Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions: The Dean’s Role in Fostering Creative Collaboration in Chinese Aesthetic Education Reform

Description

Page: 411-417

Pan, Lei¹ and Evelyn A. Songco² (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Boulevard, Manila, Philippines¹ and Zhoukou Normal University, China¹,²)

As aesthetic education reform in China progresses, teachers are urged to modify their teaching approaches to foster students’ innovative capabilities and practical skills. A positive teacher-creative collaboration is essential to driving meaningful change within higher education. While most research has documented the relationship between leadership and teacher collaboration in educational settings, very few attempt the impacts of leadership-driven creative collaboration in teachers’ work practices, especially under the aesthetic education reform in China. This research qualitative case study and thematic analysis explore how leader-implemented creative collaboration influences teachers’ work, focusing on examining the teacher’s professional growth, values, and interpersonal relationships. This case study involved 9 participants from a college of fine arts in Henan, China, selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation, and review of documents. This research concludes that: (i) A firm belief that interdisciplinary collaboration brings lasting change to personal growth and teaching practice; (ii) Discovering the value of interdisciplinary collaboration; and (iii) Collaboration working with sincere teachers.