into institutional and non-institutional constraints

Abstract

This study investigates the professional competency development of primary English education (PEE) majors and explores strategies to foster sustainable competence development (SCD) through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 55 PEE majors at a university in the People’s Republic of China. Participants addressed three core themes: (a) challenges in competency development, (b) barriers to sustainable growth, and (c) institutional/non-institutional strategies for promoting SCD. Using grounded theory, the analysis reveals that institutional and non-institutional factors collectively constrain students’ SCD, including curricular gaps, pedagogical limitations, and underdeveloped autonomous learning practices. The findings further highlight disparities in faculty expertise, inadequate alignment between coursework and practical teaching demands, and limited support for lifelong learning competencies. To address these issues, this study proposes a series of evidence-based countermeasures: reforming teaching methodologies in accordance with self-determination theory (SDT), enhancing faculty training through the integration of the TPACK framework, redesigning curricula to incorporate sustainable development perspectives, establishing collaborative learning environments to promote resource equity and improve teaching conditions, and cultivating students’ self-directed learning skills grounded in SDT principles. These recommendations are designed to ensure that PEE programs remain aligned with the evolving requirements of primary English education and facilitate the long-term professional development of graduates.