A Study Of Issues In Rural Teachers' Professional Learning

Teachers'professional learning has been recognized nationally and internationally as a critical component of meaningful and lasting school change. There is strong evidence that teacher- quality determines teaching and learning quality (Zhou Zanmei, 2006). An excellent teacher has been described as one who will be a teacher who has intensive motivation to learn as well as has highly-learning efficacy (Li peijun, 2006). A high-quality teacher will bring a higher level teaching & learning outcome (MoE, 2006).However, in rural areas of China, particularly in western rural areas, teacher quality is an issue because of top teachers'unwillingness to work in rural schools. So far, there are two -major problems among rural teaching force shortage of qualified teachers and poor professional quality. These have direct negative impacts on teacher's teaching & learning outcome. 1 The first belongs to the scope of policy-maker at macro level, and the second belongs to teachers'professional development at the micro level. This study investigates key issues in teachers'professional learning out ot teachers'professional development, arguing that, since teachers'professional learning is the core of it, an investigation into them is essential for developing effective policy and practice.The aims of the study are to identify factors affecting rural teachers'professional learning and to draw practical lessons from the findings. The research makes use of quantitative and qualitative methods for better findings. Quantitative data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Finally there are 120 items left out of 144 items in the questionnaire. By virtue of reliability analysis, all dimensions and constructs of it have a very good reliability and stable structure which can be used as a teachers'professional learning scale. To make the findings more authentic and objective, some qualitative methods such as case study, in-depth interview, class observation and documental analysis were used to extend and enrich the quantitative data and provide a means of triangulation.Affecting factors model for teachers'professional learning. From the model, I have found that the vital factors of teachers'learning results, namely teachers'teaching behavior change, are learning activities and learning environment& resources. The multi-regressive equation of 8 dimentions showed in this case that learning activities and learning environment & resources have strongest prediction. I can conclude that learning activities and learning environment & resources are decisive factors in teachers'learning professional learning.At the same time, after making some comparisons with urban teachers, there are some findings: in learning attitude aspect, rural teachers are more indifferent to professional learning in learning motivation aspect, rural teachers'internal drive are stronger in learning ways & methods aspect, rural teachers are more unfamiliar with new learning methods in learning activities aspect, there are less learning activities for rural teachers in learning environment & resources aspect, rural teachers are exposed to harsh learning conditions and are short of learning resources in leanring time manegement aspect, rural teachers have relatively more time in learning results aspects, rural teachers'learning efficacy are lower in learning needs aspect, there are no significant differences.The affecting factors model for rural teachers'professional learning was created on the basis of large quantitative analysis. So it is scientific and predictable modestly. The model has laid a primary foundation for further understanding of teachers'professional learning.The implications for policy and practice drawn from this study were: (a) autonomy is the core of professional learning. Rural teachers won't rely on the function of group too much. (b) rural teachers ought to take active part in various learning activities and to learn in doing. (c) policy-maker and school manager need to provide various learning opportunities and create harmonious learning environment and richen learning resources for rurual teachers. Additionally, the study mentioned the limitations and suggestions for future research as well in the end.