Comparative Research On The Systems And Features Of Faculty Development In China And Britain

As the approach of knowledge-based economy and learning society as well as mass higher education, the importance of faculty is gradually recognized. A systematic study on faculty development system will shed light on the direction of faculty development. The faculty training system in China which had been developed since the mid-1980s has gradually become mature. However, the faculty development which had received the international recognition has just started in China since 2003. In order to promote knowledge-based economy and learning society and innovative country, this thesis investigates the system and features of faculty development in UK thoroughly and systematically and ponders on how to enhance the quality of higher education and better develop faculty in China.This thesis consists of six chapters and the preface is made up of five parts. The first part is introduction. Several key concepts related to faculty development are defined in part two. The research on faculty development in both China and UK are introduced through theory, policy, organization, incentive structure and practice.Chapter two analyzes the three-tier faculty training system in China through its establishment, organization as well as project implementation and its features. We should learn from the experience of faculty development in UK, and ponder on how to build up our own faculty development system, due to the new challenges which derive from the mass higher education, decentralized management of higher education institutions and internationalization of higher education as well as the speedy development of technology information.Chapter three summaries the faculty development in UK through the influence of related policies and organizational structures, incentive mechanism, program design, program implementation, and assessment of faculty development. Case study of Cambridge University, Bristol University and Sheffield Hallam University are included in order to summarize the faculty development in UK.Chapter four compares the faculty development both in China and UK in order to investigate the situation and features of faculty development through related policies, theory, organization, and incentive structure as well as project implementation.Chapter five puts forward suggestions for government, university, faculty development organizations, as well as faculty in China, based on the above-mentioned materialsChapter six suggests possible ways to build up the future of innovative faculty development system.