How Do Teachers Learn Together? : Case Studies of School-based Teacher Learning Communities in China

Based on case studies of Chinese teachers in Shanghai and their workplace learning within the context of reform, this book examines how Chinese teachers learn together when they engage in school-based learning activities.

Since the New Curriculum Reform in China in 2001, school-based teaching research groups (TRGs) (Jiaoyanzu) have played an important role in changing teacher learning approaches. Informed by organizational learning frameworks and organizational knowledge theory, the author examines the processes and effects of teacher learning in school-based settings, particularly the role of school leadership in the learning and change of in-service teachers. Implications of sustainably optimizing the school-based teacher learning communities for school improvement are also discussed.

The book will be helpful and valuable for policymakers, school leaders, researchers, students, teachers, and other educational practitioners in understanding the distinctive features of school-based teachers’ learning in China.

Xiaolei Zhang gained her Ph.D. in Education from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is associate professor at Faculty of Education, the East China Normal University, and worked in several top universities, including Tsinghua University and Tianjin University from China. Her research areas focus on teacher learning and professional development, curriculum and instruction, technology-enhanced teaching & learning, and educational reform.