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With the development of information technology and the internet, preschool education needs more innovative thinking and methods to promote its development. However, current preschool education faces many problems, such as limited resources, uneven educational quality, and difficulty in achieving personalized education, which seriously affect children's physical and mental health and social adaptability. Therefore, this paper selects preschool education innovation in the "internet plus" era as the research object. This paper will use literature review and empirical research methods to analyze problems and explain the theoretical basis; put forward teaching, management, service innovation; and at the same time promote educational system reform, optimize resource allocation, strengthen teacher construction, improve teaching quality and other pre-school education innovation strategies in the "internet plus" era. The research results can provide reference and inspiration for innovation in preschool education.

The 21st century is an era of knowledge and information. Modern science and technology based on information technology has inspired profound changes in the world, including college education. Information literacy is an intrinsic element that often plays an important role in teaching and school management. In the information age, how to improve college teachers' information literacy has become a major issue in the development of college education. This paper focuses on the study of college English teachers' information literacy. It first studies the basic connotation of information literacy of college teachers which covers information awareness, information knowledge, and information ability. Then this paper takes college English teachers in North China Electric Power University as the research object, and adopts questionnaire survey and literature research to analyze the current situation of the information literacy of college English teachers. Based on the analysis of the basic connotation of teachers' information literacy, and the current situation of college English teachers' information literacy, this paper puts forward three strategies for improving college English teachers' information literacy: enhancing college English teachers' self-development consciousness, making use of group dynamics, and perfecting modern information technology training system.

Within the research literature and in public discourse on higher education, attention has focused on the need for new graduates to develop 21st century skills for success in an increasingly globalized world. Calls for institutions of higher education to support student mobility abound, with intentions that some have categorized as neoliberal and others ascribe to notions of global citizenship. In this paper, we bring together literature from the fields of internationalization, teacher education, and study abroad to provide a conceptual framing and response to an inquiry into the following research question: In what ways does a study abroad experience support the development of preservice teachers? Through a multi-phase, multiple-perspective case study approach, we draw on qualitative interview data to illuminate how faculties of education and their students conceptualize the role of study abroad in the development of preservice teachers. The intentions for these programs cluster under four themes: global citizenship, personal growth, professional development, and employability. The concept of structured encounters with difference emerges out of these themes as a conceptual frame for future study abroad initiatives.

The integrative approach of teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has been advocated as a pedagogical means to advance education for the 21st century. However, there is a lack of validated instruments that are theoretically grounded to account for the various forms of knowledge that teachers need in order to effectively implement STEM education. This study adopts the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework to develop the Technological Pedagogical STEM Knowledge Survey to assess teachers' self-efficacies of the proposed dimensions of knowledge. It also investigates the interrelationships of the four knowledge dimensions (i.e., technological pedagogical science knowledge [TPSK], technological pedagogical mathematics knowledge [TPMK], technological pedagogical engineering knowledge [TPEK] and integrative STEM) proposed in this paper. A total of 314 science, mathematics and technology teachers from China responded to the online survey. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated adequate validity and reliability of the survey for measuring teachers' self-efficacies for STEM from the TPACK perspective. The structural equational model indicates that the teachers' efficacies of integrating technology into science, mathematics and engineering subject predict their efficacy of integrative STEM teaching. Moreover, teachers' TPEK is the strongest predictor of their efficacy for teaching integrative STEM. Overall, the findings support that the TPACK framework could be theoretically useful for promoting teachers' efficacies for STEM education. Practical implications were discussed in this study.

This paper focuses on the Reciprocal Learning Programmes between Western and Eastern educational systems through a Sister School project as well as, a Reciprocal Learning Programme through preservice programs between a Canadian university and a Chinese university. Benefits of the Reciprocal Learning Programs include reflective practice of "content and pedagogical learning", "cultural and societal learning", "globalisation and emotional and social impact." Qualitative documentation demonstrates that educational, social and cultural dimensions are cultivated and nurtured through the Reciprocal Learning programs and have positively affected the students, educators and leaders involved in the project. Criteria for success in the programs included professional and personal commitment, educator inquiry, vulnerability, organisational commitment and multi-dimensional partnerships.

This study examined the perceptions and experiences of a teacher and students in a Shanghai public primary school when digital games were used in a second‐grade math class. The participants included one teacher and 45 students. Data collection methods included classroom observation, focus‐group and individual interviews, and document analysis. Digital gameplay, when used once daily over a 6‐day period, was found to enhance student engagement and interest in learning; many students, however, were concerned about its effect on academic achievement and eyesight. The teacher employed a "making thinking visible" approach using pencil and paper and problem‐solving strategies to help students understand the game's mathematical principles and master mathematical knowledge. Obstacles included large class size, difficulty evaluating learning outcomes, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. This study found that exam‐oriented education and traditional teacher‐centred teaching in China influenced participants' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Digital game‐based learning is effective and leads to a more relaxed learning environment that promotes students' engagement, interest, motivation, and confidence.Learning with digital games helps students acquire mathematics knowledge more effectively than traditional classroom lectures.Digital game‐based learning is helpful in math class as it makes students feel challenged and more capable, thereby improving self‐efficacy and task persistence. What this paper adds: Mathematics teachers and students have a contradictory attitude that shows both approval and concern towards game‐based learning.In the Chinese context, exam‐oriented culture is an important factor that influences the teacher's and students' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning.While digital game‐based learning helps students' engagement and interest in math, it also faces numerous challenges such as large class size, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. Implications for practice and/or policy: Digital game‐based learning may be more effective when combined with pencil and paper to write down the process and make thinking visible.Fun and learning should be balanced in digital game‐based learning.Teachers need training and support for digital game‐centred programmes to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The study explored the barriers and enablers faced by language teachers in teaching 21st century skills at Chinese vernacular schools. It aimed to determine the effects of teachers' attitudes, barriers, and enablers in teaching the skills during language lessons. Method - A mixed-method design was used to achieve the two objectives of this study. Quantitative data were collected from 400 language teachers from Chinese vernacular schools, and semistructured interviews were carried out with nine of the teachers. Barriers and enablers faced by teachers were identified through literature review, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire surveys. Triangulation was carried out for analysis purposes. The effects among the variables were analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling via Smart PLS 3.0. Findings - The major barriers and enablers faced by language teachers in teaching 21st century skills at Chinese vernacular schools were uncovered. Direct effects of teachers' attitudes, barriers, and enablers on the teaching of 21st century skills were found. However, there were no significant moderating effects of barriers and enablers on their teaching. Both of these variables had stronger effects on teachers' attitudes. Significance - With the identifications of barriers and enablers faced by language teachers at Chinese vernacular schools, more effective support and interventions can be provided to these teachers. Teacher training and professional development programmes on 21st century language teaching can also be improved by incorporating the influencing factors identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, taking as our point of departure the importance of China's " boya " education (BYE) and the West's liberal arts education (LAE) in an era that will be increasingly dominated by information technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), we examine the importance of BYE in Mainland China and LAE in the U.S. and Hong Kong. We argue that (a) the recent resurgence and growing significance of LAE in the world has been due to the right skill sets it provides in the information technology era in which many new jobs will be created and existing jobs destroyed ; (b) professional or technical training is not only compatible with the fundamental values of boya or liberal arts but also important in showcasing the strengths of BYE and LAE; (c) the combined benefits of BYE or LAE and professional or technical training may be achieved by adopting the main features of LAE such as its broad-based curriculum and whole-person development approach to undergraduate education or by combining a student's undergraduate and postgraduate studies over time; and (d) for BYE to achieve its goals in China it should occupy a central rather than tangential role in the undergraduate curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China and the US have responded to the challenges of a knowledge-based society, technological advancement, and global competition by implementing educational reforms to impart skills or competencies required of 21st century students. This study compares the rationales, content, and curricula design of both countries' key competencies frameworks and explores the possibility of reciprocal learning. Although their frameworks have certain similarities, significant differences have arisen due to cultural factors. The Chinese framework follows the Confucian tradition, emphasising moral education, political inclinations, transferring general competencies to specific-subject ones, and integrating key competencies in the national curriculum. The US framework follows the pragmatic tradition, emphasising generic skills and economic needs. Some US states have attempted to revise curriculum standards or incorporate 21st century skills by identifying their alignment with Common Core State Standards. Both frameworks have deficiencies and face challenges in implementation, and they can learn from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]