Disparities between expectations and impact in fellows' experience of an alternative teaching program in China

This chapter discusses select findings from a mixed methods study that explored the transition of 14 graduates from prestigious Chinese universities becoming teaching fellows in disadvantaged schools through a program designated here as Exceptional Graduates as Rural Teachers (EGRT) (Yin, 2018). The aim of the study was to develop understanding of EGRT fellows’ transition experience through the sociological lens of Bourdieusian theory, rather than to critique or compare particular alternative teaching programs. The findings presented here reveal significant disparities between the fellows’ pre-service expectations and perceived impacts of their teaching through the EGRT program.
This chapter comprises six main parts which cover: context of EGRT in China; previous research; the study’s sociological lens; the research design; findings; and discussion of implications.