1 Introduction

Teacher action research is a form of research in which teachers explore and evaluate their own work through practice, effectively combining theory and practice to promote teacher professional development. At the end of the 20th century, action research was introduced into the field of English education in China, and the main literature introduced it as a teaching research method and teacher training approach. Since the 21st century, research forms have diversified, and a community of university researchers and primary and secondary school teachers has gradually formed. Since 2010, six sessions of English teaching/teacher action research training courses have been held nationwide. In 2016, the Fourth National Symposium on Foreign Language Teacher Education and Development held a special seminar, indicating that action research on English teachers in Chinese universities is rapidly developing. The author reviews relevant literature from 1999 to 2022, analyzes the current situation and problems, proposes countermeasures, and looks forward to further prosperity and development.

2. Literature sources and sorting methods

Through searching on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), 56 papers on action research of English teachers in universities were selected from CSSCI source journals in foreign languages from 1999 to 2022. The literature review is divided into two stages: before and after 2010, with 2010 as the boundary, as there has been a significant increase in the number of action research workshops and literature since then. There are two types of research: empirical research and non empirical research. The former provides the complete elements of action research, while the latter does not.

3 Overall Trends

From 1999 to 2022, the number of action research papers on English teachers in Chinese universities has significantly increased, with empirical research being particularly prominent, increasing from 13 to 35. Teaching research has doubled, and research on teacher professional development has steadily developed. The decrease in the number of non empirical studies and the significant decline in introduction and theoretical exploration studies indicate that the action research paradigm is being integrated into English teaching practice and its recognition is increasing, while deep theoretical research combined with English teaching still faces challenges.

Research content and characteristics of the four stages

The research in the initial development stage (1999-2010) mainly introduced and explored the application of action research in English teaching, including theoretical introduction, empirical research, and teacher professional development. The research topic involves English skill development, professional curriculum reform, and teaching mode optimization, based on a holistic language teaching perspective and speech act theory. Researchers have begun to pay attention to learners' cognitive abilities, and the overall teaching concept and cooperative consciousness are gradually forming.

5 Existing Problems

The problems in the action research of college English teachers include: insufficient research quantity, fewer papers compared to the large team of English teachers, and a small proportion in journals, lacking columns or special issues; The research problem is not focused enough, lacking in-depth literature review and theoretical basis, resulting in a lack of pertinence and depth in the research; The non-standard use of research paradigms and methods can easily confuse with other research paradigms, affecting research implementation and paper writing; The reflective and cyclical nature of research is insufficient, and existing research needs to be strengthened in terms of reflection and continuous improvement before and after action. There are few prolific authors and multiple rounds of research, which is not conducive to the promotion and popularization of action research.

6 Solutions

To address the issues in action research among college English teachers, it is recommended to establish an action research community, expand research topics, and form a "college English teacher+" model, including English teaching, smart education, cultural dissemination, etc. At the same time, we should pay attention to local practices, construct theories with Chinese characteristics, and strengthen reflection. Researchers need to have firm beliefs, continuously improve teaching, and educational administrative departments should provide support. Teachers should engage in multidimensional critical collective reflection through dialogue and discussion, and journals should set up columns to promote action research paradigms and promote the development of action research in foreign language education and teaching.

7 Conclusion

Reviewed the literature on action research of English teachers in universities from 1999 to 2022, and pointed out the current research status and problems; Propose to construct a theory of action research on English with Chinese characteristics and strengthen its reflective nature; Suggest expanding the research topic, enlarging the group of researchers, and forming a community; Optimize the ecological environment of foreign language education and promote the development of action research.