Study of the Dilemma of Continuing Professional Development and Coping Strategies of University Teachers in Remote Areas of China

Abstract

The continual production and dissemination of diverse information in this digital age is driving higher education institutions to innovate and integrate their knowledge. This further encourages teachers to continually update their professional development. However, as university teachers still encounter numerous difficulties this respect, the purpose of his study is to conduct in-depth qualitative analysis to explore this issue from four perspectives: peer support, external support, collaborative development, and continuous professional development online. By conducting in-depth interviews with 28 administrators and teachers from four northwestern universities in China, this research adopts qualitative methods to explore the current dilemmas in teachers' continuing professional development and information technology ability, and proposes corresponding improvement strategies based on the dilemmas. The results are expected to show that the needs of individual teachers are neglected, there is no plan for complete professional development, and there is a lack of outstanding university management talents in this information society. Therefore, it is suggested that a clear plan for the continuation of teachers’ professional development should be proposed, along with the establishment of a professional development center. At the same time, university teachers should take the initiative to enhance their personal growth, and university administrators’ foresight should not be ignored. The continuing professional development of university teachers in remote areas can only be achieved with unified cooperation in various aspects.