A Study Of "Effective School-Based Teacher Training (SBTT)"

School-based teacher training (SBTT) is a form of continued education provided by a school for all its teachers in order to increase their capacity for teaching and research and to improve the quality of the school. SBTT is usually conducted by a school under the guidance of specialized education agencies or experts. The school headmaster is directly responsible for supervising the planning and implementation of SBTT in light of the actual situation of the school. This thesis aims to establish an model for "effective SBTT" based on analysis of the history and status quo of SBTT.The "Introduction" of the thesis points out that a main problem with current SBTT programs are their lack of effectiveness, which is why it is worthwhile to study how to establish a model for effective SBTT."Chapter I" first clarifies the definition of SBTT based on an analysis of what "school-based" means, and distinguishes between SBTT and other related concepts. This will serve as a basis for further analysis. Then, it describes the history of SBTT and analyzes relevant policies related to the China's "Three Five-Year Plans" for the continued education of primary and middle school teachers (with Beijing being highlighted as an example). This section is an overview of the theoretical basis and policy objectives of SBTT."Chapter II" first describes international experience in SBTT and analyzes main issues. Then, it discusses main problems that exist in current Chinese SBTT programs, including lack of understanding, improper planning, lack of diversification in their forms, poor management, poor evaluation, lack of openness, lack of inter-school collaboration, insufficient financial support, lack of information dissemination, etc. These problems are analyzed based on literature review, observations, and interviews. This section lays a basis for the analysis of the key components of "effective SBTT"."Chapter III" first proposes a definition for "Effective SBTT". According to this definition and systematic methods, it analyzes the key components of "effective SBTT". They are divided into internal components (including background components and process components) and external components, and include 12 basic components: school characteristics, teachers' characteristics, teachers' motivations, training options, institutional structure, applicability, planning, management, assessment, policy support by education agencies, technical guidance by education institutions, and service by intermediary agents. Their inter-relations are identified. Then, the thesis proposes the following basic principles for "effective SBTT": it is subject to continuous change; it requires public participation; it should have clear objectives; it should be flexible; it should have an independent decision-making mechanism; it should strive to achieve optimality, it requires cooperation among all concerned, it should be an open process, and it should practice strict economy. Lastly, the thesis proposes steps of implementing "effective SBTT": identifying demands; stimulating motivations; designing agenda and programs; selecting training options; establishing institutional arrangement; deciding on training plans; management insurance; and, assessment.The "Conclusions and Recommendations" summarizes the main issues related to the proposed model for "effective SBTT", and makes recommendations on how to improve continued education for teachers.