From continuing professional development to classroom practice: on the journey of teachers in Chinese private kindergartens

The number of kindergartens is swelling in China, particularly private kindergartens, taking up two-thirds of early childhood education institutions nationwide. The quality of teaching in private kindergartens is positively linked to the levels of teachers' professional competence. Thus, to enhance the teaching quality in private kindergartens, strengthening teacher's professional competence is one of the vital approaches. Teacher's professional competence can be enhanced via effective CPD activities. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impacts of CPD activities on Chinese private kindergarten teachers' professional competence and to identify to what extent, teachers can turn their professional competence into practice.

A qualitative approach was adopted in this research. 18 kindergarten teachers and three kindergarten principals were selected as participants from three private kindergartens in Shenzhen. The findings showed that CPD activities can profoundly impact kindergarten teachers' professional competence-- professional attitude, knowledge, and skills. They can also help teachers to be more inclusive and positive in their teaching. They also enabled teachers to learn various knowledge and skills that are relevant to child care and development, teaching, as well as cooperation with colleagues and children's parents. In addition, it was found that private kindergarten teachers would stay at different stages in turning their professional competence into practice. This process of turning professional competence into practice can be influenced by four levels of factors: teacher-level factors, classroom-level factors, school-level factors, and family-level factors. The research findings presented herein have significant implications for the knowledge base of private kindergarten teachers' CPD in China. It also has implications for the practice relevant to private kindergarten teachers, principals, and policymakers.