Springer Quest for World-Class Teacher Education?: A Multiperspectival Study on the Chinese Model of Policy Implementation: 34 (Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, 34)

Utilizing a case study method and a Multiperspectival Approach, this volume presents a pioneering, in-depth study about China’s teacher education policy since the 1990s. It critically investigates the rational, dynamic and complex implementation process taking place at the micro institutional level for the transformations of teacher education institutions. The book first introduces the sociopolitical and cultural background of China’s teacher education system and its challenges under the condition of globalization, and illustrates major national initiatives for nurturing highly qualified teachers. It then explores new teachers’ identities in an era of enhanced professionalism, uncovers the ways they reflect China’s teacher education reform, and distills the rationales behind these policy actions. This is followed by an analytic presentation of the findings of the case study of a provincial normal university, with a particular focus on such core pieces of the implementation jigsaw as policy flow, the dynamism of implementation, sociopolitical and cultural confluence, and institutional barriers in the complex process. Lastly, the book unravels key recommendations and implications for policy implementation studies from the China policy case, and constructs a Chinese Zhong-Yong Model of policy implementation, and sheds new light on policy studies of teacher education reform in particular and public policy in general, which may be transferable to other sociopolitical contexts seeking to nurture world-class teachers and achieve educational excellence in a global age. Review “With the remarkable success of Chinese students in recent PISA scores, the world's attention has been drawn to China’s teachers. This volume provides a wealth of insight into patterns of teacher formation in China, the rich educational civilization that undergirds them and the way in which policy is transformed into action in one typical teacher education institution. With doctorates in both Chinese history and international educational policy, as well as a wealth of teaching and research experience in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Washington D.C. and Toronto, Jun Li sheds fascinating new light on a topic of great current interest in global circles.” (Ruth Hayhoe, University of Toronto)  “This groundbreaking book is the first of its kind in the empirical, critical and systematic examination of China’s policy implementation for a world-class teacher education system over the past decades. The insightful findings and timely implications from China deserve serious attention of educational policymakers, implementers and researchers globally, and should serve as an authentic and authoritative source to more comprehensively understand the success and failure of China’s teacher education reform.” (Xudong Zhu, Beijing Normal University) “The field of policy studies embraces an array of theoretical orientations that scholars can draw upon to analyze education policy developments. Jun Li guides the reader through this dense theoretical thicket and explains how and why he uses a prominent multiperspectival approach to frame his study of teacher education reform in China.  This engaging work illustrates how the thoughtful application of multiple perspectives can enrich our understanding of the complexities inherent in policy implementation.” (Betty Malen, University of Maryland) From the Back Cover Utilizing a case study method and a Multiperspectival Approach, this volume presents a pioneering, in-depth study about China’s teacher education policy since the 1990s. It critically investigates the rational, dynamic and complex implementation process taking place at the micro institutional level for the transformations of teacher education institutions. The book first introduces the sociopolitical and cultural background of China’s teacher education system and its challenges under the condition of globalization, and illustrates major national ini