Professional Development Of New Teachers In Non-governmental Higher Vocational Schools, A Research Over Its Current Situation And Possible Solutions

Non-governmental higher education, in their rapid development, have been a major part for China’s higher education since the Reform and Opening-up, particularly the implementation of Law on Non-governmental Education Promotion in 2002, and its social role is increasingly important as evidenced by Suggestions for Healthy Development of Non-governmental Education by Encouraging and Introducing Private Capital into Education(No.10 in 2012) issued by Ministry of Education. Private higher vocational colleges, as half of private higher education, keep up with the trend of the development, which scale expands unceasingly. But in recent years, with the continuous decrease of students, private higher vocational colleges’ survival becomes more and more difficult. So they need overall support, particularly on teacher professional development of teachers’ construction. New teachers, in their key and special period, or the starting point of their professional development, will highly influence long-term strategic development of their schools.The paper, titled as Professional Development of New Teachers in Non-governmental Higher Vocational Schools, provides a related literature review and explanation over related terms based on a clear image of its causes, aims and possible results. It points out 4 problems through questionnaires in 7 non-governmental higher vocational schools on professional development of their new teachers: [1]They have weak professional knowledge, capabilities and affection since they are mostly current-year graduates from non-normal majors or reemployed teachers from enterprises; [2]They are less aware of being professionally developed; [3]Their schools are short of organizations for such training and practices of “master-apprentice” pairs or on-campus pre-teaching training are mere of formality; [4]They are under pressure and their “buffer period” for formal teaching are insufficient. So it concludes the very reason for problems above from the perspective of governments, training schemes, non-governmental higher vocational schools and new teacher, based on in-depth analysis over superficial issues: [1]Governments fail to carry out macro-policies, regulations and investment for teachers’ professional development; [2]Training that mainly based on schools rather than regional, municipal or provincial resources, such as normal universities or training institutions for qualified teachers, fails to bring out comprehensive effort; [3]Nongovernmental higher vocational schools, with their less concentration and support, fail to bring forth sound and highly-implemented systems; [4]New teachers in these schools are less aware of receiving professional development, nor reflections over their teaching.The paper thus offers possible solutions from the perspective of governments, collective training, non-governmental higher vocational schools and new teachers, based on current problems and their causes of professional development and experience gained from New Teacher Training Program in Shanghai non-governmental higher schools from 2012 to 2014: [1]Governments should support professional development of these teachers through clear training mechanism, sufficient expenditures or establishing qualified organizations for their professional development; [2]Collective training for new teachers should be concentrated on the very nature of private ownership of these schools, providing them not only with a clear picture and high recognition of their schools, but also their qualifications and career development; Besides, the training should be a unity of their practices and theoretical learning and balance between their teaching and scientific researches in lest of “one-sided” profession; [3]Non-governmental vocational schools should strengthen the propaganda. And establish the teacher professional development mechanism(such as independent or joint platforms and specialized organizations for teachers’ professional development are also encouraged, as evidenced by such subcentrals independently or jointly held by these schools and led by municipal central for teachers’ professional development),then improve their tutorship for new teachers, namely, “master-apprentice” pairs that offers less teaching tasks and longer buffer periods; last, create a cooperative culture actively, improve and imply the new teacher mentoring;[4]New teachers are expected to be much more professionally developed through their development plans and teachings reflections.