Strategies for Enhancing Foreign Language Teachers’ Research Competence at Universities in Guangxi in the AI Age: An Educational Administration Perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the research competence of foreign language teachers at public undergraduate universities in Guangxi in the AI age and proposes strategies to enhance it from an educational administration perspective. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The study collected quantitative data from 313 foreign language teachers across 23 universities through a questionnaire survey, followed by SWOT-based focus group discussions with 15 teachers and expert evaluations by 15 foreign language education specialists. The findings indicate that the overall level of foreign language teachers’ research competence was moderate. Among the five dimensions, communication skills ranked highest, followed by skills in reviewing the state of research, while content knowledge ranked lowest. Weaknesses were particularly evident in methodological skills, data analysis, theoretical integration, and disciplinary knowledge. Based on the survey and focus group findings, 28 strategies were formulated across five dimensions of research competence: skills in reviewing the state of research, methodological skills, skills in reflecting on research findings, communication skills, and content knowledge. Expert evaluation results demonstrated high levels of suitability and feasibility for the proposed strategies. The study concludes that enhancing foreign language teachers’ research competence requires coordinated efforts involving institutional support, organizational learning mechanisms, teacher professional development, and the effective integration of AI technologies. The findings provide practical guidance for educational administrators and contribute to the development of sustainable pathways to strengthen foreign language teachers' research competence in AI-enabled higher education contexts.