Studies On Teacher Development For Higher Technical-vocational Education And Training (Higher-TVET)

In the Chinese national education development strategy, the higher Technical -vocational Education and Training (TVET) has carried the double missions: quantity expansion in access to vocational education, and quality improvement in TVET as part of higher education. However, despite the good ambitions, the "dual qualified vocational education teachers' strategy" has implied serious shortage in quantity and quite low quality. This has effectively banned the successful implementation of higher TVET. Therefore, TVET has become an important research field. It is necessary to explore how the higher TVET teachers' development is meeting with Chinese social reality. Norwegian TVET was chosen for comparison with China. This was due to the Norwegian TVET success, expressed in the country's education development ideas and policies. On the more practical and subjective level, Norway was chosen, because it is the foreign country I had the opportunity to visit for carrying out empirical studies. Hence, Norway was chosen for comparison both because of objective and subjective factors.This dissertation consists of Introduction and six chapters.In the Introduction the origin of this research, the literature statement, and definition of relevant terms, material selection, methodology, structure, limitation and innovation have been included.The first chapter concentrates on the theory related to higher TVET teacher development. The uniqueness of higher TVET teacher profession has further been proposed as the basis for analysis of the historical evolution model of higher TVET teacher development, as well as described through two presumptions and two theoretical systems.The second chapter presents the practice and reality of TVET teachers in China and Norway. The frame of reference for this chapter is the international context of TVET teachers. Within this frame, the history and features of China and Norway are explored. The third chapter analyzes the curricula system of higher TVET teachers' development. Curricula are the major process in controlling the TVET teacher's cultivation, ensuring the output quality. This chapter gives a detailed comparison of curriculum objectives, structures and contents.The fourth chapter compares the in-service education and training of higher TVET teachers in the two countries. There is particular emphasis on the in-service education policies, goals, organizations and contents.The fifth chapter makes a deeper analysis of the context of Norwegian TVET teachers' development. Since the TVET teachers development issues is often strongly rooted in the society, economy and culture, this chapter looks at how Norwegian TVET has emerged from the country's searching for equality throughout Norwegian history. This equality legacy has penetrated Norway's political system, culture and higher education development over more than a century.The sixth chapter contains the conclusion of this dissertation, where "coordination" appears as the key issue. Coordination is the target that Chinese higher TVET teachers should work hard for accomplishing. Moreover, this chapter analyzes the four coordination factors affecting the higher TVET teachers' development. In conclusion, the coordination development is stated as the essence of Chinese higher TVET teachers' development.