How Expert Teacher Teams Lead Professional Development in Underprivileged Areas: Experiences in Chinese Cases

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 5:25 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: International Perspectives on Enhancing Teacher Beliefs, Collaboration, and Development (Table 8)

Abstract

The Expert Teacher Teams (ETTs) are assigned to lead teacher professional development projects in underprivileged areas in China. However, the literature has given scant attention to how teachers enact leadership and collaborate with other agents, such as the government. Integrating two critical constructs in education, professional capital and Leading from the Middle, this article examines the experiences of ETT members from two typical educational assistance projects. Using qualitative methods, this study delineates a series of professional capital of expert teachers for leading in the middle zone, deemed the most crucial force. They establish a systematic network with clear labor division among other stakeholders, including the government, recipient schools, and local institutions. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Authors

• Yan Hu, Beijing Normal University

• Zhaodi Cui, Beijing Normal University

• Siyu Jiang, Beijing Normal University

• Luyao Zhang, Beijing Normal University