GUIDELINE FOR TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER VOCATIONAL COLLEGES IN QINZHOU CITY

Abstract

This study investigates the guideline for teachers’ professional competence development of higher vocational colleges in Qinzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. A mixed research method was employed, combining quantitative questionnaire data collected from 191 teachers and qualitative in-depth interviews with five key informants. The study examines six dimensions of teachers’ professional competence: teaching ability, practical ability, research capacity, innovation capability, professional literacy, and digital literacy. The findings reveal that the overall level of teachers’ professional competence is at a moderate level (M = 3.40, S.D. = 0.87). Among the six dimensions, teaching ability achieved the highest mean score (M = 3.67), at a high level, while research capacity showed the lowest mean score (M = 3.18), at a moderate level. Teaching ability and professional literacy were rated at a high level, while practical ability, research capacity, innovation capability, and digital literacy were at a moderate level. The results indicate that while teachers have established a solid foundation in teaching and professional ethics, significant gaps remain in practical competence, research engagement, innovation, and digital integration. The interview findings reveal that teachers lack frontline enterprise experience, academic publication skills, and data-driven digital competencies. Based on the findings, the study proposes targeted guidelines including strengthening enterprise practice mechanisms, establishing research mentoring systems, promoting teaching innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration, enhancing lifelong learning awareness, and building systematic digital literacy training programs. These guidelines are intended to provide a theoretical and practical foundation for Qinzhou’s higher vocational colleges to improve teachers’ professional competence, thereby promoting the quality of vocational education and supporting regional industrial development.