COURSE INFORMATON
EDUCATION POLICY: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Course level and nature
PhD (compulsory; fall)
Course lecturer
Dr. GAO Xingyuan (East China Normal University)
Course outline
Educational policy: Issues and Challenges is an introductory course that offers an overview of philosophical debates over policy studies and educational leadership at both international level and national level. Topics include examination of Chinese educational system and law, current political contexts, and social justice for all students, with an emphasis on educational governance structures and equity-related responsibilities. The course will also discuss research methodology and methods that have been applied to expand our understanding of leadership issues and relevant policy context. Students are required to complete a comprehensive case analysis focused on law, policy or inequity issues in education.
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN AND ACADEMIC WRITING
Course level and nature
PhD (compulsory; spring)
Course lecturer
Dr. Nicholas Sun-Keung PANG (East China Normal University)
Course outline
This course focuses on different perspectives, models and methodologies for educational research and introduction of the basics of academic writing and publication. First, various research ideologies and perspectives will be examined. Secondly, the principles of using different methodology in various educational research will be explored. Students will be asked to choose and decide a minor area of enquiry for practicing the skills and techniques of designing an instrument for a quantitative study of a research problem and to answer research questions with empirical data. A workshop on the use of SPSS for basic statistical skills and a follow-up tutorial on data entry and analyses will be given to each student for practice. Based on the obtained data and findings, students will be guided on how to draft an academic writing and prepare for an academic publication. The key requirements for international publications will be explored and discussed. Learning activities in this course include, critique on some samples of academic papers, design of a quantitative instrument for a minor research, earning experience to obtain quality data, workshop on the practice of the SPSS package and related statistical analytical techniques, tutorial for data entry and analyses, and preparation for academic publication. Advanced statistics, including linear structural equation modeling (LISREL) and multilevel analysis will also be discussed.
ANTHROPOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Course level and nature
PhD (elective; spring)
Course lecturer
Dr. DONG Xuan (East China Normal University)
Course outline
This course uses the anthropological approach to study schools and to understand the relationship between learning, teaching, societies and culture. It offers a holistic view of educational processes by exploring cultural aspects of the acquisition, transmission and production of knowledge. It uses a comparative framework to analyze the connection between educational systems and socio-cultural contexts, and to explore the roles schools play as agents of continuity, conflict and change in situations of cultural contact and in the new global order.
EDUCATIONAL INTERNSHIP
Course level and nature
PhD (elective; spring)
Course lecturer
Supervisor team (East China Normal University)
Course outline
This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to observe school management and pedagogical practices on site and discuss relevant topics with school leaders and teachers, in particular for foreign students who are interested in learning about Chinese education. They will be encouraged to link the data collected from the front-line back to the theories, ideas and concepts obtained from other courses. This will also construct an empirical basis for their dissertation.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Course level and nature
PhD (elective; fall)
Course lecturer
Dr. ZHANG Junhua (East China Normal University)
Course outline
Over the last couple of decades, the significance of leadership in determining the nature and quality in all kinds of educational contexts has attracted increasing attention in many parts of the world. This has been especially so of the principal ,hence the value of educational leadership. Leadership is the process of enlisting and guiding the talents and energies of aspiring leaders, principals, teachers, and students toward achieving common educational aims. This course will be delivered based on the theory and practice, policy and implication, research methods and application in the filed of educational leadership. The following contents will be addressed.
INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION STUDIES
Course level and nature
PhD (elective; fall)
Course lecturer
Dr. CHEN Hongyan (East China Normal University)
Course outline
Globalization has long been recognized as one of the crucial factors shaping the modern education. However, it is still not clear how to understand and conceptualize the huge shifts that taking place. Intercultural Education Studies (IES) is one of the most comprehensive and contemporary programs that focuses on globalization, culture and intercultural issues. It is a way to broad students’ global perspective and builds intercultural skills at home or abroad. The IES involves discovering how cultural identities shape the way people understand and operate in the world and recognizing culture at work in everyday experiences. Simply immersing oneself in a different culture does not automatically lead to deeper intercultural awareness. Growing student’s intercultural understanding depends on a blend of personal motivation and guided learning.
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON TEACHER EDUCATION
Course level and nature
PhD (elective; fall)
Course lecturer
Dr. ZHU Gang (East China Normal University)
Course outline
This graduate-level course will cover mainstream teacher education research paradigms, practices, and policies in a broad array of countries against different socio-cultural backgrounds. From the perspective of international comparative analysis, this course centers on the key components involving teacher education theory, practice, and reform: 1) Teaching and teacher education standards, 2) Different modes of teacher education program, 3) Pre-service and in-service teacher professional development, 4) Equity, diversity, and multiculturalism in teacher education. This course will review some landmark research articles, research reports, and government archives that shape the featured landscape of current teacher education globally.
