Connotation, Mission and Development Direction of Teacher Education in the New Era: An Interview with Professor Zhu Xudong from Beijing Normal University

Abstract

As one of the leading experts in teacher education in China, Professor Zhu Xudong's profound research foundation and extensive practical experience have had a significant impact on the discipline, academia, and practice of teacher education. He spearheaded the transition from traditional education to teacher education in China, actively engaging in international comparisons, system design, theoretical research, and practical exploration. His efforts yielded fruitful results, significantly advancing teacher education in China. Professor Zhu is currently the director of the Teacher Education Research Center at Beijing Normal University, a key research institution in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences under the Ministry of Education. It is the sole key research base in China that specifically focuses on teacher education. Facing the mission and challenges in the construction of education modernization, Zhu Xudong pointed out that it is valuable to establish high-quality teacher education to deeply understand the connotation, mission, and development direction of teacher education. Professor Zhu elaborated on the connotation, mission, and development direction of teacher education in the new era. He believed that teacher education is a three-dimensional training system focusing on the lifelong development of teachers. Teacher education should align with the national strategy for science, technology, education, and talent development. The development direction of teacher education in our country is to establish a balanced teacher education system with distinct characteristics.

Keywords

• teacher education
• pre-service teachers
• teachers' professional development
• teacher education system
• subject teacher education