GOVERNING QUALITY: LEVERS FOR EFFECTIVE PRESCHOOL TEACHER PROFESSIONAL GROWTH IN SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA

Abstract

This study explored the systemic governance issues of professional development for preschool teachers in Shandong Province, China, against the backdrop of the transition toward high-quality preschool education. Employing a mixed-methods research approach, the study conducted a questionnaire survey of 500 preschool teachers in three cities: Linyi, Weifang, and Jining, and in-depth interviews with 10 teachers. It systematically analyzed four key governance levers: teacher qualifications, professional training, kindergarten scale, and principal leadership. The findings reveal that the roles of these levers are not isolated but intertwined: teacher qualifications serve as the cognitive foundation for development, but their potential is moderated by training opportunities and kindergarten scale; professional training acts as a key driving force, yet faces the challenge of diminishing marginal returns; and principal leadership emerges as the core catalyst for activating the entire system, profoundly influencing policy implementation and teachers' innovative practices. The innovation of this study lies in the construction of an integrated system governance analysis framework, which is used to propose specific policy recommendations to optimize the synergistic effects of these levers. These recommendations aim to provide empirical references for enhancing the overall governance effectiveness of China's preschool education.