Diagnosis Of The Professional Core Competencies Of New Junior Geography Teachers

Teachers’ professional core competencies are the fundamental guarantee of geography teaching, and they are the outstanding embodiment of the professional development of teachers. Enhancing the professional core competencies of new junior geography teachers is of great significance to promoting the professional development of teachers, improving teaching efficiency, and optimizing the teaching results of junior middle school geography education.This study adopts the method of literature analysis, expert consultation, case analysis and interviews, etc. Firstly, this article illustrates research situation at home and abroad of the professional core competencies of new junior geography teachers.Secondly, the concept and structure of the professional core competencies of new junior geography teachers, theory of geographic science, the theory about teacher professional development stage, as well as geography theory of curriculum and instruction which are the foundation of the research have been presented;Thirdly, according to relevant standards about the professional core competencies of junior geography teachers, as well as the systemic principle scientific principles, the students-center principle and operable principle, the diagnosing scale of instructional design which is based on the professional core competencies of junior geography teachers is established, including 9 first class indicators,20 second class indicators and 20 third class indicators. First class indicators are composed of the interpretation of curriculum standards, textbook analysis, analysis of the students, teaching objectives, teaching process, teaching methods, teaching media, teaching resources, and teaching evaluation. Fourthly, diagnose the typical design of geography teaching from new junior geography teachers in Fujian Province, in terms of the diagnosing scale.The result shows that the professional core competencies of new junior geography teachers remained stubbornly low as a whole. Specifically, most teachers haven’t give priority to geography curriculum standards. Some important elements lack or are nonstandard in teaching design. And new curriculum concept becomes formulaic. In the end, to solve these problems, new junior geography teachers should work hard and master geography teaching theory and strengthen analysis of teaching foundation, which include giving priority to geography curriculum standards and grasping the method of interpreting curriculum standards; enhancing textbook analysis and critically evaluating textbook; respecting students subjective status and fully analyzing the student learning. Then on this basis, set teaching objectives and make them integrated and refined. Under the direction of teaching objectives, carry out overall design of teaching procedures, grasp the main contents, highlight the important and difficult and penetrate the new course of geographical feature educates idea. Specifically, have abundant teaching methods in order to have the flexibility to choose, diversify teaching media and fully explore teaching resources. In addition, teaching evaluation should thread throughout teaching procedures, strengthen prediction evaluation and process evaluation, and conduct self-assessments timely in depth. Finally, teachers themselves should make plans to guide teachers’ professional core competencies development.Schools should appoint instructors for new junior geography teachers and build new mentoring system with network platform outside of school. Relevant departments should set up exchange platforms and incentive mechanism in order to enhance teaching design ability of new junior geography teachers.