An Investigation into College English Teaching and 4C Skills Development: A Case Study of Higher Education in China

Abstract

The Chinese college English Curriculum continues to face numerous challenges in developing the 4C skills (creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration). This study examines the current state of 4C skills development within the college English curriculum by investigating students' learning experiences and teachers' teaching practices. Concerning data collection and analysis, a questionnaire was administered to 400 undergraduates from four different colleges and universities in China to obtain descriptive statistics. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather views and experiences from instructors (n = 5) and students (n = 7), using thematic analysis. The research findings indicate that current English courses struggle to effectively cultivate the 4C skills among students, primarily due to an overly simplistic assessment framework, misaligned course objectives with student needs, and inadequate institutional incentives. Drawing on constructivist learning theory and competency-based education (CBE), this study develops an analytical framework to identify underlying causes and propose countermeasures. Theoretically, it establishes an analytical framework integrating constructivism and competency-based theory. Practically, it explores the adaptability and challenges of localising the 4C skills framework, offering actionable reform insights for higher education administrators and teaching staff.