Investigating Into The Understanding Of Key Competencies For Ed.M Candidates In Zhejiang Province

With the internationalization of education,domestic research on educational reform and development based on key competencies has gradually come to the fore.Related study about key competencies for English learners also goes further.Teachers'current understanding of key competencies and its development will directly affect the nurturing of key competencies for primary and middle school students.Thus,Ed.M candidates,as one of the major developing groups of English teachers,their knowledge about key competencies is the most important transformational-generative competence for cultivating primary and middle school students' key competencies.Through the investigation on Ed.M candidates' understanding of key competencies,we try to optimize Ed.M candidates' personal key competencies and engage them better in teaching compulsory English to nurture learners' key competencies.This study attempts to explore from the following three aspects:firstly,the general situation of Ed.M candidates' understanding of key competencies.Then are relevant factors contributing to the general situation.Last is about feasible ways to optimize key competencies development.In order to give answers to these questions,this thesis took key normal universities in Zhejiang province as examples and investigated 70 Ed.M candidates from Zhejiang Normal University and Hangzhou Normal University.The study employs questionnaire(online questionnaire),interviews,and classroom observations.Data-collection,analysis,and discussion together contribute to the final conclusions,so as to find out reasonable answers to the research questions.Research findings indicate that key competencies theory is relatively popular among Ed.M candidates,about 90%have heard of the term.However,those who have known about key competencies for English learners reduce to 70%or so.Among the remaining 30%who have never heard about it,there still exists a consistent and accurate understanding of the general concept.On understanding the general concept of key competencies,there are mainly two tendencies:one bases competencies on the domestic five-dimension English Curriculum Objectives,and the other pays more attention to practical abilities with supplementary core words like concrete situation,critical thinking,and learning ability.Finally,on how can a pre-service English teacher cultivate learners' key competencies,Ed.M candidates' understanding is still at a theoretical stage which still lacks practical and systematic thoughts.Further analysis discerns factors mainly in three aspects:first is schools' impact from curriculum provision and academic atmosphere.The promotional efforts and course-setting can affect teachers' innovative teaching of key competencies as well as postgraduate candidates' interests in it.Second,teachers' personal research interests affect first the teaching content,and then students' attention paid to key competencies.Thirdly,Ed.M candidates' learning experiences and habits decide whether their ways of getting information resources are diversified.In addition,the enthusiasm of autonomous learning will also influence their recognition of education theories'importance,such as the importance of key competencies.The previous analysis sheds light on the conclusions on solving the existing problems accordingly.First,schools provide resources.Training scheme for Ed.M candidates shall keep up with the dynamic educational achievements to ensure key competencies' popularity at the intellectual atmosphere.Second,teachers shall play the role of a guide and supervisor,be sensitive enough to the new changes in education theories like key competencies and timely deliver useful information in class;at the meantime,attach importance to the cultivation of critical thinking and autonomous learning.Last but not least,postgraduate candidates need to take the initiative—try exploratory learning and know more about key competencies research through reading more core journals about foreign language education.Furthermore,they shall think critically to form original understanding of key competencies.