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ion in China except for a very few researches (e.g. Dai Weidong, 2002; XiaJimei, 2002). Therefore, it is necessary to investigate teachers' beliefs. One purpose ofthe study is to know the present situation of teachers' beliefs. It also aims to discoverthe beliefs gap between in-service English teachers and pre-service English teachers.And the third purpose is to put forward some suggestions for pre-service Englishteachers and in-service English teachers.

1.3 Significance of the Study
First, the topic for this thesis centering around teachers' beliefs is a heated topicin the recent years.Second, teachers' belief systems are founded on the goals, values, and beliefsteachers hold in relation to the content and process of teaching. These beliefs andvalues serve as the background to much of the teachers' decision making and action,and hence constitute what has been termed the "culture of teaching".Furthermore, this research is vital because it helps people to understand teachers'beliefs about knowledge and how these beliefs impact on planning and criticalthinking. However, researchers in China have lagged far behind their foreigncounterpart as far as teachers' cognition studies are concerned. Besides, researcheswere focused on the teachers' beliefs of in-service English teachers or of pre-serviceEnglish teachers separately.

Chapter 2 literature review

There are three sections in the literature review: theories about belief, theoriesabout teachers' beliefs, and relevant researches about teachers' beliefs.

2.1 Beliefs

2.1.1 Definition of Beliefs
In the psychology, the term "beliefs" is always regarded as the theory orunmovable thoughts through which individuals understand the nature and the society.Belief may not always be thought consciously, and may be discovered or brought upto a level of consciousness. An individual' beliefs about one particular area or subjectwill not only be interconnected, but also related to other more central aspects of hispersonal belief system.According to Thompson (1992), beliefs are dynamic and subject to change(1992). Pajare (1992) holds that beliefs are the best indicators of teachers' decisionsand teachers' practices, whereas Pintrich (1990) goes a step further and proclaims thatbeliefs will ultimately prove to be the most valuable psychological construct toconsider in teacher education.Understanding stereotypical beliefs that people hold and its influence onindividual's behavior has been the focus of research for many social psychologists(Aiken, 2002). Recently many researchers are trying to differentiate and understandthe differences between beliefs and knowledge. Some argue that knowledge is"justified true belief. Others argue that beliefs are represented in the mind and holdthat knowledge is an integral part of beliefs and hence it is difficult to segregate onefrom the other (Pajares, 1992). Pajares suggests that the major difference betweenbelief and knowledge is that beliefs are based in judgment and education, whereasknowledge is objective, verifiable fact. Other researchers argue that the relationshipbetween belief and knowledge is that a belief is knowledge if the belief is true or ifthe believer has a reasonable evidence for believing it is true. A false belief is notregarded as knowledge, even if it is believed.

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