What teachers in pre-vocational education should teach and what they actually teach: A comparison of curricula and teaching in Germany and China

Abstract

This article compares the pre-vocational education curriculum plans in lower-secondary schools in Germany and Mainland China, and their implementation. Choosing the curricula of certain school types in two selected regions in both countries, this research first carries out a content analysis of the curriculum plans, using the criteria developed from the curriculum development theory of Reetz. In the second step, based on the findings on the theoretical level, some semi-structured in-depth teacher interviews are conducted in both countries with the purpose of finding out the degree of curriculum implementation as well as influencing factors in the actual teaching practice. The investigation reveals that in both countries certain disparities exist between the curriculum plan on the one hand and the teaching reality on the other hand. The reasons for the disparity are largely different in the two countries and are closely related to the varied institutional settings, the financial situation, as well as teacher training, etc.