Historical Perspectives on the Teaching Research System and Teacher Learning since the Founding of New China

Abstract The teaching research system was established after the founding of New China in emulation of the Soviet Union for the purpose of learning, research and teaching management, with the aim of promoting improvement in the caliber of primary and secondary school teaching and guaranteeing the quality of education. The system played an important role in the construction and development of education in New China and ensuring the quality of education. The system also made unique contributions with respect to teacher learning: the routine practice of teaching research which it established fostered habits of daily learning and research in teachers, with the result that this practice permeated teachers’ careers, spurring their professional development. This design also caused teachers’ daily work to be rooted in research, raising the level of professionalism in teaching, and ensuring the basic quality of education. It gave rise to a teaching professional learning community in the Chinese environment, moving teachers’ work out of isolation, and allowing it to unfold within a supportive peer environment. However, in the face of the new era, there is still considerable room for the improvement of teaching research organizations as learning communities.