Enlightenment of teacher education patterns in foreign countries on Chinese teacher education reform

Abstract

It can be said that teachers are main force for educational reform. How to adapt to changing international environment and social environment has become a hot problem that all countries in the world pay much attention to. A number of countries consider teacher education in development prospect of their countries and nations and even all human beings in the future. Therefore, teacher education draws more and more attention. On the basis that foreign teacher educational pattern is analyzed, this thesis discusses enlightenment which teacher education patterns in foreign countries bring to Chinese teacher education reform. Since the 1980s, overall quality of basic education in all countries of the world has declined and benefits have been low, which arouses all social sectors’ worries and draws much attention from them. In order to improve educational quality practically, America begins to carry out reform of high quality education in order to improve educational quality and benefits. During this period, Britain changes the method nationally uniform course practically, which has never been used before, and improves all schools’ teaching ability by national uniform standard in order to provide better education for students. At the same time, countries like France, Germany and Japan carry out comprehensive reform and put forward higher requirements for teacher education. In the quality-oriented education reform which is still being developed in China, teachers are an important factor that affects effectiveness of new curriculum reform undauntedly. Besides, improvement in overall quality of teachers depends on overall quality of teacher education in the country. Therefore, as new curriculum reform develops, teacher education reform draws more and more attention. For this, we should consult advanced experience in teacher education in foreign countries actively, which is quite helpful for improvement in teacher educational conditions. I. Analysis of foreign teacher educational patterns (I) Teacher education is featured by high level and high standard Since the 20 century, all countries in the world, especially developed countries, have devoted themselves to developing human resources and improving talent quality in order to improve their international competitiveness. Thus, they give priority to develop teacher education and treat it as an important objective and key point of educational reform and development. Some western developed countries compete with one another to improve level of teacher education and even cancel secondary normal education for this. In this aspect, America is a country with the most rapid progress and is the first one entering this. Currently, teachers at all middle schools and primary schools in America are mainly cultivated by education colleges of comprehensive universities. In recent years, America has canceled secondary normal education in reform and improved education background of primary and middle school teachers to master’s degree and doctor’s degree. Cultivation level of primary and middle school teachers is improved continuously. Since the first half of the 20 century, France has carried out reform several times. Thus, term and length of schooling, when primary and middle school teachers in France accept educational training, are extended, and schools’ specifications are upgraded continuously. Since the 1980s, France has treated teachers’ cultivation and training as one of the important component of educational reform and extended primary and middle school teachers’ length of schooling to 4 years, which is the same 2014 International Conference on Economic Management and Social Science (EMSS 2014) © 2014. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 197 as the length o schooling of common universities. Japan locating in Asia has devoted itself to developing education after the Second World War and obtained remarkable achievements. Many universities cultivating primary and middle school teachers in Japan have established courses about master's degree. Besides, Tokyo Gakugei University, which is famous for cultivation of teachers, and other state-run universities jointly establish courses for doctoral students of graduate schools. Thus, convenience is provided for improvement in primary and middle school teachers’ ability and quality. (II) Deepening curriculum reform and improving professional level of teachers Firstly, pay attention to integration of arts and science and strengthen construction of foundation courses. Teacher education in all countries values position and effect of foundation courses in its curriculum reform very much and tries to promote permeation between arts and science and combination of humanistic education and scientific education, hoping to improve teachers’ professional level and let them adapt to new and higher requirements of technological development for teachers. Holmes Report issued by America in 1986 directly criticizes educational curriculum of teachers emphasizes positive implementation of curriculum reform currently after following old curriculum system in the middle period of the 19th century under the condition that science and technology is developed highly. In doing so, the report wishes to reform teacher education of the country and applies rich and systematic knowledge about arts and science and profound professional knowledge of subjects to enrich knowledge of teachers and students. New-type education universities of Japan establish courses like arts, science, physical education, artistic skills, industry and housekeeping and their trend is to develop towards large arts and large science. Realizing integration of housekeeping and social science by permeation of arts and science has become an inevitable development trend of foreign countries when they carry out teacher education. Secondly, value educational subjects and enhance practice of higher education. In order to improve teachers’ professional level and teaching ability, teacher education courses of all countries pays much attention to theoretical teaching and practical teaching of the subject teacher education in the process in which they implement reform. Thus, educational theory courses and educational practice account for a large proportion in total class hours. At present, class hours of educational courses accounts for 20% of all class hours at normal colleges of America, ratio of educational courses to all courses of colleges of education at comprehensive universities that specially cultivate teachers in Japan reaches up to 15%, and class hours of educational courses at normal universities in Britain accounts for 25% of all class hours. On the basis that class hours of educational courses is added, it is essential to extend the time of educational practice. Thirdly, expand content of professional courses of the subject and work hard to cultivate teachers’ teaching quality. Western developed countries generally think that teachers should adapt to educational development and improve course teaching quality. Teachers should have comprehensive quality, i.e., they are good at many things and expert in one. Kent State University proposes the objective that it will cultivate teachers to be scholars, educators, contactors and even decision-makers in the process in which it implements reform of teacher education. With respect to design about professional courses, foreign teacher education and subjects established by China are corresponding and they mainly apply major and minor system. Japan lays much emphasis on construction of professional basic subjects. However, there is difference in professional basic subjects, i.e., required subjects and elective ones. Elective subjects account for a large proportion. Thus, credits of professional subjects occupy over 50% in total credits. (III) Realizing integration of teacher training and cultivation to strengthen continuing training of teachers Foreign teacher education is mainly divided into the following three types, i.e., oriented type, non-oriented type and synthesizing type, which can be called closed type, open type and mixed type as well. Considering the situation that educational business develops continuously and reform of teacher education in all countries deepens, western developed countries improves related system about teachers’ cultivation and training successively. Most countries implement mixed-type training mode for teachers, include teachers’ cultivation and training in integration pattern and relate