Emerging perceptions of teacher quality and teacher development in China

Abstract

This paper focuses on the work of senior high school teachers in three representative local authority regions of mainland China. It discusses interview and focus group data collected as part of an ESRC/DfID-funded project which examined notions of quality as experienced by key stakeholders (national and local authority policy makers, teachers, head teachers and students). Building on previous international literature this paper gives a more nuanced understanding of quality and effectiveness in teaching by re-examining the dimensions of professional characteristics, classroom practice, school culture and classroom climate from the perceptions of Chinese teachers. Barriers to quality included changing societal patterns, the demands of curriculum reform, and common concerns with structural and funding constraints, which in poorer rural areas are typically reported to lead to low levels of teacher quality, shortages of specialised teachers and a lack of opportunity for good quality professional development.