On Pedagogy In In-service Teacher Training

It is urgent to improve the quality of in-service teacher training (ISTT), which was called for in " Education Revitalization Action Plan between 2003-2007" issued by Ministry of Education in Feb. 2004.In order to address the main content of pedagogy in ISTT, the author did the literature analyse and summarizd his experience on teacher training activities. However, the paper is constructed on the history of ISTT, evolution of teacher education theory and the state of the teacher professional developent in the world. Most importantly, all the content in this paper was guided by the lifelong education theory and teacher-based teacher education.I. Rationale of ISTTFirst, the aim of ISTT should focus on improving the teacher development, not on meeting the political or governmental policies completely.Second, the task of ISTT should resolve the problems from teacher's practice including school, classroom and themselves.Third, the pattern of instrucation in ISTT should have the function of "Modeling", which can transfer into basic education.Fourth, there are the relationships of equality, collabaration and share between the insturctor and particiapnts and among participants.Finally, ISTT is a diffcult and long way. In other words, it is no possible that the great changes in teacher performance and their abilities by one or two ISTT activities.II. Role of Participants in ISTTBased on the learner-centerd teaching theory, the trends in education and adult education development and the requirement of new curriculum, the teachers, as participants, should have the central role in ISTT. The centralroles can be demonstrated in the ISTT as "Instructor", "Learner" and "Resourcer".It is not easily to put the participants in the central role in ISTT. There are some obstacles at present, which are from the concepts and the system of ISTT, the pattern of ISTT, the institutional capacity of ISTT, and so on. Of course, the teachers may be not aware of their central roles in ISTT by themselves.III. Criterions of Instruction in ISTT(1) Instructional Objective. The objective should be concentrated on upgrading teacher development. On the context of new objective, the other aspects of ISTT should also be changed, such as instructional content, process, evaluation and pattern.(2) Instructional Content. The uniform content of ISTT at natioanl level has played the positive functions for ISTT to a certain extent in the whole country. But, this also restricted the innovation and development of ISTT in practice. The training content and material should be renewed and reconstructed.(3) Instructional Strategy. The three strategies should be adopted in ISTT, which are reflection, research and participation. Under the understanding of thses strategies correctly, they shoul be combined into the ISTT activities.IV. Pedagogical Applicationin in Policy(1) To bulid the learning culture of teacher. Teacher development will depend on the culture of teacher community. ISTT should cultivate teacher's spirit and attitude as well as delivering the new knowledge and skills. The nature of learning culture is a cooperative, collaborative, explorative, voluntary and independent learning action. It is encouraged to make the interaction between teacher training and teacher learning.(2) To emphase on the school-based teacher training. The school-based teacher training will be toward the context of teacher practice so that the training can resolve the teacher's issues and answer their questions. The experimental learning by teachers will be the key approach in school-based teacher training. Of course, the school-based training will not be exclusive toother training patterns, and is different from the teacher training for all.(3) To use the technology as a new pillar of teacher development. The new technologies provide the more possibility of collaboration, participation and reflection in ISTT. The teacher's technology literacy should be improved in teacher training. The information technology,...