Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 516

Proceedings of the 2020 3rd International Seminar on Education Research and

Social Science (ISERSS 2020)

Case Study on the Adaptive Teaching Mechanism of

Subject Teacher Educators Under the Background of
New Normal
Yaqi Zhang1,*
1
School of Education, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China
*Corresponding author. 2018103027@nwnu.edu.cn

ABSTRACT
Based on the background of new normal education, this study tries to explore the internal mechanism of the
adaptive teaching process of subject teacher educators. Using the methods of questionnaire, observation and
interview, this paper systematically analyzes the adaptive teaching mechanism of 428 students and 8 subject
teacher educators in N Normal University. It is found that the process of adaptive teaching revolves around
the “six elements”, and the interaction between the six elements is reflected in the reflective practice process
of subject teacher educators to adapt to the different needs of students. The innovation of this study is
reflected in the attention to the adaptive teaching mechanism of subject teacher educators.
Keywords: subject teacher educators, adaptive teaching mechanism, six elements, epistemology of reflective
practice

1. INTRODUCTION
The Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and The State
Council on Comprehensively Deepening the Reform of
Teacher Staff Construction in the New Era was issued in
January 2018, marking a significant turn from China's
teacher education reform to normal education. Such a
change has brought a great impact on the subject teacher
educators who undertake the course of subject pedagogy.
Adaptive teaching mechanism[1] refers to the teaching
process in which teachers adopt unconventional, creative
and differentiated teaching strategies to promote students’ Figure 1 Six-Element Model of Subject Teacher
personalized development through the reflection in Educators Teaching Process
response to students’ personalized needs and the interaction
between various elements in the teaching process. At
present, the research on the teaching practice of subject 2. PROBLEMS AND METHODOLOGY
teacher educators focuses more on practical strategies than
on the adaptive teaching mechanism.[2][3] The relevant This study mainly discusses the following two questions:
research of adaptive teaching practice also does not pay first, what are the common characteristics of the elements
attention to the special group of subject teacher educators. of the teaching activity mechanism of subject teacher
Therefore, based on the dialectical analysis of Schon's educators? Second, how do these elements work in the
epistemology of reflective practice[4], this study teaching process of subject teacher educators?
constructed the adaptive teaching process of subject teacher The research adopts the mixed research method, selects N
educators as a six-element model as shown in Figure 1, Normal University in a city of G Province as a case, and
including student performance, adaptive teaching collects data by means of questionnaire, interview and
strategies, adaptive teaching effect testing, personal belief participatory observation. This study adopts the “purposive
support system, external support system, reflection and sampling” method to determine the subject teacher
other elements. educators of N Normal University as the research object.
To determine N Normal University as a research field, a
reform in 2018 is mainly considered. N Normal University
carried out the reform of “new normal” education
innovation action plan. The basic idea of this reform is

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 516

more concerned with the cultivation of normal students’ 3.1. Analysis of the Current Situation of
educational and teaching practical ability. Students’ Satisfaction with Subject Teacher
The research objects of the questionnaire survey are 428
students from the class taught by eight subject teacher Educators
educators. A total of 428 questionnaires of Satisfaction
with the Teaching of Subject Teacher Educators are
distributed, 428 of which are recovered, and the effective 3.1.1. Students’ Satisfaction with the Curriculum
recovery rate is 100%. The scale of Satisfaction with the
Teaching of Subject Teacher Educators investigates the Students hold a positive attitude towards the courses
normal students’ satisfaction with subject teacher offered, and the average recognition of the importance of
educators’ teaching from five dimensions: curriculum the two courses, namely, Curriculum Standards and
design of subject teacher educators, teaching purpose of Teaching Materials Research in Middle School and Subject
subject teacher educators, teaching methods of subject Curriculum and Teaching (Experimental) Design in Middle
teacher educators, teaching contents of subject teacher School, are 4.07 and 4.02 respectively, which are higher
educators, and teaching evaluation of subject teacher than the median value of 3, indicating that students think
educators. There are 15 questions in the subject teacher that setting up these two courses is more important for
educators’ satisfaction with teaching scale. The questions students’ learning and development (as shown in Table 1).
of the scale are answered by Likert’s five-point scoring Table 1 Average and Standard Deviation of the
system, and assigned 1 to 5 from low to high. Cronbach Evaluation of the Importance of Curriculum Offered by
Salpha coefficient is used to test the internal consistency
Normal Students
reliability of 15 questions in five dimensions of the
questionnaire. The results show that the alpha coefficient of Course M SD
the internal consistency of the questionnaire is 0.89, which Curriculum Standards and
shows that the reliability of the questionnaire is good. Teaching Materials Research 4.07 0.88
The interviewees are selected by “sampling within a case”.
in Middle School
Eight subject teacher educators are selected as the main
interviewees from 15 subject teacher educators in the
Subject Curriculum and
Institute of Education. In addition to interviews, this study Teaching (Experimental) 4.02 0.91
conducts participatory observation on 8 teachers’ Design in Middle School
classroom teaching, mainly to observe how they conduct
classroom teaching. In terms of data sorting and analysis,
all interview data and observation data are transcribed into 3.1.2. Students’ Satisfaction with Teaching
text content. The types of data sources are represented by I Methods
and O respectively. The way of data naming is “provider
plus teaching subject plus data source plus date”, in which The investigation on the application of the teaching
“provider” is named after the initials of the research methods of the teachers of the two courses shows that the
object’s name. teaching methods used by the teachers of Curriculum
Standards and Teaching Materials Research in Middle
School are mainly teaching and demonstration, with the
3. RESULTS average values of 3.95 and 3.77 respectively; the teaching
methods of the teachers of Subject Curriculum and
The teaching process of subject teacher educators in N Teaching (Experimental) Design in Middle School are
Normal University relies on the research framework of “six mainly teaching, group cooperative learning and
elements” and the survey results of students’ Satisfaction demonstration teaching, with the average value of 3.81,
with the Teaching of Subject Teacher Educators. The 3.79 and 3.72 respectively (as shown in Table 2).
analysis is based on Curriculum Standards and Teaching
Materials Research in Middle School and Subject
Curriculum and Teaching (Experimental) Design in Middle
School.

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Table 2 Average and Standard Deviation of Teachers’ Teaching Methods

Indicator M SD
lecturing 3.95 0.64
demonstration 3.77 0.68
Curriculum Standards and Teaching
individual practice 3.58 0.73
Materials Research in Middle School
group discussion 3.76 0.76
case study 3.67 0.76
individual inquiry learning 3.66 0.73
group cooperative learning 3.79 0.73
case study 3.65 0.69
Subject Curriculum and Teaching
literature reading 3.47 0.80
(Experimental) Design in Middle School
classroom simulation 3.40 0.81
lecturing 3.81 0.65
demonstration 3.72 0.67
learning motivation. Teacher L, who is responsible for the
3.1.3. Students’ Satisfaction with Teachers’ teaching task of Physics Curriculum Standards and
Teaching Materials Research in Middle School, found that
Teaching Evaluation “in the physics textbook of junior high school, it talks
According to the survey of students’ satisfaction with about the straight-line propagation of light. At the
teachers’ teaching evaluation, it is found that the average beginning, it is said that in foggy weather, you can see that
value of fairness and appropriateness of teachers’ teaching the light travels along a straight line. Then you ask normal
evaluation is 4.08, which is most recognized by students, students why it is foggy weather? He doesn’t know”
but slightly disapproved of the diversity of teaching (L-WL-I-0909). Furthermore, the learning motivation of
evaluation. The average value of this index is 3.99 (as normal students is also the basis of the next link organized
shown in Table 3). by subject teachers and educators. W, a teacher of
Mathematics Curriculum Standards and Teaching
Table 3 Average and Standard Deviation of Teachers’ Materials Research in Middle School, finds that students’
Teaching Evaluation learning motivation is not strong, and it mainly because of
two reasons: “now there are more and more students taking
Indicator M SD postgraduate entrance examination, they don’t want to be
value 4.03 0.59 teachers, so they think it’s useless to learn this course”
fairness and properness 4.08 0.57 (W-SX-I-0708).
diversified evaluation 3.99 0.65
methods
process evaluation 4.01 0.62 3.2.2. Adaptive Teaching Strategies
There are two types of adaptive teaching strategies for
3.2. Adaptive Teaching Process of Subject subject teacher educators, such as the implicit
demonstration of examples and the inquiry of questions.
Teacher Educators
For the L teacher, when explaining how to implement the
Based on the above survey on the satisfaction of subject curriculum concept of value education into the classroom
teacher educators, it is found that the teaching methods of teaching of primary and secondary school students, he/she
teachers mostly adopt methods including teaching and needs to have some basic strategies (L-SZ-O-1103) to
demonstration, which may be affected by the nature and demonstrate the theme of “teacher-student interaction” for
objectives of the two courses. In addition, the teaching normal students through examples of teaching strategies.
method is not necessarily the pronoun of inefficient There are also teachers, through questions and continue to
teaching methods. If the teaching is carried out with normal ask questions and other ways, to explore normal students’
students as the center, then the teaching of teachers is also mastery of knowledge, and promote their in-depth
successful. The following is to explore the mechanism of understanding.
teachers’ teaching process through participatory Teacher L: put the alarm clock in the glass cover to
observation and interview. remove the air, and the sound becomes smaller? What is
the purpose of this experiment?
Students: it explains that communication needs media.
Teacher L: Well, you should pay attention to this. Put
3.2.1. Students’ Performance
the alarm clock in the glass cover, and the sound will
Students’ performance mainly focuses on two aspects, become smaller after the air is removed. Can the sound be
namely normal students’ learning performance and completely absent?
(waiting for students to answer)

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Teacher L: it can’t be completely absent, because the transformation. Just as the teacher Z studied comparative
air can’t be completely evacuated "(L-WL-O-0915). literature during his postgraduate period, his experience in
pursuing a doctorate and a postdoctoral degree has realized
the leap and integration of disciplinary discourse system
3.2.3. Adaptive Teaching Effect Testing and pedagogy discourse system. “The discourse framework
of Chinese language and literature is different from that of
When teacher S adopts the strategy of questioning, the subject teaching method. Therefore, in the past few years,
students do not give an answer. Teacher S reflects that the he began to cross major, and the process of transformation
students may not understand what the teacher is asking, so is a challenge”(Z-YW-I-0708). Although the teacher W
he/she changes the way of asking, and finally gets a studied mathematics curriculum and teaching theory major
satisfactory answer. during the graduate period, he did not encounter the
Teacher S: I cite a detail described in the article Lao conflict between two sets of discourse systems, but his
Wang, “one evening, we were walking through a remote on-job training made him contact with participative
alley and saw a dilapidated courtyard with several teaching for the first time. He changed his focus from how
dilapidated cottages. Lao Wang was riding his tricycle into to teach himself to how do students learn, and realized the
it. Later I asked Lao Wang, is that his home?” Do you student-centered teaching.
remember what Lao Wang said?
(Silence)
Teacher S: “Lao Wang said that he has lived there for 3.2.6. Reflection
a long time”. What special things do you feel from this
The reflection of subject teacher educators is reflexive,
question and answer?
which promotes the change of personal cognition and
(Silence)
behavior. Its path is reflection, introspection and resolved
Teacher S: he said he had lived for a long time, but he action for empirical cognition. [7]Teacher educators reflect
didn't mention that this is his home. What does it mean? on their own teaching, which is the examination of “how to
Students: he doesn't have a real home. teach”. After a class, the teacher L finds that the teaching
content is not comprehensive, and the teaching plan needs
Teacher S: Yes, that’s what the author is brilliant
to be adjusted. In fact, the reflection on the teaching
about. It seems very plain, but it has written a lot of about
content is that you are in the middle of the teaching
the biggest pain in the heart inadvertently, right? Because
process. After the first class, you will find that there are
the author asked, “is that your home?” Laowang gave an
some places that you did not consider comprehensively at
irrelevant answer, just said he has lived there for a long
the beginning of the design. The teacher L may want to
time. (S-YW-O-0914)
adjust the teaching plan in the next class, which is for sure”
(L-WL-I-1124).
3.2.4. Personal Belief Support System
Teachers’ beliefs affect teachers’ behavior. [5] Belief is a 4. DISCUSSION
cognitive tool for framing and defining phenomena [6] and
it consists of a cognitive component that represents
knowledge, an emotional component that evokes emotion, 4.1. Common Elements of Adaptive Teaching
and an active behavioral component in action. W, the Process of Subject Teacher Educators
teacher of Subject Curriculum and Experimental Design in
Middle School, holds that the experimental design course is The common elements in the teaching process of subject
to make normal students understand “true physics and teacher educators are shown in Table 4. By combing and
understand the truth”, and “true physics is that only when analyzing the common elements in the teaching process, it
students see the scene can they understand the principles of is found that teacher teaching in N normal university
physics. When you tell him how powerful internal energy belongs to the teaching under the mode of intermediary
is and how much work he has done, he does not have this process. The teaching not only pays attention to teachers’
concept. Therefore, it is important to see the phenomena. teaching behavior, but also concerns the thinking process
Physics is not only a matter of looking, but also the reason behind it.
for understanding. This principle, including the
understanding of rationality, is to rise from sensibility to
rationality”(W-WL-I-0623).

3.2.5. External Support System

All the case teachers said that teachers’ professional
learning and training is the turning point of their teaching

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Table 4 Common Elements of Subject Teacher Educators’ Teaching Process

Dimension Element
Students’ performance Normal students’ learning performance and learning motivation
Adaptive teaching An implicit demonstration of examples; inquiry of questions
strategy
If satisfied with the teaching results, practical knowledge is formed; if not
Adaptive teaching effect satisfied with the teaching results, problems should be redefined, students’
testing performance should be examined and teaching strategies should be
re-selected
Personal belief support Views on the subject; views on teaching
system
External support system
Study for a degree; professional training
Reflection Reflexivity
April 2018. DOI:
4.2. Operation Process of Subject Teacher https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317743198.
Educators’ Adaptive Teaching Mechanism [2] B. Juarez, “The Intersection of Theory and Practice
Adaptive teaching is a kind of teaching centered on normal in Teacher Preparation Course,” Journal of Instructional
students. First of all, based on the students’ cognitive Research,” vol. 8, pp. 84-88, 2019.
schema, interest, knowledge base, ability level and learning DOI:https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICSer
process, the individual teaching is debugged. Secondly, the vlet?accno=EJ1242592
test of teaching effect is the dialogue between teachers and
situations. Through the dialogue with situations, teachers’ [3] M. Lunenberg, F. Korthagen, A. Swennen, “The
personal cognition is clear, and teachers’ accurate Teacher Educator as a Role Model,” Teaching and
positioning and grasp of students’ needs are helpful. Teacher Education, vol. 23, pp. 586-601, July 2007.
Thirdly, the whole adaptive teaching process is supported DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.11.001
by personal belief system and external support system.
Finally, teacher reflection plays the most important role [4] Schon D. A, The Reflective Practitioner: How
and function. Only when teacher educators are good at Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic books,
reflecting and reflecting on themselves can they effectively
use the personal belief support system and external support 1983.
system to promote the operation of the whole adaptive
[5] Fred A.J. Korthagen, “In Search of the Essence of a
teaching process.
Good Teacher: Towards a More Holistic Approach in
Teacher Education,” Teaching and Teacher Education,
5. CONCLUSION vol. 20, pp. 78-81, January 2004. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.10.002
In a word, the teaching mechanism of subject teacher
educators includes two parts: one is the teaching process, [6] M. Frank Pajares, “Teachers’ Beliefs and
which revolves around the “six elements” process Educational Research: Cleaning Up a Messy Construct,”
framework. The second is the relationship between the Review of Educational Research, vol. 62, pp. 321,
elements in the teaching process, which is the embodiment September 1992. DOI:
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[7] J. Lunn Brownlee, L.E. Ferguson, M. Ryan,

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