A Study Of Taiwain's Teacher Training Reform In Its Particular Social Context

Taiwain, after its successful democratic process, experienced a vigorous educational reform movement, which had greatly inspired the educators there. For a time, there appeared a variety of reform-related activities, like the Educational Reform for Institutions of Higher Learning, the Teaching Reform Assembly organized locally; and several acts like the Amendment to Teachers'Education, the Teacher's Act, had been passed to ensure a better-quality educational climate, and in a sense, success or failure of the reform had a determining impact upon the smooth operation of the educational system.However, desirable changes had not taken place in education in spite of the tremendous resources invested into the reform drive, which might mean a neglect of Taiwain's social structures in the reform drive and the study efforts. Therefore, there was a urgent need to probe into the social structures behind the failure, and such a probe had to go hand in hand with the study of Taiwain's political, economic and cultural backgrounds at the time.Based on such a theoretical framework, this thesis, after a general review of its political, economic and cultural backgrounds, tries to explore Taiwain's teacher training reform in its social context, one that concerns not only Taiwain at large but the localities as well.On the whole, Taiwain's educational reform had been increasingly influenced by the government authorities or the organizations concerned, though to different degrees. This paper has Taiwain's training programs of elementary and secondary school teachers as research subjects, employing literature review, statistical analysis and case study as methodology to have studied the subject under discussion, spanning a period of 1949 and 2002, when the new amendment to teacher training had been passed. The findings are:In september, 1945, with the end of Japanese occupation of Taiwain, the government decided on an initial educational policy of educational priority with normal education as its emphasis. The chief reason for that was that there were only fewer than 100 professional teachers left in Taiwain, a severe shortage gravely hampering the educational reform. In that period, as did the China mainland, Taiwain adopted the policy of free normal education. But in 1960, the Taiwain authority started a program of gradually all the normal schools into 3-year teacher's colleges. This program had to stop in 1962, either because few families could afford to send their children to senior high schools or because those families that did would rather send their children to comprehensive universities since their graduates could easily find jobs then, and if they would like, teaching jobs after getting their teaching certificates. Only those who failed the university entrance examinations would consider the choice of teacher's colleges. As a result, the attempt to raise teachers'professional competence through such an initiative did not expect the desired results.After 1961, with a higher demand for technical workers to fill the need of a faster economic development and the labor-intensive status, educational policies were focused on secondary education, the result of which was the implementation a 9-year compulsory education for all children in Taiwain. Naturally there was a parallel higher demand for secondary school teachers.In 1967, Taiwain Teacher's University was upgraded into Taiwain National University, and in the same year Gaoxiong Teacher's College was established followed by Zhanghua educational College in !971; the university and the 2 colleges were responsible for the training of high school teachers. However, despite those efforts, there still was a shortage of teachers, so other ways actively developed for training teachers were varied but less formal.By 1970's, people in Taiwain enjoyed a much higher living standard partly because of the favorable trade balance, consequently, fewer good students had been attracted to those publicly-sponsored teacher's colleges or schools simply for financial reasons. In addition, it was ruled by law that students trained as teachers were not allowed to further their studies or to work in professions other than teaching within a fixed period of time; this measure was taken to have prevented the students from changing into other occupations, and from wasting educational resources, but its side-effects were also obvious: less attendance of teacher's colleges or schools and many uninspired students in such institutions.In 1980, Taiwain government began to make all teacher-training institutions publicly sponsored. However, those students entitled to free education were allowed little just to save the government from its over-burdened budget. So in as early as 1983 and 1984, the Taiwain authorities had sponsored several meetings, in which an initial consensus was reached to allow both publicly and privately sponsored institutions acceptable alternatives. And this decision was made legal in 1987.In summery, before 1987, teacher training was mainly achieved in teacher's colleges or schools, and it was much controlled by political forces. But people's better financial status has a strong impact upon the welfare of the publicly sponsored teacher training institutions. For instance, in 1870's, when times were good and employment full, the teaching profession was less sought after, but in 1980's, when economic situations were turning bad, chances of employment for those with higher academic degrees were comparatively slight, so more would like to choose teaching as their career.Also worth mentioning here is the influence of the international economy upon Taiwain's educational system. To make businesses in Taiwain develop faster, to increase Taiwain's role in the world financial system. Taiwain needed urgently a system for training competent personnel with a multi-cultural interest. So since 1987 when Taiwain became more democratic and more open-mined, the educational climate was much improved, and more cultural activities were started as a result.1n 1997, Taiwain passed its Teacher Traing Act, in which necessary rules and regulations were laid down for the choice of teachers, the pre-occupational training, qualifications and in-service training etc. In terms of financing, public funds together with scholarship programs were there, and students able to enjoy free education were supposed to enroll in those less sought-after disciplines, or after graduation they could choose to teach in remote areas or similar special areas.To be sure, the open, multi-facet and prosperous economic conditions in Taiwain had its positive effects on teacher training programs. However, in times of economic distress, the teacher training system was likely to be much influenced by the potential markets, the direct result of which might be less strict procedures concerning qualifications, certificates, and career development programs etc. And there was the timing problem. At present, there are more teachers available for much fewer students going into their next educational stages, a fact clearly showing the authorities concerned in Taiwain are less aware of the potential problems and are less able to make informed policy choices when there are less uniformity of controls from the government. With the above-mentioned in mind, this thesis proposed the following for a better system for the future teacher training:A new system should be established through sufficient coordination and with greater care. A sound system cannot be set up until enough communication has been achieved between policy-makers and the concerned public and the experts, and different needs from as many areas of social life must be taken into account. Next, this new system must be prepared for the future changes by emphasizing the cultivation of the teachers'critical minds and self-reflective ability, and it must also lays stress on the professional qualities of the teacher training programs and their enduring influence so as to minimize the ill effects imposed by the possible economic distress. Third, do not blindly copy other countries'systems but create an appropriate one with Chinese characteristics. Finally, the solution to the surplus of teachers through such initiatives as a new way of selecting teachers, the retention of the original class size and number, and a different mechanism for dis-employment of teachers.