Routledge The Work and Lives of Teachers in China (Routledge Research in Asian Education)

By bringing together a distinguished group of scholars who have deep, extensive and complementary knowledge and expertise of the Chinese education system, The Work and Lives of Teachers in China engages in detailed discussions on contemporary issues about teachers and teaching in China. It locates teachers’ work and lives in a critical analysis of the political, socio-cultural, ideological and educational reform contexts, and through this, demonstrates how teachers in different professional life phases and in different schools are able to retain their vocational strength and commitment for learning and development. Using rich illustrations from real teachers in real primary and secondary schools, this book represents a collection of scholarly writings which build research and practice informed new knowledge about the nature of teachers’ work and lives in China. Through these comprehensive case studies, the book illustrates to policy makers, head teachers and training and development organisations the importance of sustaining teachers’ commitment and wellbeing in their efforts to improve quality and standards in today’s Chinese schools. The Work and Lives of Teachers in China provides valuable insight for policy makers, educators, researchers, teachers and students in education and beyond. Review As the largest provider of teacher education and training in the world which also sustains the world’s largest number of primary and secondary schools, China remains one of the countries with the lowest proportion of teachers with tertiary qualification for teaching primary and secondary education. With the world’s growing interest in China, The Work and Lives of Teachers in China would satisfy the curiosity of readers in general who have yet had an opportunity to read about teachers in China through the works of the well-established researchers as well as the novice ones. It would also provide insights for policy makers, educators, researchers, teachers and students in education and beyond. – Feng Yan, Associate Professor, School of Education, Shaoxing University, China About the Author Qing Gu is Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham, UK.