A 2024 report on "China's teacher development" was recently released, highlighting that the size of China's head teacher workforce has steadily expanded, with a notable improvement in educational attainment, with 95.14 percent of head teachers now holding a bachelor's degree or higher, Guangming Daily reported on Tuesday.
The report centered on the development of China's head teacher workforce, introducing an assessment tool tailored to Chinese characteristics. It explored key dimensions such as the social status of head teachers, role identity and professional competence. The research team conducted in-depth field studies across multiple regions in China and performed group profiling and case analyses.
The head of the research team stated that China's primary and secondary school head teacher workforce has moved toward high-quality development in recent years.
Head teachers show strong role identity, performing well in role cognition, emotional engagement, and behavioral commitment, and demonstrating firm confidence in their responsibilities. Their professional competence remains at a high level, with outstanding moral conduct guided by the spirit of educators, along with strong communication and classroom management abilities.
"With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, highly educated teachers have grown alongside information technology. They are more adept at using multimedia teaching tools, online resources, and interactive platforms. Transitioning from textbooks to incorporating modern smart devices has significantly boosted student interest and motivation," Wang Liping, a 43-year-old middle school teacher in Shanghai told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"At a top-tier primary school in Shanghai where I work, especially over the past decade, we've seen the emergence and annual increase of young teachers with master's degrees," said Wang Fei, a 43-year-old primary school teacher in Shanghai. "These new teachers excel in academic writing and leveraging modern technologies for lesson planning and courseware development. Their research-oriented approach brings fresh perspectives to teaching."
At the same time, the report noted several persistent challenges in the professional development of China's head teachers, including the need to enhance workforce quality and social status, emotional stress in their roles, and blurred boundaries between work and life, Guangming Daily said.
Wang Liping added that higher qualifications also mean a shift toward research-oriented teaching. Increased requirements for research projects and academic publishing have added pressure, placing research responsibilities alongside regular teaching duties. "Therefore, finding a balance between teaching practice and academic research is crucial," he said.
The report is part of a research series released by Northeast Normal University. It aims to study the reform of China's primary and secondary school teacher workforce development and the high-quality development of basic education.