On the morning of January 9, 2026, the Sixth Jingshi Teacher Education Youth Scholars Forum initiated by CTER-BNU commenced in Room 129, Yingdong Building, at Beijing Normal University (BNU). Hosted by CTER-BNU, the forum featured four parallel sessions: Teacher Workforce Development; Subject-Specific Teacher Education; Technology-Enabled Teacher Education Transformation; and a special practice-oriented session titled "Insights from Seniors." The event aimed to explore the current landscape and future of teacher education across macro-level policy, cutting-edge research, technological applications, and practical experience. It sought to establish a high-level, multi-dimensional platform for academic exchange and professional growth among young scholars, researchers, and outstanding students nationwide. The opening ceremony was chaired by A/P Ye Juanyan, Deputy Director of the Teacher Education Research Institute, BNU.

Prof. Zhang Jingjing, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, delivered a speech on behalf of the Faculty as specially invited guest. She highly commended the vitality and potential of young scholars in theoretical innovation, practical exploration, and policy research. She encouraged participants to fully utilize the platform for exchange ideas, ignite ideas, and build consensus. Prof. Zhang urged attendees not only to engage with academic frontiers and theoretical development but also to root their work in China's educational realities, responding to the needs of the times and producing research findings with both academic rigor and practical relevance.

Parallel Session One: Teacher Workforce Development

This session was moderated by doctoral student Gong Chen, with Associate Professor Zhang Huajun and Dr. Xu Xingzi serving as discussants.

Presentations covered diverse topics. Hong Yitong (Master's student from CTER-BNU) used ethnographic research to reveal a "challenge-adaptation-growth" trajectory among teachers in rural small-scale schools, proposing differentiated professional development pathways. Hu Qiaohua (Xingtai University) addressed challenges in teacher preparation at local universities, suggesting a tripartite collaborative path involving institutional, resource, and cultural dimensions. Zhu Yihang (Master's student from CTER-BNU) analyzed teacher certification regulations from the Republican era through a historical institutionalist lens, suggesting implications for constructing a tiered, categorized teacher qualification access mechanism today. Wei Yefang (Yulin Normal University) presented a four-in-one experiential training model encompassing theoretical learning, scenario simulation, practical application, and reflective enhancement. Tian Mingqi (Ningxia Normal University) argued for shifting teacher training from skill improvement towards spiritual empowerment, proposing practical pathways guided by the ethos of great educators. Liu Tian (Capital Normal University) elaborated on the meaning and value of self-study for teacher educators, highlighting its role in integrating teaching, research, and identity. Zhao Jiangshan (Xingtai University) analyzed challenges and strategies in preschool teacher education based on regional policy evolution. Du Xixi (Anqing Normal University) reviewed the century-long evolution of the teacher education system with Chinese characteristics, offering optimization suggestions based on current issues.

Discussants A/P Zhang Huajun and Dr. Xu Xingzi affirmed the presenters' acute attention to practical problems and their innovative approaches. They offered valuable guidance on enhancing research quality and academic growth, focusing on aspects like research logic coherence, integrating policy and practice, and localizing theory.

Parallel Session Two: Subject-Specific Teacher Education

Moderated by master's students Zhang Ruidan and He Wenyan, this session featured Associate Professor Ye Juyan and Dr. Li Xiaoyan as discussants, focusing on theoretical development and practical innovation in subject-specific teacher education.

The first half centered on China. Guo Yanan (Xingtai University) constructed a professional competency framework for rural primary science teachers guided by the ethos of great educators. Zhang Rong (Xingtai University) explored innovative paths for aesthetic education practice in universities from the perspective of aesthetic imagery. A team of doctoral and master's students (Yang Xianze, Meng Junhao, Peng Chenxi) from CTER-BNU revealed the mechanism through which media dependency affects the willingness of arts education students to pursue teaching careers. Chen Lilin (Doctoral student from CTER-BNU) analyzed challenges and reform pathways in dance teacher education. Hu Jinxia and Ouyang Xiujun (Yulin Normal University) elucidated the connotations and developmental directions of subject teacher education culture.

The second half presented international perspectives. International doctoral students shared research from different national contexts. Myota Furaha Redson presented a systematic review on teacher educators' cognition and attitudes towards AI in teacher education. Muhammad Shoaib Iqbal Ansari presented a case study on Pakistani educators in Chinese international school classrooms. Mpiluka Godfrey Valentino and Norah Alexander Mwipopo shared insights from Tanzanian practices on teacher ethics and innovative workforce development. Anna Benson Boreka systematically reviewed the effectiveness and limitations of Tanzania's student loan scheme regarding higher education finance policy.

Discussants Associate Professor Ye Juyan and Dr. Li Xiaoyan commended the practical significance and academic value of the research. They provided constructive feedback on conceptual clarity, depth of theoretical engagement, methodological rigor, and practical relevance.

Parallel Session Three: Technology-Enabled Teacher Education Transformation

Moderated by master's student Sun Yu, this session included Prof. Zhou Jinyan, Dr. Han Jinzhi, and Dr. Zhang Jinghui as discussants. It focused on the profound impacts of digital tech and AI on teacher education, covering topics like rural teacher identity reconstruction, teacher competency development in the AI era, and fostering pre-service teachers' technological integration skills.

Presentations explored various facets. Luo Yihui (Master student from CTER-BNU) discussed how rural teachers can reshape professional identity through digital literacy, proposing digital literacy as a means to empower local cultural identity. Sun Yu drew insights from Zen philosophy to address challenges to teacher pedagogical tact in the AI era, proposing an integrated cultivation path. Du Jiaoyang (doctoral student from CTER-BNU), based on a survey across multiple normal universities, revealed the dual mediating mechanisms of efficacy and ability expectations in the relationship between ICT/AI support and pre-service teachers' TPACK. Yuan Peili (doctoral student from CTER-BNU), from a modernity critique perspective, examined risks of generative AI in education, emphasizing a human-machine collaboration logic with teachers and students as the main agents. Wang Jingwen (master's student from CTER-BNU) focused on teachers' deep learning abilities in the AI era, advocating for moving beyond misconceptions like cognitive outsourcing. Jin Boqing (Ningxia Normal University) used narrative inquiry to construct a model for rural outstanding English teachers' teaching beliefs. Duan Menghan (Hubei NO.2 Normal University) elaborated on a teacher self-growth theory centered on the evolution of self-experience. Lyu Yuefang (Xingtai University), based on empirical research in Xingtai, constructed an integrated system for large, medium, and primary school art practices.

Discussants Professor Zhou Jinyan, Dr. Han Jinzhi, and Dr. Zhang Jinghui provided in-depth commentary, affirming the scholars' engagement with cutting edge topics. They offered constructive suggestions on theoretical frameworks, methodological rigor, and practical feasibility, emphasizing that technology research must ultimately serve the fundamental goal of education.

Parallel Session Four: Insights from Seniors

Moderated by master's student Song Jiayu, this session invited outstanding alumni and current graduate students, including Xu Ran, Wu Yuhang, Sun Yue, Kang Zhizhang, and Zhang Xinyue, to provide targeted guidance on further studies and employment.

Wu Yuhang (currently a doctoral student at the University of Hong Kong) shared experiences on applying for overseas PhD programs. Kang Zhiwei focused on the job market for subject English teachers in Southern China, using Shenzhen's recruitment for certified teachers as a case study. Sun Yue (teacher at Beijing Shi Yi School - Zhongtang Experimental School) shared job-seeking experiences based on her teaching practice in Haidian and Fengtai districts of Beijing, emphasizing a learner-centered philosophy. Zhang Xinyue provided comprehensive experience sharing on internships and job-seeking for the subject Chinese language field. Xu Ran (teacher at Beijing Ba Yi High School) shared job-seeking insights and career development reflections, focusing on self-anchoring amidst various choices.

The five speakers offered targeted and practical guidance on PhD applications, job-seeking strategies in different regions, and subject-specific exam preparation, providing valuable references for students to clarify their academic and career paths and enhance their competitiveness.