Effective Teachers for Successful Schools and High-Performing Students: The Case of Shanghai

• In Event: Educational Policy Innovations: Leveling Up and Sustaining Educational Achievement

Abstract

Purpose
This purpose of this presentation is to expound on the factors that may have led to Shanghai being considered as one of the high performing education system (HPES).


Perspectives
Shanghai is the first city in China to have instituted the 9-year compulsory education system – which includes 5 years in a primary school and 4 years in junior secondary – and to have made this uniformed across China. In abiding with the national policy on education, the provision of a high quality education service and promotion of students’ all-round development in terms of their moral, intellectual and physical development are carved out as main priorities guiding basic education in Shanghai.

Shanghai’s education system has attracted international attention since its students emerged top in reading, mathematics and science on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests in 2009. The gaps between top-, bottom- and middle-band performers in reading, mathematics and science are relatively small in Shanghai and academic achievement of the bottom-line or tail-end performers is higher than OECD average. Amongst various factors, an important one behind these achievements is the persistent commitment to developing a high-quality teaching force, with strong support for teacher professional development by governments and schools.


Methods and Data
This presentation is based on strategic education policy documents, especially the commission documents of the Shanghai Municipal Government and Shanghai Municipal Education Committee. In addition, the data presented is based on information provided by the universities offering teacher education programmes and the local schools.

Results
In a short span of about 30 years, Shanghai has introduced great reforms in order to raise the quality of the teaching force as the Shanghai Municipal Government attaches great importance to the building of a high quality of school administration and teaching workforce. Over the last 20 years, the overall teaching quality of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens has been significantly improved.

Significance

Rigorous teacher education programmes with multiple pathways and models designed for different profiles of teacher candidates to the strong in-service professional development system that is financed by the government and the strong systemic coherence between the Shanghai Municipal Commission, the schools and the universities offering teacher education programmes due to Shanghai’s commitment in teacher development are collectively responsible for Shanghai’s emergence to the ranks of a HPES. In addition, carefully organised school-based professional development activities which are highly innovative such as Teaching and Research Groups (TRGs) and Lesson Preparation groups (LPGs) coupled with a carefully structured school leadership preparation programme are further measures that ensure that Shanghai maintains its top of the league standing in the international arena.

Authors

• Minxuan Zhang, Shanghai Normal University

• Junjie Xu, Shanghai Normal University