Kindergarten Teacher Empowerment in China: Backgrounds, Actions, and Barriers

This study investigates the current kindergarten teacher empowerment situation in China by using the revised classical scale” School Participants Empowerment Scale(SPES)” developed by Rinehart and Short in 1992 .975... [ view full abstract ]

This study investigates the current kindergarten teacher empowerment situation in China by using the revised classical scale” School Participants Empowerment Scale(SPES)” developed by Rinehart and Short in 1992 .975 kindergarten teachers from 18 provinces in total joined in the research.

Study shows that (1) The average empowerment score of kindergarten teachers is 3.87, which means kindergarten teachers in China feel that they have already had some control and power over their daily work. Most of the teachers believe that they are doing a meaningful work and are helping children learn (self-efficiency score=4.13), but they still lack enough autonomy and freedom, especially in deciding curriculum context, teaching methods and daily schedules (decision making score=3.58, autonomy=3.75); (2)Kindergarten teacher empowerment degree is significantly associated with kindergarten locations, sizes, quality as well as teachers’ positions, working years, education experience and salary conditions. 
Due to the second-wave basic education revolution in China, kindergarten teachers are sharing much more power than before, however, there are still some issues that needed to be seriously considered when we advance the process of teacher empowerment: (1) How can we create a good institutional guarantee for teacher empowerment? How do we realize the power equalization, shared decision making  in such a big country? (2) Who will the supervisors and take the obligation of management? What will the relationship between government administrator, kindergarten principal and kindergarten teachers be under the deep-rooted grade system and centralism tradition of China? (3) How to avoid the risk of decentralization and ensure the most vulnerable kindergarten can also get scientific guidance and own enough autonomy at the same time? (4) How to inspire kindergarten teachers' professional consciousness and improve their professional knowledge and skills? How to help teachers truly become intellectual authority and finally become full partner of kindergarten?