Work

Recruiting High-Quality Teachers With Service Scholarships: Descriptive Evidence From China's Free Teacher Education Scholarship

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Purpose This study evaluates China's Free Teacher Education (FTE) scholarship's effectiveness in attracting and developing high-quality teachers, focusing on scholarship enrollment, career choices, teaching effectiveness, and burnout experiences of scholarship recipients. Design/Approach/Methods Utilizing administrative and survey data from a leading normal university and the provincial Department of Education, the study compares FTE scholarship recipients with non-recipients across various metrics, including their pre-college backgrounds, job placements, in-service effectiveness, and job burnout. Findings Results show that FTE scholarships draw high-performing students who are more likely to end up as teachers. Despite experiencing slightly higher burnout, these scholarship recipients demonstrate superior teaching effectiveness. Originality/Value This study provides new insights into the role of service scholarships in enhancing teacher quality. Our findings underscore the potential of service scholarships for pre-service teachers as an efficient tool to address teacher shortage and enhance teacher quality.

Source: ECNU Review of Education

DOI: 10.1177/20965311251345498

Authors: Yan Shi (石艳), Qi Zheng (郑琦), Xinliang Zhang (张新亮), Xiaoyang Ye (叶晓阳), Xin Xie (谢欣)

Institutions: Northeast Normal University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Nanjing Normal University, Brown University

Language: English

Topic: Teacher Professional Development and Motivation

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China