Chinese Primary School Teachers Research Articles

Chinese primary school teachers’ working time allocation after the enactment of the “Double Reduction” policy: A mixed-methods study

This study uses mixed methods to explore Chinese primary school teachers’ working time allocation after the enactment of the “Double Reduction” Policy. Data were collected from 364 questionnaires and six subsequent in-depth interviews. Findings reveal that despite having brought about some benefits, the “Double Reduction” Policy has increased Chinese primary school teachers’ working time. Moreover, the teachers’ working time is unevenly allocated, with disproportionately more time devoted to subject teaching and less time devoted to professional development. As a result, the nature of the different types of Chinese primary school teachers’ working time further affect the teachers’ perceived workload and work-related stress. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers recieve greater support and time for their ongoing professional development.

Effect of cognitive attitude and affective attitude on formative assessment practice: Intention as a mediator

Despite the significance of formative assessment in the classroom, limited empirical research has been conducted on this topic in Mainland China. We investigated the relationship between formative assessment practice and both cognitive attitude and affective attitude, and explored whether the intention to implement a formative assessment would mediate this relationship. Participants were 504 Chinese primary school teachers. In this study formative assessment practice had two aspects: instructional adjustment and feedback practice. The results showed that the relationship between affective attitude and formative assessment practice was partially mediated by intention and that the relationship between cognitive attitude and formative assessment practice was fully mediated by intention. This study highlights the importance of affective attitude in practicing formative assessment and has implications for teacher training.

The Improvement Path of Primary School Students' Chinese Literacy under Diversified Reading

Reading is the key content of primary school Chinese teaching, so teachers should stimulate students 'interest in reading, deepen students' reading comprehension, optimize students 'reading effect, and finally improve students' core quality of reading. However, there are still many outstanding problems in the current reading teaching, such as students 'weak interest in reading, inappropriate reading strategies, superficial reading and teachers' disordered reading guidance. This requires primary school Chinese teachers to combine the basic situation of reading teaching, and actively explore measures to better optimize reading teaching driven by problems, so as to lay a solid foundation for the comprehensive improvement of students' reading ability and reading literacy. This article explores the path of improving primary students' Chinese literacy under diversified reading, including blank reading, stimulating reading interest, group reading, improving the quality of thinking; theme reading, light up the spiritual world; group book reading, rich life background; speculative reading, sound personality charm, and fashion reading, enriching life connotation.

The Impact of Chinese Primary School Teachers' Sense of Work Meaningfulness on Organizational Commitment: A Chain Mediation Model.

This present study aims to explore the effects of work meaningfulness on primary school teachers' self-reflection, self-efficacy and organizational commitment and their mechanisms of action. This study used a meaningfulness, self-reflection, self-efficacy, and organizational commitment measures. A total of 417 teachers from urban, rural, and mountainous elementary schools were recruited to complete the survey including the measures of work meaningfulness, self-reflection, self-efficacy, and organizational commitment. In this study, descriptive statistics were run using SPSS 26.0 and the relationship model between variables was tested with the SPSS macro program PROCESS. The study found that work meaningfulness and self-efficacy independently predicted primary school teachers' organizational commitment, but self-reflection did not significantly predict organizational commitment. It was found that there was a significant positive correlation between the four studied variables of work meaningfulness, self-efficacy, self-reflection, and organizational commitment with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.24 to 0.57. The study also found that work meaningfulness can directly predict elementary school teachers' organizational commitment, and work meaningfulness can also indirectly predict elementary school teachers' organizational commitment through self-efficacy and self-reflection. The results of this study are useful for understanding the value of enhancing the organizational commitment of primary school teachers from a social cognitive perspective, and have implications for how to build a stable, high-quality and dynamic primary school teaching force.

Psychometric evaluation of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale-21 (DASS-21) among Chinese primary and middle school teachers

BackgroundTeachers in high-stress roles face increasing psychological distress such as anxiety and depression, underscoring the need for validated assessment instruments. Given the current absence of a comprehensive, designated, and time-efficient scale capable of evaluating depression, anxiety, and stress among the teacher population, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) presents itself as a promising alternative. Despite the widespread application of the DASS-21 for assessing psychological distress across various populations, its validity among teachers, along with questions about its factor structure and its potential property of time equivalence, remain unverified. This study endeavors to address these considerations by investigating the psychometric properties of the DASS-21 specifically within the population of Chinese primary and middle school teachers.MethodsCross-sectional (n = 9,030) and longitudinal surveys (n = 1,642) were conducted using a non-probability sampling method. In addition to the DASS-21, the Chinese version of Chinese Teachers’ Job Burnout Questionnaire (CTJBO) was utilized to evaluate the criterion validity of this scale. Three different approaches, namely confirmatory factor analysis, Rasch analysis, and network analysis, were employed to evaluate internal reliability, construct validity, as well as time invariance of the DASS-21.ResultsThe DASS-21 demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α > 0.85) as well as excellent convergent validity, despite poor discriminant validity as determined by average variance extracted. Confirmatory factor analysis and network analysis further supported convergent validity. The three-factor structure outperformed one- and two-factor alternatives, establishing time invariance. Rasch analysis at the item level identified six inappropriate items within the anxiety and stress subscales, which were subsequently removed. Network analysis presented a better revised network. Regression analysis with emotional exhaustion as the criterion provided logical and accurate results.ConclusionThe DASS-21 was found to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring the mental health of teachers over time. To assess the instrument’s psychometric properties, a combination of confirmatory factor analysis, Rasch analysis, and network analysis was utilized, which proved effective and is recommended for evaluating contentious instruments. Based on the results of the study, researchers and healthcare professionals are recommended to use the DASS-21 for assessing teachers’ psychological distress. However, certain items identified in the study may need to be removed to enhance the instrument’s appropriateness for this specific population.

Analysis of Al-generated Music Applications in Primary Schools under the STEAM Education System

As a refinement of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) is considered a more comprehensive and practical pedagogy. However, in China’s educational environment, without the combination of test-oriented content, such methodology is hard to apply and popularize. Therefore, how to integrate more STEAM elements into the classroom while still meeting the assessment objectives of the exams needs to be considered further. Besides, to meet the iterative requirement of STEAM design, integrating advanced technology elements, especially Al, is an unavoidable trend. With a focus on music in the arts section of STEAM, our research is mainly intended to discuss the validity and practicality of using AI to generate songs that can help both Chinese primary school teachers to make innovations in class content and students to memorize certain knowledge points. Drawing on findings in the previous literature on STEAM education concerning AI music, the impact of nursery rhymes, and related AI platforms, this study collects knowledge points that are appropriate for primary school students and produces AI-generated songs. Then we discuss how these songs can be integrated into the STEAM system. The study assumes that AI-generated knowledge memory songs are actionable and have a good potential for further development. These songs could have a significant positive impact on primary school students’ knowledge memory and also stimulate teachers’ interest in adapting more technology elements in their teaching to make teaching more creative.

Study on the Application Situation of Chinese Unit Leaning Plan Pointing to the Key Competences in Primary School

With the promulgation and implementation of the Chinese Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 edition), Key Competences has become an important goal of teaching reform in basic education. It is urgent to renew the professional leaning scheme based on Key Competences, and the unit leaning plan becomes an effective scheme to cultivate students' Key Competences because of its advantages of unit integration. On the basis of clarifying the value and significance of unit leaning plan, combined with student questionnaire and teacher interview, this paper studies the current situation of the application of unit leaning plan in primary school Chinese teaching, analyzes the current situation and existing problems of the design and use of unit leaning plan, and puts forward suggestions for the optimization of unit leaning plan pointing to the subject Key Competences.

The Correlation Between Spiritual Leadership and the Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Secondary School Teachers

The Correlation Between Spiritual Leadership and the Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Secondary School Teachers

Literature Review of Exploring Experience and Coping Strategies of Primary School Teachers and Students During Online Teaching amidst COVID-19 Pandemic in China

The COVID-19 has forced the different level of institutes including universities, high schools, and primary schools around world to carry out online learning and teaching activities, especially in China, nearly all teaching activities having been carried through online platforms. Although there are many benefits of teaching online such as reducing travel costs and saving time and learning space during COVID-19 era, there are still difficulties and challenges faced by both teachers and students, especially for the primary school teachers and students. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and factors affecting the online teaching and learning of Chinese primary school teachers and students, thus provide coping strategies for both stakeholders when conducting online teaching and learning activities. The mixed quantitative and qualitative research method will be adopted to study their responses to the online learning and teaching experiences in post-epidemic era. Data will be collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews with 1300 primary school students and 80 teachers in Xi’an Foreign Language Primary school. Data collection will be carried out using survey questionnaire and interview questions and analyzed based on descriptive statistics quantitatively and thematic analysis qualitatively. The researcher wants to find difficulties which may pose challenges to their normal online learning and teaching activities during this special occasion, then put related strategies for both stakeholders as well as policy makers for future reference. The findings can be used as a reference in other research or in a comparable scenario by interested scholars. Educators can use these findings to advocate strategies that will provide a better education.

The Effects of Principals’ Instructional Leadership on Primary School Students’ Academic Achievement in China: Evidence from Serial Multiple Mediating Analysis

It is essential to reorient education in order to improve student learning outcomes and offer instruction in sustainable development. This reorientation should particularly focus on updating the educational concepts and behaviors of principals and teachers. It is a common practice to see principals’ instructional leadership (PIL) as a crucial aspect that may facilitate the development of teaching and learning in a sustainable manner. This article identified the influence path of principals’ instructional leadership on students’ academic achievement (SAA) through teachers’ teaching practice. In 2016 and 2017, survey data were gathered from 60,419 students and parents, 2232 teachers, and 506 principals from all 231 primary schools in the capital city of a central province in China. This paper uses a structural equation model to examine serial, multiple, mediating effects based on a value-added model to identify effective teachers’ professional development (ETPD). The research findings show that ETPD in Chinese primary schools includes teacher cooperation and communication but not professional guidance, innovation, and individual teaching reflection. PIL does not have a significant direct positive effect on SAA, but teaching strategies (TS), rather than ETPD, can mediate between PIL and SAA. Finally, PIL influences TS through ETPD and ultimately influences SAA. This paper argues that for providing sustainable and high-quality education, not all TPDs are effective for Chinese primary school teachers. Principals can promote SAA by encouraging teacher cooperation and communication to improve teaching strategies. Chinese principals should shift their attention more from administrative matters to the sustainable development of teaching and learning.

Fairy Tale Teaching in Primary School Chinese Teaching

Fairy Tale Teaching in Primary School Chinese Teaching

Examining Predictors and Outcomes of Decent Work among Chinese Female Pre-Service Primary School Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the future decent work perceptions in the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) based on a sample of female primary pre-service teachers in higher education. A cross-sectional design was used for this research. 368 pre-service female teachers were recruited from a university in eastern China for the current study. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the PWT model applied to Chinese pre-service female primary school teachers. In particular, subjective social status was positively related to future decent work perceptions, disadvantaged mindset was negatively related to future decent work perceptions, and future decent work perceptions were positively related to academic satisfaction. Overall, all the proposed direct pathways in this study were significant. This is the first empirical study to apply the PWT framework among Chinese pre-service female teachers in primary school. With this examination, we were able to comprehensively examine the relationship between variables such as subjective social status and disadvantaged mindset, and future decent work perceptions, helping to improve students’ academic satisfaction and providing suggestions for future career development for this group.

Perspectivas comparativas de las partes interesadas sobre la educación inclusiva en cuatro regiones de China

The European project INCLUTE (Promoting inclusive education through curriculum development and teacher education in China) European Union (Proyecto Erasmus +) 561.600-EPP-1-2015-CN-EP helps to contribute the demand for highly educated teachers at the primary school level can be tackled, and universities in China can be encouraged to take European standards into consideration. This project is innovative because it focuses on the topic of inclusive education for supporting teacher training for Chinese primary school teachers. The Confucian pedagogical ideal of “learning without discrimination” still predominates among Chinese educators nowadays. However, over the last thirty years, government stakeholders have underscored the need to implement inclusive education policies, following the Western model. Thus, the Chinese educational system has started to implement the “learning in the classroom” policy – a halfway alternative between Confucian traditional pedagogy and the Western notions of inclusive education. Nonetheless, little is known about the Chinese perspectives on, and expectations about, inclusive education. Accordingly, the present study aims to identify the Chinese stakeholders’ perception of inclusive education through a survey, an interview and a focus group out of a sample of 8,412 subjects composed of primary school teachers, government officials and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) workers from Guanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing and Tibet. The results of this study suggest that Chinese education stakeholders conceptualize inclusive education as a philosophical idea related to new methodological strategies, but that it is not associated with disabilities, education for all or the educational community. The weaknesses and strengths of inclusive education are discussed.

The Relationship between Teacher Autonomy and Mental Health in Primary and Secondary School Teachers: The Chain-Mediating Role of Teaching Efficacy and Job Satisfaction.

Teachers in primary and secondary schools are frequently under pressure. Therefore, it is critical to understand the factors that affect their mental health. Autonomy was associated with mental health in the past. However, the mediating mechanism behind this relationship has received little attention. In this study, a chain mediation model was built to determine whether teaching efficacy and work satisfaction mediated the relationship between teacher autonomy and mental health. Our study enlisted the participation of 810 Chinese primary and secondary school teachers aged from 21 to 57 years old. They completed self-reporting measures of teacher autonomy, mental health, teaching efficacy, and job satisfaction. The results show that (1) teacher autonomy, teaching efficacy, job satisfaction, and mental health have strong positive relationships, (2) teaching efficacy and job satisfaction significantly mediate the relationship between autonomy and mental health, and (3) both teaching efficacy and job satisfaction play a chain-mediating role. The chain-mediating effect of teaching efficacy and job satisfaction plays an important role in promoting teachers' mental health. Teachers with a high level of autonomy tend to have high teaching efficacy, high job satisfaction, and improved mental health.

The Influence of Demographic Factors on the Ability to Research and Innovate among Primary and Secondary School Teachers

This study mainly discusses the ability to research and innovate of primary and secondary school teachers in China. Stratified sampling was used to investigate 4,661 primary and secondary school teachers from 36 schools in a selected municipality directly under China's central government. The research team used a survey questionnaire with high reliability and validity to assess teachers' ability to research and innovate. With the demographic data of teachers, this paper analyzes the overall level and group differences of teachers' ability to research and innovate. Descriptive statistics, sample mean comparison T-test and one-way ANVOA were used to determine the factors that affect teachers' ability to research and innovate. The results show that Chinese primary and secondary school teachers have good ability to research and innovate, and the ability to teach and research is higher than that of the ability to innovate in education. Differences in teachers' educational background, history of formal teaching education and professional titles would cause significant difference on teachers' ability to research and innovate, but with a small effect size. There are significant differences in ability to research and innovate among teachers serving different school segments, with a size of effect between small and medium. Gender, age and years of teaching have no significant influence on teachers' ability to research and innovate.

Understanding the relationships between teacher mindfulness, work engagement, and classroom emotions.

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between teacher mindfulness, work engagement, and classroom emotions composed of positive and negative emotions. A sample of 498 Chinese primary, secondary, and high school teachers completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, bivariate correlation, and a series of regression equations were conducted to analyze the data. The results indicate that teacher mindfulness, work engagement, and classroom emotions are all at the intermediate level, and significantly correlated. The effect of teacher mindfulness on classroom emotions is partially mediated by work engagement. In addition, negative emotions partially mediate the effect of teacher mindfulness on work engagement, while positive emotions fully mediate it. These results highlight the importance of fostering teacher mindfulness through mindfulness-based intervention, developing teacher emotion regulation competence in teacher education, and cultivating supportive classroom and school culture for teachers to experience more positive emotions from students and administrators.

The Association between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Distress among Primary School and Middle School Teachers during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Background: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its rapid spread may have led to individuals developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress. Under this context, teachers merit more attention as a group with high levels of work stress. The purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between PTSD and psychological distress and to explore sleep problems as a possible mediator in the relationship between PTSD and psychological distress, as well as the moderator of internet gaming disorders (IGD) in the relationship between sleep problems and psychological distress. Methods: A total of 11,014 Chinese primary and middle school teachers participated in this study. The survey was conducted online between 25 May and 30 June 2020. Results: PTSD was shown to have both a direct and indirect effect on teachers’ psychological distress. The indirect effect was mediated by sleep problems. IGD played a moderating role between sleep problems and psychological distress. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, PTSD has been shown to have had a serious impact on the psychological stress of teachers, which was mediated by sleep problems. In addition, IGD raised the harm brought from sleep problems on teachers’ mental health.

Evaluating the immediate and delayed effects of psychological need thwarting of online teaching on Chinese primary and middle school teachers’ psychological well-being

Recent studies on the effects of mandatory online teaching, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have widely reported low levels of satisfaction, unwillingness to continue online teaching, and negative impacts on the psychological well-being of teachers. Emerging research has highlighted the potential role of psychological need thwarting (PNT), in terms of autonomy, competence, and relatedness thwarting, resulting from online teaching. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate and delayed (longitudinal) effects of PNT of online teaching on teachers’ well-being (including distress and burnout), intention to continue online teaching, and job satisfaction. Moreover, data collected from both cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys allowed for a systematic validation of an important instrument in the field of teacher psychology, the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale of Online Teaching (PNTSOT), in terms of longitudinal reliability and validity. The data reveal the usefulness of the construct of PNT in terms predicting and explaining teachers’ willingness to continue using online teaching as well as the degree of burnout after a period of 2 months, such that PNT is positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with willingness to continue online teaching. As such, the PNTSOT is recommended for future research evaluating the long-term psychological, affective, and intentional outcomes stemming from teachers’ PNT. Moreover, based on our findings that the impact from PNT of online teaching is persistent and long-term, we suggest that school leaders provide flexible and sustained professional development, model respectful and adaptive leadership, and create opportunities for mastery for the development of community of practice that can mitigate the thwarting of teachers’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness during times of uncertainty. Additionally, in terms of the psychometric properties of the PNTSOT instrument, our empirical findings demonstrate internal reliability, test–retest reliability, measurement invariance, and criterion validity (concurrent and predictive) based on cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

On the Application of Creative Reading in Primary School Chinese Teaching

On the Application of Creative Reading in Primary School Chinese Teaching

Brief Discussion on Research on the Cultivation Path of Students' Comprehensive Quality in the Process of Primary School Chinese Teaching

Brief Discussion on Research on the Cultivation Path of Students' Comprehensive Quality in the Process of Primary School Chinese Teaching