The Changes in the Professional Identity of China’s Basic Education Teachers

Abstract

A cross-sectional historical meta-analysis of data for the recent decade indicates a consistent upward trend in the professional identity, values, and role perception, as well as the sense of belonging and behavioral tendencies, of these teachers. In addition, an analysis of the predictive power of societal indicators on teacher professional identity demonstrates that factors such as the proportion of consumer spending, educational investment, and the degree of urbanization significantly affect teachers’ professional identity and its four constituent elements. While secondary and primary school teachers exhibit the most significant shifts in overall professional identity compared to their early childhood education counterparts, kindergarten teachers experience the greatest change in professional values, role perception, and professional behavioral tendencies. Cultivating the four components of teacher professional identity is essential to enhancing it as a whole.