Abstract:

Effective education begins with empowered teachers. A critical task for Chinese scholars today is to establish a teacher education system with distinct Chinese characteristics, grounded in autonomous knowledge. This study emphasizes the scientific and disciplinary foundations of teacher education by defining the meaning of knowledge, which is shaped by the dual requirements of internal analysis and external synthesis. The concept of autonomous knowledge is explored through three dimensions: originality, adaptability, and criticality. The production of autonomous knowledge refers to the process of deriving conclusions and generating insights within individual academic research. Meanwhile, the growth of autonomous knowledge involves the longitudinal evolution of knowledge, encompassing the interaction, communication, iteration, and recursion among various academic studies. To more clearly, specifically, and deeply present the progress of research on autonomous knowledge in Chinese teacher education, six research topics are identified in this study: 1) Purpose and value; 2) Recruitment, selection, and entry; 3) Competence of pre-service teachers and teacher educators; 4) Learning and development; 5) Environment and its role; and 6) System. This study employs systematic literature review, content analysis, and case analysis, focusing primarily on academic research conducted since the establishment of the Standards of Teacher Education Curriculum in 2011, with particular emphasis on core journal articles and empirical studies. In the section on the production and growth of autonomous knowledge in Chinese teacher education, the influences of the three driving sources—policy, practice, and theory—on this process are analyzed separately. Classic cases are used to comprehensively illustrate the driving sources, internal processes, and dynamic mechanisms involved in the generation of autonomous knowledge in Chinese teacher education. While significant progress has been made in constructing autonomous knowledge, current achievements are characterized by strong internal but weak external synthesis, a predominant use of deductive methods but limited use of inductive ones, and a lack of critical and negative assessment. Moving forward, it is essential to continue forging a uniquely Chinese path in the scientific development of teacher education, particularly in addressing the long-standing core challenges in this field.

Key words: teacher education, autonomous knowledge, teacher preparation, knowledge production, knowledge growth