A Comparative Study on the Professional Development of Teachers in China and British Universities

Abstract

As global education reform continues to advance and the knowledge economy is booming, building a learning society has become an irresistible trend of social development. In this context, improving the professional development and literacy of college teachers will inevitably become a critical link and a significant force to promote the sustainable development of higher education, and it is an essential topic of higher education research in all countries in the world. This paper uses the approach of comparative research to study the historical evolution, connotation, and organization of teachers' professional development in Chinese and British universities. It found that the professional development of teachers in Chinese and British universities is macroscopically aimed at promoting the high-quality development of education and serving students and society. On the micro level, China pays attention to the integrity of the development of teachers in colleges and builds an education and training system from top to bottom, while in the UK, the government, professional organizations, and universities establish professional development institutions for teachers, which are independent and cooperative with each other; the financial support for teachers’ professional development in the UK is flexible and diverse, while in China, the government allocates funds directly; the UK actively carries out international academic exchanges and cooperation for teachers' professional development, formulating rules and sharing experiences, while China pays more attention to domestic exchanges and cooperation for teachers' professional development, with less participation in international contacts.