Competence and professionalism of Chinese college teachers

International Journal of Research Studies in Education
CollabWritive Special Issue
Volume 13 Issue 7

Available Online:  15 June 2024

Author/s:

Lin, Zedu
Graduate School, Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas

Abstract:

University teachers play a crucial role in shaping students’ future development. Their abilities and professional spirit directly impact teaching quality and student learning outcomes. Therefore, understanding and enhancing the competencies and professionalism of Chinese university teachers are essential for optimizing education quality and promoting comprehensive student development. This study utilized descriptive research to determine the relationship between teacher competence and professionalism in China with a total of 385 college teachers from three Chinese universities involved in this research. Results showed that majority of the respondents were female, 26-35 years old, master’s degree holders and serving the university for 6-10 years. The respondents strongly agreed on all the indicators under teaching competence giving importance to content and academic competence. In terms of teachers’ professionalism, the respondents strongly agreed on all the indicators giving high regard to obligations and working relationships beyond the classroom. There exists no significant difference of responses on teacher competence when respondents were grouped according to profile except for sex under digital competency and research competency. Also, there exists no significant difference in teacher professionalism except for the highest educational attainment under teachers’ character and subject and pedagogical knowledge. There exists no significant relationship between teacher competence and professionalism which implies that competence does not guarantee professionalism and vice versa. A teacher might have strong competence but lack professionalism. In the end, an action plan to enhance the Chinese university teachers’ competence and professionalism was proposed. Hence, Chinese universities may invest in professional development of their faculty, leading to a more skilled and proficient teaching force that ultimately benefits student learning outcomes.

Keywords: college teachers, competence, professionalism

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2024.24638

Cite this article:
Lin, Z.  (2024). Competence and professionalism of Chinese college teachers. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 13(7), 113-122. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2024.24638