Developing Professional Capacity of Preschool Teachers in Mountainous Areas to Meet the Requirements of Augmented Education Innovation 4.0

Abstract

The professional capacity of preschool teachers is a decisive factor for the quality of child care and early education for children. However, many preschool teachers teaching in disadvantaged areas have not yet responded to the increasing demands of society and educational innovation. Therefore, developing educators’ competencies in disadvantaged areas is an important task in education renovation. This article investigates the status of the professional competencies of preschool teachers in disadvantaged and mountainous areas to find out the advantages and disadvantages in implementing educational innovation. The main method is the quantitative research method entailing observation, questionnaire investigation and in-depth interviews with 250 early childhood educators and 30 administrators. Research results have revealed that the professional capacity of teachers in mountainous areas has many limitations, especially the ability to apply information technology and develop their own professional skills. Besides, research also pointed out a number of factors affecting the professional capacity development of preschool teachers. This research result is the foundation for improving professional competencies for preschool teachers in educational innovation.