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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 16. Number 2, June 2025 Pp.262-275
Graduate studies have been proven to be a significant teacher’s professional learning. Pursuing graduate studies helps teachers strengthen their professional growth, develop teaching practices, and improve students’ learning experiences. Previous studies have shed light on internal and external factors encouraging teachers to embark on their graduate studies, leaving a knowledge gap in comprehending critical factors impacting the completion of such studies. Drawing upon the Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1989), this multiple case study aims to address this gap by examining factors affecting the completion of EFL teachers’ graduate studies in an English language teaching master’s program. Data were qualitatively collected through semi-structured interviews with ten purposefully selected teachers graduating from this program. Subsequently, data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings revealed two categories of influences, personal and contextual factors. On a personal level, intrinsic motivation, a positive attitude, and self-efficacy enabled participants to persist through academic challenges. Contextual factors included professional, institutional, and familial assistance that ignited their inner resilience and sustained their commitment to learning. Notably, most participants identified the former as more decisive in their graduate study completion than the latter. Critically, these findings align well with Bandura’s theory, emphasizing the dynamic interconnection among personal attributes, environmental conditions, and academic behaviors. Understanding these influencing factors is essential for minimizing drop-out rates and maximizing support to these teachers. This research ended with pedagogical implications for university program managers, teacher educators, and EFL teachers pursuing graduate studies.
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Trinh Quoc Lap is an English teacher educator at Can Tho University, Vietnam. His research interests include English pedagogy, curriculum studies, and teacher professional development. His ORCID ID is https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1256-8125
Phan Nhat Hao is a Master’s candidate in TEFL at Can Tho University, Vietnam. His research interests consist of teacher identity, teacher buoyancy, teacher emotion and teacher development. His ORCID ID is https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4069-6735
Le Thi Nhi is a Master’s candidate in TEFL at Can Tho University, Vietnam. Her research interests are teacher change and teacher professional development. Her ORCID ID is https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4358-3588
Luu Viet Hai Nhu is a Master’s candidate in TEFL at Can Tho University, Vietnam. Her research interests include teacher professional development and second language acquisition. Her ORCID ID is https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2740-8927
Le Cong Tuan is an English lecturer pursuing a Ph.D in TEFL at Can Tho University, Vietnam. His research interests include language anxiety, language pedagogy, and teacher change and professional development. His
ORCID ID is https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3055-6539