AI-empowered integrated reform of teacher education: The experience of a Chinese university

Abstract

This paper delves into the exemplary experience of East China Normal University (ECNU) in the AI-empowered integrated reform of teacher education. In response to the demand for a high-quality teaching workforce in the intelligent era, ECNU actively aligns with China’s education modernization strategy by optimizing admission mechanisms, constructing personalized training systems, and strengthening the integration of pre-service and in-service teacher training. The university implements an "Excellence" education philosophy and adopts the "3+1+X" training model, encouraging pre-service teachers to engage in interdisciplinary learning while integrating AI technology to enhance the entire teaching process. Additionally, ECNU emphasizes collaboration with primary and secondary schools through initiatives such as the "micro-certification" platform and various flagship programs, providing continuous professional development support for both pre-service and in-service teachers. The study highlights that ECNU has achieved significant progress in AI-driven teacher education but still faces challenges such as institutional constraints, low teaching intention among pre-service teachers, and difficulties in translating learning outcomes into practice. Moving forward, strategies such as optimizing university operational models, reshaping teacher instructional approaches, reconstructing pre-service teacher learning methods, and enhancing government support will further advance the integrated reform of teacher education. ECNU’s experience offers valuable insights for the development of teacher education in China and worldwide.

Document Type: Original article

Cited as:

Guo, Z., & Xu, Y. (2025). AI-empowered integrated reform of teacher education: The experience of a Chinese university. Education and Lifelong Development Research, 2(1): 30-38. https://doi.org/10.46690/elder.2025.01.04

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