A Conceptual Framework for Reflexive Autoethnography in CFL Teacher Research

Abstrak

The global expansion of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) education has led to increasingly diverse and multicultural classrooms, particularly in regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Within these contexts, CFL teachers navigate complex linguistic and cultural landscapes, yet the internal decision-making processes that shape their pedagogical approaches remain critically underexplored. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by proposing a robust theoretical and methodological framework for investigating CFL teacher cognition through the lens of critical autoethnography. Synthesizing literature from teacher cognition, intercultural communication, and transformative learning theory, the paper argues that autoethnography offers a uniquely powerful tool for accessing the nuanced, context-dependent knowledge of CFL practitioners. The proposed framework integrates three core pillars: transformative learning theory, the principles of reflective practice, and the model of intercultural communicative competence. It positions the teacher as a reflexive instrument of inquiry, capable of generating rich, situated knowledge about the challenges and affordances of teaching CFL in multicultural settings. The paper proposes a novel integration of ICC as a teacher competency (not merely student goal) and operationalizes transformative learning through classroom micro-events, concluding with methodological implications.