This paper looks at the key issues and challenges facing TEFL teachers in China with respect to prospective teacher preparation and professional development. Drawing upon earlier research on conceptual frameworks, it ...This paper looks at the key issues and challenges facing TEFL teachers in China with respect to prospective teacher preparation and professional development. Drawing upon earlier research on conceptual frameworks, it examines the knowledge base of pre-service teachers through research into the curriculums in TEFL education across diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A comparative study of the curriculum structures in the education of TEFL teachers reveals a number of key areas of concern: the main hindrance to the development of a stronger knowledge base of pre-service teachers lies in the serious shortage of pedagogical content knowledge, fundamental pedagogical knowledge that are currently available, as well as with the overall inadequacy of practicum hours. It strongly argues for the breadth versus depth in course design and calls for the imperative to reconceptualize the knowledge base of pre-service teachers.展开更多
文摘This paper looks at the key issues and challenges facing TEFL teachers in China with respect to prospective teacher preparation and professional development. Drawing upon earlier research on conceptual frameworks, it examines the knowledge base of pre-service teachers through research into the curriculums in TEFL education across diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A comparative study of the curriculum structures in the education of TEFL teachers reveals a number of key areas of concern: the main hindrance to the development of a stronger knowledge base of pre-service teachers lies in the serious shortage of pedagogical content knowledge, fundamental pedagogical knowledge that are currently available, as well as with the overall inadequacy of practicum hours. It strongly argues for the breadth versus depth in course design and calls for the imperative to reconceptualize the knowledge base of pre-service teachers.
