Circumstances Change And Cultural Response

With the central government gradually attaching importance to the basic education in China's western part, the issue of teacher development of rural areas in China's western part has turned into one of key themes in the research of teacher management. The literature review shows that the research projects on rural teacher development in western part have been rarely conducted through cultural dimension. The widely adopted analysis framework is shaped by technical perspectives and shadowed by the professional standards based on city context. On the other hand, the government policies and initiatives for the rural teacher development in western part remain to lose sight of the opportunity and possibility emerging from the local cultural change.The author of this dissertation conducts a study on the characteristics emerged from cultural response to the changing circumstances for the rural teacher development in western part by the perspective and conceptual frameworks of Circumstances Change and Cultural Response and through the survey and the field case studies covering 12 provinces across China's western part. The findings based on interactive evidences both from the survey and the case studies disclose the conflicts and confusions in conventions, norms, beliefs, and values around professional development under circumstances change and cultural response. The findings present a picture of cultural change with the characteristics of uneven intensity and different directions and shallow level changed while core elements maintained as well.The author puts forward the guiding strategies for policy makers of respecting the indigenous cultural logic with additive values, evaluating gain and loss and seeking new balance, and distinguishing sub-cultural group and providing with different adaptive experience. Also, the author provides school leadership with the performance strategies of identifying cultural fabric, disclosing meanings, combination with feelings, and making use of external factors.