Research on the Impact of Chinese Teacher Preparation Reform on Teacher Candidates’ Quality After the 1990s

Abstract

The period from the 1990s to the present is one of critical importance for the development of Chinese teacher preparation. During this period, Chinese teacher preparation gradually embarked on the development of diversification, integration and openness in place of a closed system of normal education. This research focuses on the impact of course learning of teacher candidates at 18 normal universities or colleges in three categories countrywide, and uses a questionnaire (stratified samples), indepth interviews and focus groups to reveal the quality of teacher candidates’ preparation and its influencing factors. From the findings we can conclude that in terms of improving the quality of teaching at universities and colleges, the three different categories of normal universities or colleges demonstrate a hierarchic pattern. In general, teacher candidates’ performance has been improved remarkably during the process of comprehensive development of teacher preparation. However, there are some problems relating to the instructors and low quality of internships. It is necessary to integrate theory-based knowledge and practice-based knowledge, and develop coherence and integration in the teacher preparation curriculum for higher quality teachers.