How can China improve classroom teaching quality and efficiency through lesson preparation groups?

Watch the full webinar above.

Under the “double reduction” policy in China, which aims to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students in compulsory education, schools and teachers have made increased efforts to ensure that the reduction of academic burden does not result in a decline in educational performance.

Columbia Global Centers | Beijing invited educators and scholars from the U.S. and China to provide insights on how to make the most out of class time and improve the efficiency of classroom teaching.

Speakers

Victoria J. Marsick is a professor of Adult and Organizational Learning in the Department of Organization & Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University, where she has made significant contributions to the field of adult learning in the theory and practice of human resource and organizational development. Since the publication of her first book, Learning in the Workplace, she has brought a rich understanding of the nature of the individual, team, and organizational learning to scholars and practitioners of adult and continuing education.

Professor Marsick has held numerous leadership positions at Teachers College, serving as head of the innovative Adult Education Guided Independent Study (AEGIS) program at Teachers College, as well as the department chair. She was a leading force in securing the funding for and creating the concept of, the J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations, and she serves as co-director of the Institute. She also hosts the Workplace Learning Institute at Teachers College for human resource and organization developers.

Cindy Lin earned her doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her dissertation research, titled how the group leaders of lesson preparation groups facilitate group learning and reflective practice in Chinese public high schools, focused on the professional learning community in Chinese public schools. She sought to inform the practice of lesson preparation groups to improve facilitating reflective practice through lesson preparation group meetings in Chinese public high schools. Her dissertation was awarded the Dean’s Grant for Student Research at Teachers College.

Dr. Lin has 15 years of experience in international education and the cultural exchange field, nine years of experience in designing and delivering training programs for principals, teachers, and administrators in China, and 5 years of experience in organizational development initiatives. She has given lectures to over 7000 students in China on the topics of study skills, time management, emotional management, and other leadership-related topics. She is also co-teaching a management and leadership course at Teachers College. She is currently the Director of Organization Development and Product Development at Cogita Education Initiatives.

Yan Hu, who received her Ph.D. degree in Education from Beijing Normal University, is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor of the Institute of Teacher Education, Beijing Normal University. Professor Hu mainly focuses on teacher and teacher education history, teacher education policy, teacher professional development research. Previously, she served as the director of the Editorial Departments of Chinese Teachers and Teacher Education Research.

Professor Hu chaired "Research on the Professionalization Process of Teachers in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Primary and Secondary Schools from the Perspective of Political Sociology", "Research on the Development History of China's Primary and Middle School Teaching Research Group"，"Research on the history of private substitute teachers from the perspective of science and technology" and many other national, provincial, and ministerial topics. She published many articles in CSSCI, including Educational Research, Teacher Education Research, Xinhua Digest etc.

Liu Dao is a senior teacher in geography at Shenzhen Futian Middle School. She is currently a Ph. D. candidate in the School of Teacher Education at Central China Normal University and Deputy Director of the Teacher Development Center at Futian Middle School. Previously, she served as an adjunct teaching and research fellow in Geography at Shenzhen Educational Science Institute, a core member of the geography evaluation and exam team for senior high schools in Shenzhen, a member of Guangdong exam experts. She has won honorary titles of the eighth national excellent middle school Geography educator, Guangdong excellent middle school geography teacher, Shenzhen backbone teacher, among others.