Speech Topic: Teacher Empowerment Toward Professional Career Plan and Development: A case study in China

Dr. James Wang

Dr. James Wang is Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts and Design at JiMei University, Fujian, China. He holds degrees in architecture, computer science and education. He has done extensive research on the development of design learning environments that are sensitive to culturally ethical issues and the development of context-recognition pedagogies and design strategies for ubiquitous computing environments in the traditional design studio for the past 30 years. His current research concerns inquiry-oriented design education with an emphasis on how technology can support simultaneous teacher and student learning. He is the author of a number of books and articles on architecture and education issues. In 2013, Professor Wang’s sole-authored Challenging ICTs Applications in Architectural, Engineering, and Industrial Design Education, the first in a series of architectural education monographs documenting endangered Teaching Creativity in Design Professionals. He initiated the ongoing series in response to widespread creativities ideologies over rapidly disappearing the essence of architectural education. As an extension of TJ’s longstanding interest in the innovation of design, informatics and pedagogy in space for architecture, he is currently writing his third book, Being Gifted in Architecture School: An Introduction to Artistic and Philosophical Models Development and Teaching.

Abstract:
In the past, teachers concerned themselves almost exclusively with achieving teaching uplifting visions of teaching students. Both their work and their social identity were defined by teaching concerns. Today, however, teachers construct their social and professional identity not only in terms of teaching but also in terms of research and public service. In regards to professionalism in general and to teacher empowerment in particular, the radical challenges of arguments based on social identity theory are often thought to be an impetus for expanding the role of the teaching practitioner-- but there is a possibility that this new approach might actually diminish the profession of teacher empowerment. In the lecture, I will examine this issue through the presentation of what I call the Mediation Model of Teaching Professionalism.