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A Policy Analysis Of The Setting Professional Degree In China

Posted on:2007-07-12Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:G P DengFull Text:PDF
GTID:1117360242462974Subject:Higher Education
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Professional degree is a kind of degree that emphasizes practice. It shares some similarities with academic degree, but they are different types of degree. As an effective approach to cultivating practical specialized talents, professional degree education is very common in Western countries. It is also an important kind of education to which corresponds Chinese situation. Although the policy of setting professional degree has been implemented for more than 10 years, and achievements have been achieved to some extent, in reality, some problems still exist: either types or structure of levels and distribution of professional degree is unreasonable; cultivation quality is unsatisfactory; characteristic is indistinct; resources are inadequate, especially lack of qualified teachers. In order to perfect the policy, we should rethink about the problems in the policy. Therefore special research on the policy of setting professional degree not only possesses important theoretical value, but also much practical value in current background of developing our professional degree education. This study is based on theories of policy science, seeing policy analysis as a study of policy process, following analysis of"policy problem validation, policymaking, policy implementation, policy evaluation", analyzing the policy process systematically from theoretical and practical levels, pointing out some problems, finally putting forth some corresponding policy suggestions.From the perspective of policy analysis, evolvement of the policy of setting professional degree in China has experienced gestation, formation and implementation, and systematization stages. At different stage, the policy played its role, yet some problems could not be ignored. The policy in China will hold attitude of active and steady development, insist on reference and innovating, combine mandatory institution changes and inductive institution changes, and step into systematization. Value orientation is the core of the policy of setting professional degree, so value should be stressed in the research of the policy of setting professional degree. The relationships between the subject and the object, personal subject and social subject form the basic criterion which value orientation of the policy of setting professional degree is needed. Basic value orientation should consist of knowledge, profession, ethic, benefit, fairness, and variety.Policy problem is both the starting point of policy study and the premise of public policy. It is because the public has demand of policy and government tries to meet the demand that setting professional degree becomes policy problem. Though the policy of setting professional degree belongs to public policy field and has similarities with public policy, it has its particularities.The policy of setting professional degree virtually is a production of theory and practice combination. Therefore, the policymaker should follow scientific theory guidelines, objective facts, correct rules and scientific steps. At present, the main theory base of the policymaking is composed of the theories of specialization, education service and diversification. While some factors become practical reference, such as the current situation of our economy, politics, degree system, professional development, the international competition, and the trend of overseas degree educationPolicy implementation is an organizational process that plays an active role, and an interaction process between body of executing and target groups as well. The aim of the policymaking realizes the policy object through implementing the policy effectively. Through investigation of educational master professional degree, some findings are: the teachers can't satisfy the need of educational master professional degree education developing; teaching materials are not only inadequate but also low in quality; the quality of the thesis needs improving, and management is inefficient. The reasons are that some barriers exist in the policy itself and the body of executing, and strict supervision mechanisms lack.Policy evaluation not only evaluates program, but also systematically analyses policy problem validation, policy implementation, and policy effectiveness. Though the policy of setting professional degree belongs to public policy, it differs from public policy because of its direct relation with human development. It should hold evaluation criteria, including justness, humanism, benefit and legitimacy. At present, the problems existing in the professional degree policy in China mostly include four aspects: lack of effective policy problem searching system, suitable policies, adequate policy resource, and perfect policy supervision mechanisms. These problems have seriously restricted sustainable development of professional degree education. As a result, it is necessary to make some policy suggestions such as founding and perfecting the searching system of policy problem, enhancing participation in social activities, relating professional degree to professional qualification, increasing investment in the policy resource, perfecting policy supervision mechanisms, and constructing responsibility-ascertained system.
Keywords/Search Tags:Professional degree, Profession, Professional degree education, Policy analysis
PDF Full Text Request
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