Reforming Chinese Teacher education: Findings from Training Program of Multiple-Subject Elementary School Teachers” in Rural Northwestern China

• In Event: Teacher motivation and professional development

Proposal

· Rationale and Purpose of the study
With the development of economy and politics, people set a higher expectations on the development of education. Cultivating the multiple-subject teachers is a trend over the world and in order to meet the need of the educational reform, normal university undertakes the responsibility for cultivating the pre-service multiple-subject elementary school teachers. The geographic location in western China is complexity and wide, many rural areas and pasturing areas in Qinghai province of China have many primary schools which contain only one or ten students, the shortage of different subjects teacher is the most serious problems. In order to save this problem, the Chinese Ministry of Education has been initiating a program “the Excellent Teacher Training Program of Primary and Secondary Schools”. Qinghai normal university has conducted a research project which focused on the education of the pre-service multiple-subject elementary school teachers, especially for the five northwestern provinces including the Tibetan region.

· Theoretical framework
The research about the multiple-subject elementary school teacher divided into eight parts: the connotation and key competency (Zhou et al., 2007-2012), the feasibility (Li, 2002), the cultivating objective (Xu et al., 2011), the cultivating level (Zhou, 2007), the cultivating mode (Deng et al.,2013), the construction of curriculum system (Zhou et al.,2007), the cultivating methods (Wu et al., 2007) and the teaching material (Zhou, 2007). The research about the cultivating of the educational practice ability of normal university students divided into three parts: the structure (Miller, 1982), the forming process and influencing factor (Fessler, 1985) and the cultivating process (Liu et al., 2004). Based on these researches, group member found that the methods are singleness and just a few people pay attention to the multiple-subject elementary school teachers’ educational practice ability. So they tried to redefine the academic phrase: practice, and analyze the structure of educational practical ability for multiple-subject teacher through the literature review, then used the action researcher method to build a developmental training system which is suitable for western Chinese normal university students. What’s more, they also hope to use this system to training the in-service multiple-subject teacher.

· Methods of data collection and analysis
This research lasted four years (2014.9—2018.9) and selected 83 students（45 Han students and 38 Tibetan students）majoring multiple-subject primary education in two classes. Based on the theoretical analyzing of the structure of educational practical ability, group members designed three rounds of action research, combined with the classroom observation, classroom interaction and focused group interview. During every round, there are five steps: 1) planning 2) action 3) assessment 4) reflective 5) re-planning. These steps guide each other together and every round connected together. This research is a cyclic openness process, the training system of educational practical ability in every round would be adjusted according to the result of reflective in the former round. As a result, this training system will be renovated every semester and reach the developing goal.

After these three action rounds, group members designed seven courses, the specific process is in the Chart I. All these courses require students to form a learning community and cooperate with each other to finish every task. During the reflective part in every action round, group member firstly collected the feedbacks from teacher and students and interviewed every group member to get more suggestions. According to these feedbacks, group member reviews the training system and practice constantly.

· Conclusion
The Reform of Culture through Practice
This study redefined the “practice” and the relationship between theory and practice. The circulation between three action round means theory learning and practice acquiring is related together. All the courses in this training system seemly pointed to promoting the educational practical ability, actually, the lasting pursuit is to find the theoretical framework and then renovate the practice.

The Reform of Culture through learning
This study points out that learning to students but also to teachers. Learning culture is about rebuilding the significance and relationship. If students cannot cooperate with others, cannot recognize the deep learning and the surface learning, and cannot become the educator for his/herself, they will not become a good teacher in the future. According to the reformation of learning culture, group member finds that the Learning Community is really a good way to achieve mutual learning and joint development.

The Reform of Culture in Organizations
This study shows students learning method, thinking method and behavior will influence others and even the whole concept of organization. As a result, the reformation of learning and education will make a student know the most valuable thing is not the knowledge but the way to think and communicate with others, especially people’s lifestyle and these things may change the culture of an organization.

The Reform of Culture by Assessment
This study changed the assessment method form summative assessment to process assessment. The whole training system contains its own index to evaluate students’ performance. Compared with the score or the skill, this study pays more attention to students’ confidence, willpower, motivation, courage and ability to communicate, even for the pre-service teacher, the generous heart and supportive personality are really precious.

The Reform of Culture through management
From the beginning of this study, the research team gathered the professors from eight different departments to rebuild the teaching staff. During the study, group member rethinks the real connotation of multiple-subject teacher, design more and more activities, make them become the formal course, and join in the teaching plan of the whole university. This reformation is beginning from the bottom to top, from one course, one major to the whole school, the whole culture in management. In a conclusion, the reformation of training goal and the curriculum will force the reformation of the management system in education.

Authors

• Qiyun Wu, Qinghai Normal University (Tutor)

• Mi Zhou, Qinghai Normal University (Tutor)

• Hui Zhou, Qinghai Normal University (graduate student)

• Wenfan Yan, University of Massachusetts Boston