Analysis on the Development of Teacher Education Policies in Modern and Contemporary China

Abstract

Education policies have always played a crucial role in the evolution of teacher education in China. This article mainly focuses on the developing process of teacher education policies in modern and contemporary China and the factors influencing policy changes. In the past century, the development of teacher education policies in China can be divided into four stages: the Republic of China period (1912-1949), the early establishment of the People’s Republic of China period (1949 1978), the reform and opening-up period (1985-1992), and the 21st century period (2000-now). The entire development process has been twisted and turned, experiencing exploration, transformation, decline, reconstruction and improvement. It can be found through research and analysis that teacher education policies in China are determined by the national conditions of a specific period and will be continuously revised and improved in practice. Overall, teacher education policies in China are presenting the characteristics of shifting from a focus on quantity to quality, from imbalanced to balanced, from borrowing from foreign countries to having Chinese characteristics, and reflecting a people-oriented educational philosophy. In the future, teacher education policies in China are expected to move from high-quality to extraordinary, emphasizing innovation while paying attention to educational equity.