{"id":{"repo_id":"cambridge","oai_identifier":"oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/388882"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cambridge/oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/388882","repository":{"repo_id":"cambridge","name":"Cambridge University","base_url":"https://api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"“Dancing in shackles”: How the professional knowledge of university-based teacher educators develops in a complex authority dynamic in China","abstract":"Current research in China pays insufficient attention to teacher educator knowledge, and the limited existing discussions predominantly focus on what teacher educators should know. This doctoral thesis explores the development of university-based teacher educator knowledge, with particular emphasis on “how teacher educators come to know”. The research is situated within the context of Open Classes (公开课, Gongkaike) and associated activities—unique phenomena in Chinese teacher education shaped by a top-down system in which national policies exert significant influence over educational practices. The central research question is: What is the nature of university-based teacher educator knowledge in the landscape of Open Classes and associated activities in China? To address this question, I employ a hybrid methodology that combines narrative inquiry and self-study. The narrative inquiry involves five faculty members from different departments and schools at a leading Normal University in China. The self-study component centres on my own role as both researcher and the researched, illustrating how my learning experiences have shaped my investigation in this thesis, and how the research process, in turn, has contributed to the development of my professional knowledge as a future teacher educator. In this thesis, I explore the conceptualisation of theory and practice within the context of Open Classes and associated activities in China. I discover that the “theory and practice” discussed in this setting diverge from their traditional academic definition. Removed from their original contexts, the “theory and practice” become theoretical and practical conclusions, which are abstract and persuasive. Furthermore, I introduce the coexistence of the official and unofficial lenses in Chinese teacher education and professional development. The official lens prioritizes theoretical conclusions and predetermined structures, positioning teachers as subject to authority. In contrast, the unofficial lens is narrative-based, emphasizing people and experiences, where teachers and their experiences hold authority. This thesis uncovers the pervasive tension between these two lenses, with university-based teacher educators navigating the middle ground between them. I adopt the concept of the radical middle (Bullock & Christou, 2009) to describe this often overlooked but actively utilized space. In addition, I observe a close relationship between this radical middle and the Chinese philosophy of Zhongyong (中庸), where individuals seek balance by navigating both sides of a debate rather than choosing one. This doctoral thesis explores the nature of teacher educator knowledge development in China, contributing to the localisation of Chinese academia and offering novel tools for Chinese practitioners to actively reflect on their practices. The discovery of this uniquely Chinese phenomenon also serves as a reminder for scholars in other contexts to consider similar tensions and cultural influences in their own research.","abstract_html":"Current research in China pays insufficient attention to teacher educator knowledge, and the limited existing discussions predominantly focus on what teacher educators should know. This doctoral thesis explores the development of university-based teacher educator knowledge, with particular emphasis on “how teacher educators come to know”. The research is situated within the context of Open Classes (公开课, Gongkaike) and associated activities—unique phenomena in Chinese teacher education shaped by a top-down system in which national policies exert significant influence over educational practices. The central research question is: What is the nature of university-based teacher educator knowledge in the landscape of Open Classes and associated activities in China? To address this question, I employ a hybrid methodology that combines narrative inquiry and self-study. The narrative inquiry involves five faculty members from different departments and schools at a leading Normal University in China. The self-study component centres on my own role as both researcher and the researched, illustrating how my learning experiences have shaped my investigation in this thesis, and how the research process, in turn, has contributed to the development of my professional knowledge as a future teacher educator. In this thesis, I explore the conceptualisation of theory and practice within the context of Open Classes and associated activities in China. I discover that the “theory and practice” discussed in this setting diverge from their traditional academic definition. Removed from their original contexts, the “theory and practice” become theoretical and practical conclusions, which are abstract and persuasive. Furthermore, I introduce the coexistence of the official and unofficial lenses in Chinese teacher education and professional development. The official lens prioritizes theoretical conclusions and predetermined structures, positioning teachers as subject to authority. In contrast, the unofficial lens is narrative-based, emphasizing people and experiences, where teachers and their experiences hold authority. This thesis uncovers the pervasive tension between these two lenses, with university-based teacher educators navigating the middle ground between them. I adopt the concept of the radical middle (Bullock & Christou, 2009) to describe this often overlooked but actively utilized space. In addition, I observe a close relationship between this radical middle and the Chinese philosophy of Zhongyong (中庸), where individuals seek balance by navigating both sides of a debate rather than choosing one. This doctoral thesis explores the nature of teacher educator knowledge development in China, contributing to the localisation of Chinese academia and offering novel tools for Chinese practitioners to actively reflect on their practices. The discovery of this uniquely Chinese phenomenon also serves as a reminder for scholars in other contexts to consider similar tensions and cultural influences in their own research.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wu, Yutong"],"institution":"University of Cambridge","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Bullock, Shawn"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-10-23","date_published":"2024-10-23","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:27Z","subjects":["teacher educator","teacher professional development","narrative inquiry","self-study (S-STTEP)","Open Class"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/2f466527-4514-4680-8d95-cc5d61812c44/download","http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.121043","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Bullock, Shawn"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["none"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wu, Yutong"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-10-23"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cambridge"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby.uri","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby URI","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/388882"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["teacher educator","teacher professional development","narrative inquiry","self-study (S-STTEP)","Open Class"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/2f466527-4514-4680-8d95-cc5d61812c44/download","http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.121043"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/126287f2-df12-46d6-85e9-b78b609b5274/download"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Current research in China pays insufficient attention to teacher educator knowledge, and the limited existing discussions predominantly focus on what teacher educators should know. 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The self-study component centres on my own role as both researcher and the researched, illustrating how my learning experiences have shaped my investigation in this thesis, and how the research process, in turn, has contributed to the development of my professional knowledge as a future teacher educator. In this thesis, I explore the conceptualisation of theory and practice within the context of Open Classes and associated activities in China. I discover that the “theory and practice” discussed in this setting diverge from their traditional academic definition. Removed from their original contexts, the “theory and practice” become theoretical and practical conclusions, which are abstract and persuasive. Furthermore, I introduce the coexistence of the official and unofficial lenses in Chinese teacher education and professional development. The official lens prioritizes theoretical conclusions and predetermined structures, positioning teachers as subject to authority. 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