Reviewing the Problems in Rural Teacher Policy Instrumentsand Optimization Strategies: Based on the Analysis Framework of McDonnel and Elmore

Abstract

As a comprehensive education and livelihood project, the construction of the rural teacher workforce is an important aspect of promoting the strategy of rural revitalization and deepening educational reform. From the perspective of policy instruments, this paper establishes a two-dimensional analytical framework consisting of "classification of rural teacher policy instruments (X-axis)" and "construction of rural teacher workforce (Y-axis)". It systematically investigates and quantitatively analyzes rural teacher policies in China in the 21st century. The relevant policy contents are classified into eight main themes: professional ethics development, teacher supply, living conditions, teacher establishment, professional title evaluation, urban-rural mobility, competency and qualities, and honor systems. The policy instruments are classified into five major types: command, incentive, capacity building, systematic reform, and advisory. Research findings indicate that China's rural teacher policy system has been preliminarily established, but there is a relative lack of policy supply in certain construction areas. While relevant national departments jointly issue rural teacher policies, there is a lack of diversity in the forms of participation by stakeholders. The combination of policy instruments is diverse, but the level of systematic collaboration is not yet high. The focus of policy instrument usage has shifted, but the use of command-type instruments still tends to be excessive. To optimize China's rural teacher policies, attention should be paid to weak areas in the construction of the rural teacher workforce, and the policy supply system should be improved. Multiple stakeholders should be involved in collaborative decision-making processes to achieve positive "incentive compatibility". Following the principle of "whole-part" construction, the systematic and scientific allocation of policy instruments should be promoted. Additionally, strengthening the supervision and evaluation of policy instruments should consider both long-term and short-term benefits.

Keywords

• rural teacher policy
• rural revitalization strategy
• policy instrument allocation
• policy benefits
• policy assessment