Open Journal Systems

Strategies for enhancing the resilience of rural teachers from the perspective of Chinese rural school principals, in the post-pandemic period

Zikun Hong

Article ID: 1963
Vol 8, Issue 3, 2023, Article identifier:

VIEWS - 497 (Abstract) 285 (PDF)

Abstract

The impact of pandemic control measures on student education in rural areas of China, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by educators. With the adoption of diverse pedagogical methods like online education during the pandemic, little attention has been given to the specific struggles of teachers in rural regions. The pandemic has exacerbated existing issues, leading to an alarming increase in rural teacher attrition. High turnover rates have detrimental effects on educational excellence, school culture, and the overall cohesion of educational institutions. Furthermore, the costs incurred to recruit and train new instructors in impoverished or remote communities pose additional challenges. As China lifts COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, a pivotal moment emerges for the advancement of rural education. To address challenges and support early-career teachers’ resilience, a comprehensive understanding of the rural educational environment is crucial. By prioritizing the well-being and needs of new teachers, education leaders can provide effective support and resources in the post-pandemic era, leading to a more optimistic scholastic atmosphere and improved student achievement.


Keywords

teacher resilience; rural education; principal leadership; post epidemic period

Full Text:

PDF



References

1. Ingersoll RM, Strong M. The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A review of educational research. Review of Educational Research 2011; 81(2): 201–233. doi: 10.3102/0034654311403323

2. Sorensen LC, Ladd HF. The hidden costs of teacher turnover. AERA Open 2020; 6(1): 1–24. doi: 10.1177/2332858420905812

3. Simon N, Johnson SM. Teacher turnover in high-poverty schools: What we know and can do. Teachers College Record 2015; 117(3): 1–36. doi: 10.1177/016146811511700305

4. Ingersoll RM. Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal 2001; 38(3): 499–534. doi: 10.3102/00028312038003499

5. Wang H, Cousineau C, Wang B, et al. Exploring teacher job satisfaction in Rural China: Prevalence and correlates. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022; 19(6): 3537. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063537

6. Matthew R. Links among Teacher Preparation, Retention, and Teaching Effectiveness. Evaluating and Improving Teacher Preparation Programs. Washington: National Academy of Education; 2021. pp. 1–34.

7. Smith PR, Taylor J. Marketing Communications: An Integrated Approach. Kogan Page Business Books; 2004.

8. Riggins FJ, Dewan S. The digital divide: Current and future research directions. Journal of the Association for Information Systems 2005; 6(12): 298–337. doi: 10.17705/1jais.00074

9. Hohlfeld TN, Ritzhaupt AD, Dawson K, Wilson ML. An examination of seven years of technology integration in Florida schools: Through the lens of the levels of digital divide in schools. Computers & Education 2017; 113: 135–161. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2017.05.017

10. Chiu TKF. Digital support for student engagement in blended learning based on self-determination theory. Computers in Human Behavior 2021; 124: 106909. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106909

11. Zhang X. China rural education development report 2020–2022 (Chinese). Available online: https://www.nenu.edu.cn/info/1366/15121.htm (accessed on 5 June 2023).

12. Gu Q, Day C. Teachers resilience: A necessary condition for effectiveness. Teaching and Teacher Education 2007; 23(8): 1302–1316. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2006.06.006

13. Li Q, Gu Q, He W. Resilience of Chinese teachers: Why perceived work conditions and relational trust matter. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives 2019; 17(3): 143–159. doi:10.1080/15366367.2019.1588593

14. Day C. Committed for life? Variations in teachers’ work, lives and effectiveness. Journal of Educational Change 2008; 9(3): 243–260. doi: 10.1007/s10833-007-9054-6

15. Day C, Sammons P, Gu Q, et al. Committed for life? Variations in teachers’ work, lives and effectiveness. In: Bayer M, Brinkkjær U, Plauborg H, et al. (editors). Teachers’ Career Trajectories and Work Lives. Springer, Dordrecht; 2009. pp. 49–70.

16. Gu Q, Day C. Challenges to teacher resilience: Conditions count. British Educational Research Journal 2013; 39(1): 22–44. doi: 10.1080/01411926.2011.623152

17. Li Q, Gu Q, He W. Resilience of Chinese teachers: Why perceived work conditions and relational trust matter. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives 2019; 17(3): 143–159. doi: 10.1080/15366367.2019.1588593

18. Liu A, Liu N, Wang A. Why can’t rural schools retain young teachers? An analysis of the professional development of rural school teachers in China: Taking teachers in rural western China. Social Sciences & Humanities Open 2022; 5(1): 100238. doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100238

19. Xiang L, Stillwell J, Burns L, Heppenstall A. Measuring and assessing regional education inequalities in China under changing policy regimes. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy 2020; 13(1): 91–112. doi: 10.1007/s12061-019-09293-8

20. Chung C, Mason M. Why do primary school students drop out in poor, rural China? A portrait sketched in a remote mountain village. International Journal of Educational Development 2012; 32(4): 537–545. doi: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2012.02.012

21. National Bureau of statistics of China. China Statistical Yearbook. China Statistics Press; 2015.

22. Li H, Ma M, Liu Q. How the COVID-19 pandemic affects job sentiments of rural teachers. China Economic Review 2022; 72: 101759. doi: 10.1016/j.chieco.2022.101759

23. Zhou L, Wu S, Zhou M, Li F. ‘School’s out, but class’ on’, the largest online education in the world today: Taking China’s practical exploration during the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control as an example. Best Evidence in Chinese Education 2020; 4(2): 501–519. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3555520

24. Wang H, Zhang M, Li R, et al. Tracking the effects of COVID-19 in rural China over time. International Journal for Equity in Health 2021; 20(1): 35. doi: 10.1186/s12939-020-01369-z

25. Zhang L. Overview of the poverty-alleviation by supporting education in China. Science Insights Education Frontiers 2020; 6(2): 631–651. doi:10.15354/sief.20.re010

26. Yin YM, Dooley K, Mu GM. Why do graduates from prestigious universities choose to teach in disadvantaged schools? Lessons from an alternative teacher preparation program in China. Teaching and Teacher Education 2019; 77: 378–387. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2018.10.011

27. Day C, Gu Q. The New Lives of Teachers, 1st ed. Routledge; 2010.

28. Cui B, McCallum F, White MA. An exploration of rural Chinese teachers’ wellbeing: Insights from mixture modelling of latent profile analysis. International Journal of Chinese Education 2022; 11(1). doi: 10.1177/2212585x221097719

29. Liu LB, Song H, Miao P. Navigating individual and collective notions of teacher wellbeing as a complex phenomenon shaped by national context. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 2018; 48(1): 128–146. doi: 10.1080/03057925.2017.1283979

30. Drudy S. Gender balance/gender bias: The teaching profession and the impact of feminization. Gender and Education 2008; 20(4): 309–323. doi: 10.1080/09540250802190156

31. Nzima D, Ngubane S. Chapter 4: Mental health support to enhance curriculum management in rural schools in South Africa. In: Towards Innovative Ways of Managing Curriculum in Rural Secondary Schools in the Twenty-First Century. Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill; 2023. pp. 63–76.

32. Wei Y, Zhou S. Are better teachers more likely to move? Examining teacher mobility in rural China. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 2019; 28(2): 171–179. doi: 10.1007/s40299-018-0423-0

33. The General Office of State Council. Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Professional Title System (Chinese). Beijing: General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; 2011.

34. Yikici B, Altinay F, Altinay Z, et al. Adoption of online education and pedagogy as new codes of life for new future in rural regions. Sustainability 2022; 14(9): 5528. doi: 10.3390/su14095528

35. Li J, Xue E. Unpacking the policies, historical stages, and themes of the education equality for educational sustainable development: Evidence from China. Sustainability 2022; 14(17): 10522. doi: 10.3390/su141710522

36. Xue E, Li J. Educational equity between urban and rural areas in China. In: Educational Equity Policy in China. Springer, Singapore; 2021. pp. 1–30.

37. Wang X, Lo LNK. Development of resilience among Chinese rural teachers: A social ecological perspective. Teachers and Teaching 2022; 28(5): 533–554. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2022.2062743


DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/esp.v8i3.1963
(497 Abstract Views, 285 PDF Downloads)

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Zikun Hong

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/